Here's a piece I wrote for a ladies' magazine some years ago before the new legislation on ramps and lifts came in. Things have improved, but how much? How easy do you find it accessing shops with a small child in tow? Let me know - comments below, please! There’s one good thing about … Continue reading Changing Places
motherhood
It’s a Gut Feeling … what happened when baby Ben had salmonella
"It's what?" I gasp down the telephone. "What did you just say Ben's got?" "Yes, it's salmonella, I'm afraid," repeats the doctor calmly. "But please don't worry - his own defences are coping very well. But there are a few things you have to do." And he reels off a list of instructions. Stunned, I put the … Continue reading It’s a Gut Feeling … what happened when baby Ben had salmonella
In the Midnight Hour … Five More Fixes for Mending Broken Nights you really should try
Is your baby is a total night rebel? Some just are. I know. I had one. If so, don’t worry, and above all DON'T feel guilty. Remember – it’s normal. It’ll pass. Honestly. No, really. And until then, here are five more survival strategies to see you through ... Make it Easy … Continue reading In the Midnight Hour … Five More Fixes for Mending Broken Nights you really should try
In the Midnight Hour… Five Fixes for Broken Nights you really should try
“I didn’t realise it was going to be like this!” you mumble, heaving yourself blearily out of bed for the third time that night. Probably none of us did. We all get them; and we could all do without them. But broken nights are as much a fact of life for parents as dirty nappies … Continue reading In the Midnight Hour… Five Fixes for Broken Nights you really should try
Jugglers of the World – Unite!
There you’d be, innocently savouring your summer freedom, when It would happen. Shopping with mother, you’d suddenly notice that first, dreaded Back to School advertisement. Your heart would sink, your happiness blighted. That moment would trigger re-entry from the dizzy heights of holidaying. One minute you’d be carefree; the next, nose-diving on a collision … Continue reading Jugglers of the World – Unite!
Food for Thought
My trips to the supermarket are becoming increasingly problematic these days. No, it’s not the trolleys. Although no matter how carefully I pick, I always seem to end up with one that would really rather not go in a straight line, if that’s OK with me. Which it isn’t. Ever. Nor is it the fact that as soon … Continue reading Food for Thought
Nursery Tales
I was, so I’m told, a very busy toddler. Before I was 18 months old, I’d eaten quite a lot of the stuffing from the mattress in my cot (followed by as much wallpaper as I could reach through the bars), managed to wedge my bedroom door shut while I was still inside (later … Continue reading Nursery Tales
A Matter of Some Irritation
It wasn’t the cat’s fault. Well, it was … and it wasn’t. Like everyone else, I’d been itching for the warmer weather to arrive, but now it had, I was still itching. I peered ruefully at the rash of angry, red bumps on my arms and told myself it was just a heat-rash. It … Continue reading A Matter of Some Irritation
(No) Thanks for the Memory
People have very short memories, don’t they? Perhaps it’s just as well. There’s probably no mother who hasn’t sworn (often quite forcefully) during labour that there’s no way she’s ever going through that again, only to find the whole shattering business fade into insignificance as, awash with feelgood hormones, she cradles her new arrival to … Continue reading (No) Thanks for the Memory
Van de Caractère
Author's note : in the interests of anonymity, the caravan pictured is a stunt double.“Come with us!” urges Beth, swirling her glass of chardonnay in my direction. “We’re camping on site! It’ll be fun!” “No tent!” I counter. “No problem!” she replies. “We know a lady who rents out vans on a casual basis …” Whereupon follows … Continue reading Van de Caractère
