For most first-time parents, we focus on the pregnancy, reading “what to expect when your expecting”, religiously following the size of our fetus “grape, apple, pear, peach, grapefruit and “look darling! This week we grew fingernails – awww”. We prepare ourselves for birth, knowing full well that birth will be painful – but when the time arrives, the pain is nothing like what people have tried to explain – and neither is what happens once your baby arrives and all the wonderf

Let them play rough! I am a mother of four. Four boys. That seems to be cause for quite the reaction from people I meet. “Gee you must have your hands full.” “Wow, you deserve a medal.” “Can I get you a drink?” While this empathy is great, I am of the view that kids are kids. I acknowledge the gender specific research about development, but sometimes the application of this is taken too far and often used as a reason to excuse things that should be managed. As I’m not a mothe

Some time ago, perhaps even ten years, my eldest son asked me why lying is wrong. I was stumped. In the moment I couldn’t think of a reason beyond “Because it is! Because good people don’t do it.” I was shocked by my inability to answer the question quickly, succinctly, and thoroughly when put on the spot. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that if I can’t show or explain to this young child that there’s a good reason lying is wrong, how do I teach him not to do