I can picture the scene already. Single Mum Speaks, superstar blogger, waving to the adoring masses from a glittery plinth. Being invited onto the breakfast shows of the commercial television networks and arguing on a sofa with Katie Hopkins whilst Holly Willoughby stands by, doing her Sympathetic Worried Face. They say visualise your goals and…
Month: December 2016
#SchoolsOut linky: Bumper Christmas Edition!
Christmas, I have noticed these past two years, seems to be a time when bloggers slow down, switch off, and concentrate on packing their Instagram feeds full of cosy snapshots of family life-board games, paper hats and long walks in the countryside with children and dogs and festive knitwear. In short, it’s the essence of hygge….
The Terrible Twos: This is Normal, Right?
My mother is convinced that Piglet is afflicted with the developmental curse generally known as the Terrible Twos. I am going to assume that in ordinary parlance this means that toddlers are expected to have a lot of tantrums. Now tantrums I can handle. I think I understand them. I definitely read some stuff on…
Ignoring the News: Sensible Plan or Foolhardy and Immoral?
Ladies and gentlemen, I have a new obsession. And it’s not good for my mental health. I literally cannot stop reading the Guardian on my phone. The Guardian has not, it has to be said, had a good 2016. First David Bowie died, and then everything else the Guardian holds dear disappeared into a giant…
Parenting: The Olden Days vs Now
Is it normal to have some sort of imposter syndrome about being a parent? Sometimes I’m not sure I can even say I engage in any actual parenting, since I seem to spend most of my time either at work away from my son, or being micro-managed by my mother who seems to think that…
Sorry Not Sorry: A Never-Ending Story of Guilt
This week, my A level students and I have been discussing guilt. As we debate over whether or not using someone else’s mug in the common room is a matter for a guilty conscience, my own mind keeps returning to the question of parental guilt. I feel guilt on a daily basis. Some of it, like…