This year, my older daughter turns 16. I have said that sentence a few times recently, and each time it seems to land a little differently. There is so much joy in it because I get to watch this beautiful young woman emerge before my eyes. I see her opinions becoming stronger, her confidence developing,…
There is a version of motherhood that everybody gets to see. They see the school photographs, birthday celebrations, family holidays, proud moments and smiling children. They see you at the school gate looking reasonably put together, at work getting on with your day, at church, at the supermarket, or sitting in the audience at the…
My mum had been staying with me when she needed to travel for a family friend’s wedding. What should have been a fairly straightforward conversation about how she was going to get there somehow turned into one of those ordinary moments that make you stop and reflect on life. We talked through the different options:…
Giving our children the emotional freedom to experience life without carrying the fears that shaped us. If you know me well, you will know that I do not like pets. Actually, let me correct that before somebody who knows me personally reads this and accuses me of watering down the truth: “I really do not…
Sometimes the child you are raising introduces you to the child you once were. There are many things I expected parenting to teach me. I expected to learn patience, although I am still very much a work in progress on that one. I expected to learn sacrifice, responsibility and how to function on far less…
We have never been more connected, yet somehow parenting has never felt more lonely. There is an old saying that most of us have heard countless times: “It takes a village to raise a child.” I have always loved the sentiment behind it because it paints a picture of parenting that feels warm and communal….
Comparison is one of the quietest struggles of parenthood, yet it is also one of the most destructive. It rarely arrives loudly or announces itself in obvious ways. Instead, it slips into our thoughts unnoticed as we scroll through social media, sit in the audience at school assemblies, stand chatting in the playground or watch…
There is a saying that has followed me throughout different seasons of my life: “Never judge someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes.” It is one of those expressions we nod along to because it sounds wise, yet I wonder how often we truly allow it to shape the way we see…
Some seasons of life arrive without warning. One moment everything feels familiar, manageable and almost predictable. The next, you find yourself standing in the middle of circumstances you never would have chosen, trying to work out how life became so heavy so quickly. We often hear the phrase, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”…
There is something fascinating about the word sorry. It is only five letters long, simple enough for a toddler to learn, yet difficult enough for many adults to avoid. As parents, we spend years teaching our children to apologise. We remind them to say sorry when they hurt someone’s feelings, speak unkindly, or make a…
As parents, we spend so much of our lives trying to provide. We work the extra hours, take on the overtime, juggle endless responsibilities and stretch every penny because we want our children to have opportunities we perhaps never had ourselves. We save for holidays, plan birthdays, pay for clubs, replace worn-out school shoes, and…
The first evening, my phone rang. “Mummy… can you video call me?” “Of course”, I answered. We chatted about her day, laughed about something her sister had done, and I admired the impressive ability children have to make absolutely nothing sound like breaking news. We talked about dinner, the dog next door, what she’d watched…
There are moments in parenting that you know are significant as they happen. A first step. The first day of school. Graduation. Birthdays. Those milestones announce themselves and invite celebration. Then there are the moments that arrive quietly, disguised as ordinary evenings, and only afterwards do you realise they have left a mark on your…
Sometimes the greatest lessons in parenting come from the very people we think we are teaching. A Familiar Parenting Battle Recently, I had a massive disagreement with my fifteen-year-old daughter. It was one of those moments that many parents will recognise immediately; a conversation that started about one thing but eventually became about something much…
There is a misconception that I think many parents quietly live under, and it is the belief that if we are still standing, still functioning, and still showing up for everyone around us, then whatever we are carrying cannot possibly be that difficult. The reality is quite different. Many of us have become so skilled…
There is something about human nature that constantly pulls our attention towards the destination while quietly convincing us to overlook the journey. We become fixated on the milestones that can be measured, photographed, announced, and applauded, while the quieter victories that make those moments possible often pass by unnoticed. We tell ourselves that we will…
Recently, I have been thinking about how much energy we spend evaluating other people’s choices. Not necessarily judging them, although sometimes we do that too, but constantly measuring, comparing, analysing, and deciding whether we agree with the way someone else has chosen to live their life. As parents, we can find this particularly difficult because…
Loving Our Children Without Losing Ourselves Along the Way I recently watched a video on Instagram where a daughter asked her mum and aunt a simple question:“What was the best part of motherhood for you?” I expected sentimental answers. Maybe newborn cuddles, family holidays, school achievements, or watching their children grow into adulthood. Instead, both…
The tides will turn… and when they do, you need to be ready. This week, I wanted to do something different and bring you an illustration on Musing Pam. I love stories because sometimes they have a way of reaching places that advice alone cannot. And if you are currently walking through a difficult season…
Lately, I have been reflecting deeply on emotional health, not just in my children, but in myself, too. As parents, many of us carry this quiet belief that our role is to protect our children from the weight of adult emotions. Learning to Be Honest About Emotions When life feels overwhelming, stressful, or emotionally heavy,…