It’ll probably come as no great surprise that I hated school sports. From the autumnal wet netballs deliberately aimed at your cold legs, to the frosty winter hockey pitch and the scorching heat of summer athletics, when you’re trying not to break a sweat to avoid the ritual humiliation of the communal shower, it’s fair…
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A pretty pants shopping trip
Read moreTaking your toddler to buy their first pair of proper pants isn’t quite on a par with a first bra fitting, is it? At two, they’re over a decade away from being aware enough to suffer the same red-faced mortification and spine tingling embarrassment as a teenager. But as Eliza and I approached the shops…
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Have you heard about Bambajam?
Read moreHands up who used to play a musical instrument when they were younger? I played the recorder – noisily, like all five year olds – the piano and the flute. I’m not sure I was a massive musical talent, but I always enjoyed it (apart from orchestra practice, which was a frustrating clash with Byker…
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Daddy…or chips?
Read moreI don’t think Eliza’s really got the whole Father’s Day secret thing yet. Yesterday we went shopping, and she stood at the bottom of the stairs shouting “Daddeeeee…we’re going to get your present!” And when we came back, she was so excited she bounded over to him saying “Dadeeeee, we have a secret present for…
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99* (toddler) problems with summer
Read more1) Waking up with the sun at 5am, but finding parents seem to have a surprising lack of enthusiasm for cereal and bed bouncing at that hour. Must try them again tomorrow 2) Not being allowed to have ice-cream for breakfast 3) In the garden, but there’s no Macca Pacca 4) And where are the…
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Nap drops, sleep, and the eternal battle for bedtime
Read moreThe midday nap is nature’s gift to mothers, isn’t it? A blissful amount of peace, quiet, and time to yourself. It’s the pause in the middle of the day, the pit stop in the never-ending baby Grand Prix. It’s not quite as intoxicating as a large glass of wine, but it’s twice as refreshing. I…
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An alternative reading list for two-year-olds
Read moreMy daughter loves books. Like most toddlers, she’s obsessed with Miffy, and tea-eating tigers, and bear hunts, and whatever mischief Alfie gets up to, and all the old favourites and newer versions and magical worlds that a good story can transport you to. She loves to read them all over and over, again and again,…
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