PinnedHow To Lower Your Parenting Stress and Avoid Burnout This YearBeing a parent comes with a whole control panel of stress buttons. And there’s a whole bunch of people who get to push them. You can bet your kids are in the front row seats with a whack-a-mole hammer. …Parenting7 min read
Published in The Motherload·PinnedWhy You Need to Give Your Kids the Gift of BoredomIt might be scary as hell. But science says they’ll thank us later. — It’s a phrase that will strike terror into the heart of any parent: “Mommy, Daddy, I’m booooored!” Why the panic? Well, apart from horrifying visions of yet another mind-numbing game of tic-tac-toe, most of us instinctively feel that boredom is a symptom of lack. …Parenting7 min read
Published in The Motherload·PinnedMotherhood: 10 Things They Should Include in the Fine PrintBecoming a mom is basically signing up for a pretty daring human experiment. — Becoming a mom is basically signing up for a pretty daring human experiment. While there’s a set of broad guidelines, some basic “do’s and dont’s,” and a vague promise of life-changing rewards somewhere along the way, every iteration of this particular experiment is completely unique. …Motherhood9 min read
Published in Modern Parent·PinnedWhy You Seem to Get Overwhelmed with Motherhood — And Others Don’tWant to meet the real culprits lurking behind all that mom stress? Strap in. — Another morning. Another day on the hamster wheel from hell. Another day running on empty while you fill everyone else’s tank. Another day trying to jump the high bar to be the perfect wife and mom you promised yourself you’d be. Another day to try, and fail. …Parenting7 min read
Published in Modern Parent·Jun 13, 2021Independent Play Pitfalls: 10 Subtle Ways You’re Sabotaging Your Child’s Solo PlaylistKids stuck to you like crazy glue? Avoid these 10 subtle pitfalls to get them playing happily on their own (and out of your hair!). — Little kids have very little control over external circumstances. They depend on us to create the best conditions for their ‘flow state’: solo play. If you’re reading this, I’ll wager the idea of seeing your toddler or pre-schooler playing on their own, totally immersed in their own little world for…Parenting9 min read
Published in Wholistique·Jun 13, 2021The Best Way to Support Your Kids’ Development? Leave Them Alone.Parents, it’s time to chill. — If you knew there was one thing you could do that would lead to your child’s ultimate physical, intellectual, social and emotional wellbeing and success, you’d jump on it, right? What if that one thing was simply leaving them alone? That is, leaving them to just play. Not 24–7, of…Parenting8 min read
Published in Modern Parent·Jun 13, 202120 Simple Ideas to Kickstart Independent Play (Kid-Approved & Virtually Cost-Free!)Inspired, tried and tested by my live-in play consultants… — Sometimes kids need a little help and encouragement kicking their solo play mode into gear — especially if their default setting has been ‘screen mode’ for a while. Independent play has so many vital benefits for our kids’ development (not to mention the major upside for moms!), …Children4 min read
Published in Frazzled·Jun 7, 2021The SAHM Workout: 5 Fat-Burning Exercises You’re Already Doing Every DayBecause, toddlers… — As a stay-at-home mom a few years into the joyride of parenting, one of your biggest gripes, of course, is how much you miss the gym. I hear fellow moms all the time talking about how they’d just kill for a good sweat fest on the elliptical or a deep…Parenting4 min read
Published in Frazzled·Mar 22, 2021New ‘Moms Only’ Restaurant Sees Disappointing Turnout on Opening WeekendRestauranteurs ‘not sure what went wrong’ following years of market research — Johannesburg, South Africa — New niche restaurant, Hoovers, has seen disappointing turnouts on its highly anticipated opening weekend. This following the lifting of strict Covid-19 Lockdown measures, which once more allows the public to patronise eat-in establishments. The brain-child of entrepreneur couple, Wendy and Arby MacDonald, Hoovers is the first…Parenting5 min read
