As a kid, Mother's Day was about handmaking cards covered in hearts and flowers at school, and cooking mom breakfast in bed. I got it, but I didn't really get it. My siblings and I often wondered why, if there was a Father's Day and a Mother's Day, there was no such day as a Children's … Continue reading Recognising the Hard Work of Motherhood
New Motherhood
Are Children at a Disadvantage When Mothers Return to Work?
Compared to previous generations, mothers today are more likely to return to work after having children. Many women have spent a significant number of years in school and in the workforce building a career and are not willing to give that up to stay at home with children. Financial reasons also play a role, with … Continue reading Are Children at a Disadvantage When Mothers Return to Work?
Let’s Talk about Breastsleeping
Breastsleeping: breastfeeding mothers sharing the same or an adjacent sleep surface, (i.e. cosleeping*), with their infants in the absence of all hazardous factors. -- Breastsleeping is a new concept proposed by researchers from the University of Notre Dame. It is an important move towards normalising bedsharing for breastfeeding infants, allowing for proper education surrounding an … Continue reading Let’s Talk about Breastsleeping
Babies and their Bad Habits
It's so easy to get sucked into the lies about forming bad habits with babies, isn't it? New mothers are a vulnerable group, so desperate to do everything right for their baby no matter the cost (see: sleep deprivation). And since we have been thrown off the deep end into this whole mothering thing, we … Continue reading Babies and their Bad Habits
To the Mothers of High Needs Babies
To my fellow mothers of high needs babies. I know it often feels like we have drawn the short straw. You look around and see babies who are sleeping through the night (while yours wakes 5+ times a night at 8 months old), babies who sit placidly while their mothers engage in conversation (as yours never. … Continue reading To the Mothers of High Needs Babies
On Crying Babies
If your baby is crying, go to them. Don't stand on the other side of the door, waiting and hoping for them to learn something. These little tiny humans need us to feed them, to clean them, to keep them safe, and they also need us to regulate their emotions. They cry because they want … Continue reading On Crying Babies
The Mother Who Knew Too Much
For a good number of years I spent my time intensely studying child development - what's normal, what's abnormal, and how parents can help or hinder development. It would seem that I would thusly be very well prepared to raise a child of my own, as I am considered an “expert” in the academic field … Continue reading The Mother Who Knew Too Much