Dogs and cats are what I am really talking about here. With the new arrival I am assuming the canary and the goldfish will cope with minimal upset to their lives.

(more…)

Before I was pregnant I thought morning sickness was exactly that. You woke up in the morning, felt a bit queasy until lunch- time, then the day moved into the afternoon and morning sickness wasn’t an issue again until the next day. I knew that for some unfortunate women it meant having a chuck in the toilet before breakfast. Of course, they were in the minority. Then I fell pregnant with Jack.

(more…)

CIRCUMCISION

Pete was circumcised soon after his birth. In the year he was born the majority of baby boys born in Australia were circumcised. So, in the urinals at school when Pete was young chances were the little boy standing next to him had a circumcised penis just like his. When we had Jack, Pete thought we should circumcise him just like his father. We didn’t, and let me tell you why.

(more…)

I’ve done the junk food battle many times over and still continue to do it today with my oldest being nearly eighteen! Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose but the one thing I know I have succeeded in is getting the message through to my kids as to what’s a healthy food choice and what’s not. For most of us junk food is a reality that we have to deal with on a daily basis. Don’t be too hard on yourself if junk food sneaks into your child’s life, just gently head your child back in the right direction. Below are some of the strategies that have helped me over the years; hopefully you find some of them useful too.

(more…)

Getting kids to eat veggies can seem like an insurmountable challenge but by following a few simple steps you’ll be surprised how easy it can be.

First of all you have to believe that veggies are yummy and fun, they really are! And if you don’t believe it you need to make it your mantra because your child certainly won’t believe it if you don’t. It’s not going to work if you’re spoon-feeding your child carrots while at the same time you’re curling up your nose.

(more…)

The Australian federal government is set to legislate mid next year that it will no longer be legal for a private practising midwife to deliver a baby at home. Effectively they will be taking away women’s choice to birth their babies where they want to, a choice that has been women’s since humans first walked the earth. This choice continues to be available to women who live in countries like New Zealand, The United Kingdom, Canada and the Netherlands, countries whose governments support homebirth as a safe and valid option. (more…)

First of all, when it comes to parenting there are no shoulds, it’s up to you where your baby sleeps, do what works for you and your family, do what makes your heart sing. (more…)

Babies, like adults, have periods of light sleep and periods of heavy sleep.

(more…)

All babies cry. They can’t talk, they can’t use hand signals, they can’t move away from a situation they’re not happy about, so they cry.

(more…)