If you’re a single mum worth her salt then you will have seen the comments from the Tory London Mayor candidate – Shaun Bailey – and be suitably incensed. For those not in the know, he’s churning out the tired old stereotypes most people have bored of. The ones about single mothers being after the…
Families
Holidaying in Wales with Baby, Child and Grandparents
I’ve just spent a week in North Wales with my four year old (A) and two month old (Z), plus nanny and grandpa (and one aunty and her boyfriend for a couple of nights). North Wales – the place renowned for stunning scenery, beautiful beaches and wonderful weather. Well OK, maybe not the latter. As…
The Third Trimester: Pregnancy as a Solo Mum By Choice
I can’t believe I’m already finally here. It’s been a long old journey; a year or two of contemplating whether I should and could go down this route, about ten months of trying, and (almost!) nine months of actually doing it. And still, I’m yet to meet the baby it’s all been about. I’ve got through trimester one and…
Preparing to Share My Love: Expecting A Second Child
I used to scoff at people who wrote about how they didn’t know how they could love another child. How ridiculous I thought. Perhaps – being the last of four – meant I didn’t want to acknowledge that my own parents might have had the same thoughts before my arrival. Now, I’m shitting my pants.…
Guest Post: When Do You Introduce Your Children to a New Partner?
“When do you introduce your children to a new partner?” It’s a common question on single parenting forums the world over. Everyone has their own views. Some introduce new partners quickly – arguing that they want to know whether their children and the new partner will get on, others vow never to introduce a new…
Second Trimester Pregnancy As a Solo Mum By Choice
After the nausea and dizziness of the first trimester, I was really holding out for the second trimester to be easier. I remember it being physically pretty easy first time round – it was the emotional side that was a real struggle then. I didn’t relax with my son until I was about 27 weeks…
My Mummy’s Pregnant: A Four Year Old’s Viewpoint
Mummy forgot my scooter when she came to pick me up from nursery today. On the way home she said she had a surprise to tell me when we got back. I wish the surprise had been my scooter. In the end she gave me a piggyback. But I prefer the scooter. When we got…
Life After Divorce: A Letter To My Newly Divorced Self
Dear Newly-Divorced-Me, It’s you here, well me – only now I’m three years into this divorce malarky so I’m a bit more clued up than you – the me of yesteryear. I remember the first day you were alone. It was hell. Actually scrap that, hell requires you feel the pain. You were numb and everything…
I Want To Be A Mum: Raising A Boy As A Solo Mum
“You be the baby, I be the mummy”, my son tells me for the seventeenth time today. It’s his favourite game. “You could be daddy”, I suggest. “No, I want to be mummy”. “Daddies look after babies too you know”, “no, mummies look after babies”. As a self-proclaimed feminist I feel I’m somewhat failing at…
Moving House – Memories: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
I slump; slowly, into the sofa. It’s not the physical exhaustion of packing that’s getting to me. I can handle placing crap into a box. It’s the crap which is escaping that I’m struggling to deal with. They say moving home is stressful, but I hadn’t bargained for the emotions to come out faster than I could tape…