Table For Five

"You don't work. Why would you need a day off?" Full time parents are often guilted out of putting their children in daycare. The decision to forgo paid employment to stay at home with your children negates any rights to personal time out, bathroom and lunch breaks, personal space, sile nce and the last slice of cake.  Why would a stay at home parent even need to put their kids in childcare? 

Everything becomes a juggling act when a two year old is involved. Even cooking dinner requires eyes in the back of your head. They're here, they're there, they're everywhere! Unfortunately, I do not have eyes in the back of my head. So, while the kettle was boiling on the bench behind me, I was browning meatballs in the pan in front of me and Miss 2

If you ever feel that you are struggling with your child’s behavior or that something is not quite right, speak to your GP, Early Childhood Nurse or Childcare Worker about your concerns.  Parental instincts exist for a reason, don't ignore it! Mr4 is “that” child. The problem child, the naughty kid that parents encourage their children to stay away from, the one who is watched like a hawk for the slightest act of wrongdoing.

Today I feel I’ve cut off my nose to spite my face. Our playgroup outing was cancelled this morning after Mr4 tried to call my bluff on a “Stop doing that or we won't go” threat. Damn it!!

Cooking with a 2 and 4 year old is like swallowing an insanity pill that's been deep fried in chaos. Just like craft time, you know no matter how well prepared you are, the ceiling will need to be mopped afterwards. But.... and with kids, there's always a but.... we have to something with them to keep their little minds occupied and their hands away from deadly weapons.  For Mr.4, today's cooking activity was perfectly age appropriate. For Miss2, not so much but live and learn right?  She had a ball all the same and it was all worth it all when my son proudly presented me with a headless chicken.

I've written about grocery budgets before and how much they vary from household to household . Larger budgets are obviously much easier to refine while tighter budgets require a lot more thought and planning in order to find savings and maintain a healthy balanced diet for your family. Time is money . Spending a little more time preparing for your shopping trips will save you money. Here's a few helpful tips to get you started on grocery savings.

After my son died, I had a recurring dream. The dream would occur not only in sleep but also in the hours I was awake. I sat, curled up in a ball at the bottom of a deep hole. It was bigger than a well but still perfectly circular.

How Housework can help you get in shape. Doing housework can be about equal in exercise terms to medium-intensity aerobics if you choose to put the energy in. Sometimes, a few little changes are all that is needed to make a big difference to your physical health and fitness. Once these things become habit, your daily household routine becomes your daily workout as well. Stop making things easy. Modern convieniences are great (I particularly like dishwashers and wish I had one) but they can make us lazy and prevent us from taking advantage of our full range of movement. The laundry trolley, for example, keeps us upright and limits physical exertion. These are great for people with chronic back problems who would otherwise be unable to perform the task of hanging clothes but for those who are able to do squats, this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Click here to see more ideas for getting fit in the laundry here. Keep moving Just standing still, you burn over 100 c...

If you haven't been following on Facebook, you won't know that I have signed for Mumma Plus Three's Spring Cleaning Challenge. Just like Christmas in July and being organised Christmas in December, every year I declare that next year, I will do it! This year, I actually am doing it (spring cleaning that is, Christmas will probably be a last minute rush as usual).

Ever tried to motivate yourself with a mission impossible styled pep talk? It's OK to say no, I know I am one of those "special" kind of people and I'm OK with that. (If you said yes, we really need to connect!) Image source: GIFY.com

Because you didn't sleep today, Your mummy's in a spin. I had not time to wash, so I've nothing to dress you in. Because you didn't sleep today, Dinner will be on bread. I was going to make your favourite, Now it's sausages instead. Because you didn't sleep today, I don't want to hold your hand. Mummy needs a break from you, Don't you understand? Because you didn't sleep today, You whinge and moan and bitch. In trying hard to keep my cool, I've developed quite a twitch. Because you didn't sleep today, You won't go down for bed. Dear God child PLEASE! You're doing in my head!!! Because you didn't sleep today, I'm anxious and I'm stressed. Please child, go to sleep, Mummy needs some rest. Because you didn't sleep today, Your eyes begin to shut. But you open them right up again, THAT'S IT! I've had enough!! Because you didn't sleep to...

My husband and I were lunching at IKEA the other day with little Miss2 and Mr3. At the table next to us sat a mum and her little Miss3. Mum offered little Miss some of her salmon which little Miss declined, Mum then helped herself to one of little Miss' chips...... So now little Miss is screaming and writhing on the floor and mum's shoulders have slumped, I feel her remorse, IKEA chips are just not worth this torment. We look at her and smile, knowing the feeling well enough to know that sometimes you just need a bit of empathy to get you though. "They're all the same." I say, "Some days we can't do anything right by them." She looks at my two, "I'm glad I decided to stop at one. I hear it gets better though." Hmmm, I didn't have the heart to tell her, nor did I have the time to explain as we were moving on and kids don't like it when mummies talk, "Yes, it does get better," I lied.

This morning, I am celebrating a win! Lately Miss2 and Mr3 have been arguing A LOT. I have spent the last two weeks at the end of my teather, barking and snarling, then crying in the corner wondering where I went so wrong. I needed to find activities they would enjoy doing together but all the toys are old hat now and they want something new and exciting.

World's Greatest Dad has been working his fingers to the bone, wearing out the soles of his shoes and missing out on family meals in the chivalrous act of providing for his family. Mr High School has been avoiding his homework, home duties and any attempt I may make to strike up a conversation with him. Mr3 and Miss2, well they have been doing their best this week to break their mother and came very close to succeeding.

I have held this in for way too long and now, I just can't hold it back anymore. (yes, pun intended) Since my daughter is just shy of 2 years old and my son is more interested in racing snails (Turbo), I have seen Frozen less than a handful of times and I have to say, I just don't get why all the girls want to be Elsa.

Jamie was a seemingly healthy baby at birth. Throughout his infancy he thrived. There was no indication at all of what lurked beneath the surface waiting to present itself. Into toddlerhood Jamie was meeting all of his milestones and although he was a little more reserved than his brother, we had no reason to suspect that he was anything less than a perfectly healthy child.

Ever wonder how some parents manage to get it all right? Their kids are courteous and patient, they take turns and share with others, they say please and thank you AND they sleep through the night after eating all of their dinner... they even pick up their toys. It would be most comforting to think that these children are a freak of nature, a miraculous hybrid creation determined by the perfect coupling of genetics. Whilst I am sure there are some behaviors predetermined in children, the bulk of it does surely sit squarely on our own shoulders.

Are you neglecting yourself? I've been meaning to trim my nails for about a week now. With that realisation there came another, I have neglected myself in almost every way. I have continued practicing the basics of course, showers every day and  brushing my teeth twice a day but apart from that... I haven't even moisturised! It's no wonder I feel like the dogs dinner and it drives home just how important self maintenance really is. It's not the same for everyone, I know, but there needs to be something in your routine that says, "I am looking after me in this moment." Just a few minutes is all it takes, whether it's smearing on a face mask , whipping up a mango smoothie or a short walk around the block, anything that benefits you and you alone. Too busy for you? I've seen mothers who work part time, ferry their children to and from various extra curricular activities, pay the bills, hang the washing, vacuum the floor and get dinner on ...

It's household catchup day! I try to dedicate at least half a day a week to the housework backlog. PIC by ImNotMegan

My husband came home from work last night wanting to know 'what makes me tick.' This is what every woman wants right? A man who wants to know her inner workings, interested in how she feels and what she thinks. I should be thrilled by the attention placed solely on me, but instead I feel at a loss to answer his question.