Zoë Bishop finds it difficult to tone down her enthusiastic responses to her son’s achievements. The first time that it happened was in a ski-hire shop. My son looked at my smiling face and asked me, quite politely, if I could please stop being so excited....
Cathy Watson finds that teaching her three-year-old son to ski is an uphill battle. Why did we do it? Skiing was something my husband and I enjoyed as single people and in our early years of being together, before children. Blissful, exciting, indulgent, expensive fun. These...
Board games are booming. Article after article describes a “goldenage” or “renaissance” of boardgaming. Here's why, writes Melissa Rogerson In Germany, the home of modern boardgaming, the industry has grown by over 40% in the past five years; the four-day SPIEL trade fair this year saw...
As mum’s, our lives are often filled with the demands of family, chores and work. Time can be spent carting a carload of screaming children, making endless beds and talking to the boss with a small child attached to your hip. Our minds and time are thinly...
There comes a time when parents need to relinquish some control to their children, writes Dr Elizabeth Reed. Parties undoubtedly are a highlight of childhood, but they also present parents and children with social challenges, such as how to cope when a much hoped-for invitation does...
When it comes to the Tooth Fairy, Anthea Rowan tries to put her money where her mouth is. My children have a charming book that tells the story of a little girl who is on a quest to discover what the Tooth Fairy looks like. Her...
Mary Pearl reflects on the Terrible Twos as she spends some time with her energetic granddaughter. My two-year-old granddaughter slapped a perfect stranger at the park. All the poor kid wanted was a turn on the slippery slide, but as Rachel saw it, she was protecting...
Acclaimed author-illustrator duo Mem Fox and Judy Horacek talk friendship, perfectionism and children’s books. What was your impression of each other when you first met? Mem: I was in Canberra for a literacy conference and Judy happened to have an exhibition there. Judy had drawn the cartoons...
Tara Lister is determined to enjoy every second of every first before they become lasts. The day my baby came home was a rude awakening. Until then I had been surrounded by midwives, advice and meals on demand, and I felt invincible. Cool, calm and collected;...
When a beloved family pet disappears, the hardest thing to cope with is not knowing what happened, explains Gill Canning. It was the first day of the school holidays. “Has anyone seen Ziggy?” I asked my three boys at lunchtime. They shook their heads. No one had...
