Joe Adamson* shares his own experiences, in order to reach others who feel that they have failed or haven’t lived up to the “Walt Disney” version of such blended relationships. There has been much discussion in recent times regarding the increasingly growing phenomenon of stepfamilies or...
Mary Pearl recalls seeking sweet relief from her toddler’s supermarket tantrums. There was a toddler having a tantrum in my local supermarket. He gulped and he sobbed. He took deep hiccoughing breaths and he shrieked. The shrieks became howls of rage. His cheeks puffed and his...
Four-year-old Lucy Deerborn has survived two malignant tumours and lives with neurofibromatosis, a congenital condition that has no cure, writes Jane Reid. The first time I talked to Kristy Deerborn*, her daughter Lucy* had been in remission from a malignant tumour for two years. The tumour...
Discipline does not have to be hardline to be effective, writes Mary Pearl. My husband is a primary school teacher who uses a piano accordion (“A creature lives and breathes in a big grey box, can you guess what it is?”) and three monkeys to capture...
Dr Sam Tormey looks at Australia’s obesity crisis and offers ways for families to keep their weight in check. What sort of world would you wish to await a newborn baby in 2020? Safe? Nuclear-free? Peaceful? How about ‘fattening’? What are parents to make of the...
Michaela Fox encourages mothers to trust their instincts more and listen to others less. It’s a predictable script: you become a mother and sentence yourself to a lifetime of guilt – or so it appears. I overheard a conversation between two mothers at the park recently,...
Kate King waxes lyrical about bygone times, before realising she is a different person now she is a mother. One night recently our children gave my husband and me a rare and unexpected treat: they were asleep by 7 pm. As we gently pulled their bedroom...
Here’s a great vegetable main meal or side dish from Sally Wise. For a vegetarian option substitute sliced tomatoes, sprinkled with a little salt, pepper and sugar on top instead of the bacon and you have a tasty dish vegetarians will love. Kale and Semi-dried Tomato Rice...
Laughter is a powerful tool to accentuate positivity, create happiness and infuse optimism to bring about hope and propensity for life and living. ...
With both her kids now at school, Jean Flynn contemplates a ‘career change’. I’m looking for a job. I already have one, but I’m interested in doing something a bit different – branching out. I’ve been in my current position for nearly eight years. It’s full-time...
