When a woman becomes a mother it suddenly feels like she is two different people, living in one body. Two different minds. Two different sets of emotions. Two different sets of desires and ambitions. Co-existing in one body, both feeling stifled by the other. Creating internal conflict, tension, struggle. As a result the women feels…
I haven’t had a good book to read for a while and with school holidays just days away I decided I needed to rectify this. My children all love to read so when we are away together for the holidays I love having “family quiet time” in the afternoon where we can all curl up…
We all have a voice in our heads. You know the one that chats along to you during the day, passing comments on what is happening around you, convincing you to do something (or not). If you pay attention to what this voice is saying, really pay attention, you might notice that what it is…
If you could go back and tell yourself three things at the start of your motherhood journey what would they be? For me they would be: 1. ASK FOR HELP Ask sooner. Ask more often. Ask without guilt or judgement. When someone offers help, just say YES. 2. YOU DON’T HAVE TO…
The other day I was trying to explain to my husband what the mental load in my life is like, and why sometimes it becomes overwhelming. I was explaining that not only do I need to keep track of all my own ‘stuff’ I am keeping track of all the little things that 4 other…
As mother’s we spend a huge amount of time and energy caring for the well being and needs of our family, often neglecting to take care of our own needs along the way. This was on my mind this week as I finally made it to the dentist for the first time since moving to…
These school holidays we headed away for a few days to spend some time by some stunning beaches. Everyone we met said to us “You live on Waiheke Island, why on earth would you leave and come here for your holiday?” It is true, we live on an island with…
A week from now I will be boarding a plane to Fiji. Without children. Sounds pretty awesome doesn’t it! A few weeks ago I won a prize through New Zealand Herald Travel to take part in the inaugural Ocean Swim Fiji event. The ironic thing is that reason I won is also exactly the reason…
Motherhood. Sleep. These things really don’t go together … ‘Sleep when your baby sleeps’ … I was never good at that … I remember when my first baby was born how I tussled within myself about my sleep deprivation. I struggled to simply be accepting of the relentless calls through the night. Fortunately I found…
A friend of mine recently had her first baby. As I watch her enter the steep learning curve of motherhood it has given me a chance to reflect on how much I have learned and grown over the past 10 years. Reading books has been a very important part of how I learn new things….