It's no easy ride. A site for parenting teens.
I had a day recently where my youngest came home from school very upset and adamant he never wanted to go back; never wanting to see a particular person again. A previous painful memory of being reprimanded at school bought back strong emotions, and when he was accused once more of doing something wrong (this…
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Let me introduce Jan. She is a mother of two adult children and six grandchildren. She began her motherhood journey in the Deep South of America where her husband was a pastor; moving back to Australia when their eldest boy was to begin school. During the years of her children’s schooling she juggled the roles…
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To my observing children, I was my usual self; physically a little weary but fairly happy and chatty. What was unobserved to them, was the business inside my head. The conversation cogs that turned slowly, mulling over a particular issue I had with one of them. There was a talk I knew I needed to…
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Kids returning to school is great. It gets them out of the house and back into routine. There are friends to see, interesting things to learn and lots to do! However, term time is intense. 10 weeks of school commitments and the pressure points of time management and social interactions can leave you aching for…
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Holidays are great. It’s important to have time to unwind and rest. To make happy memories and to nurture relationships through recreation and play. There is pleasure and freedom in having no time pressure; things to do and places to be. To step off the treadmill of school term and cruise at your own pace.…
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It’s 11 days to Christmas, which for most mothers, means you’re completely immersed in the festive commitments. When I’m fully immersed I find it hard to pause from the business, however in my rare moments of quiet, I can’t help but think back on the year that has been. As children finish their schooling year,…
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I’ve been learning a new skill of late: the skill of practicing mindfulness. It’s a skill that helps to focus a mind that is overly busy and distracted. For someone like myself, someone who thinks about a million things at once, (often ruminating about worries and fears or mentally trying to solve all of life’s…
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To quote Oscar Wilde’s most excellent character Lord Goring, “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance” is to unashamedly declare a wholehearted enjoyment of oneself. But is it okay to do so? In a moment of self indulgent adulation, Lord Goring the epitome of vanity, takes great pleasure in stating how wonderful…
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Have you ever thought to yourself, “I should be… slimmer, smarter, more easy-going, relaxed and happy, or productive?” If you have, how has it made you feel when you don’t meet your expectations? Do you believe your children should be… obedient, honest, healthy, athletic, clever, progressing? How has it made you feel when they are…
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I was running late…again. I could feel the stress rising inside of me. The internal acceleration of adrenalin was great; the temptation to just put my foot on the accelerator felt greater still. My shoulders rose to my ears and I was clutching the steering wheel, intent on getting to my destination as quickly as…
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