Category: Parenting
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Starting solids? What you need to know
My mum tells me stories of women in her generation; feeding solids to their newborns; giving water to satisfy an infant’s thirst; lacing dummies with honey and slipping small quantities of alcohol into a baby’s bottle, to assist with sleep. Eeek. Sounds horrifying today and it’s easy to scoff, however, these mums, like every mum,…
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Immunisation – What You Need To Know
Our little ones need protection against many diseases, particularly when they’re young and their immune system is still developing. Australia has a wonderful program that helps us keep our kid’s future health on track. It’s called the National Immunisation Program and it exists to protect our kids by promoting a series of vaccinations given at…
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8 Mistakes you’re probably making with your newborn
Even the best-intentioned mums make mistakes, and when you become a mum for the first time, it’s all new and can feel quite daunting. Whilst your motives are always what’s best, mistakes are made and you muck it up a bit, and that needs to be OK.It’s not about being a Stepford-Mum, but we’d all…
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A six kid family – Big is beautiful
Wondering whether your family’s officially plus-size? If you can relate to the below, I think we can safely say you have ‘arrived’. 1. Your tribe hunts as a pack If there’s a bully in your midst, he’s mincemeat. Your tribe sticks together and has a sharp radar for each other’s business. Pick on this kid,…
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Survival tactics for a new mum
Wondering whether you’ll survive your newborn? If your breasts are swollen and tender, your top has a sour-milk pong, and the word ‘sleep’ is only associated with one other…’depravity’, you’re most likely homing a newborn. Life with a tiny human is tough work, but what can be hard to fathom at the time, is that…
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Dad’s Tips for Week 1, Don’t get your balls busted for bad prep
Dear Dad, Feeling freaked about what lies ahead? You’re not on your own.You’ve been the innocent by-stander for the past nine months, watching your partner morph, but now it’s time to dig deep and take hold of your inner-DAD! My tip? Don’t get your balls busted for bad prep. Meet your bub’s arrival with your marriage…
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Feeling guilty? Some shameless pointers
Congratulations! You’ve survived pregnancy and birthed like a boss! You should be totally loving yourself and amazed at what you’ve achieved, but let’s be real, you probably aren’t.It’s felt from the moment you conceive, isn’t it? that inexplicable guilt that’s attached to pretty much anything you do and if you didn’t feel it through pregnancy…
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Pregnant again and ‘going off the rails on the crazy train..’
If you’re asked how many weeks pregnant you are and you need to do a quick calculation, resulting in a ‘vague ball-park answer, this is likely NOT your first pregnancy.It isn’t that you’re not entirely overjoyed by the notion of being pregnant again, it’s just not a novelty like it was, and let’s face it,…
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Summer and Sweaty…. Six Kids at Christmas
I love Christmas, doesn’t everyone? I love the sacredness, the socializing, the weather (even though I do fantasize about a white Christmas), and the simple fact that a year has been achieved and is in the bag!But don’t get me wrong, I do resent the pressure and the forced ‘jolly’ imposed by the commercial drivers…
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Common screw-ups you don’t want to make in the labour ward
No longer the cigar-pending, jumpy but blameless and innocent bystander. Labour is a massive task, requiring the greatest support and it’s dad that’s expected to be up-to-date and on-task. Having complete and comprehensive labour know-how, whilst remaining entirely peace-loving is dad’s duty. Sounds supernatural, and it is. However, as much as your partner might strive…