At careers day at primary school, my daughter knew what she wanted to dress up as: ‘I’m going as a mother!’ she said. Of course that’s great. But we talked about how mothers can also be other things, like, y’know, Freudian analysts. In the end she decided to go as Amelia Earhart, whose flying attireContinue reading “Is being a mother an important job? (And what do you wear?)”
Category Archives: Parenthood
Making Angel Delight, a truly British dessert
“Ooooh Angel Delight,” my husband intones. “We grew up eating it.” I’d never even heard of Angel Delight before I arrived here and its popularity speaks to the British penchant for blancmange, which is kind of like pudding, kind of like aspic, kind of like Cool Whip and kind of like nothing else I’ve everContinue reading “Making Angel Delight, a truly British dessert”
Budget picnic food: ‘Red Sea’ sandwiches
We all know that eating oily fish is great for all of us, and is especially good for children — it helps brain developments and reduces the risk of things like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. (Admittedly, my 10-year-old doesn’t have this yet, but we have the 11+ exams next year so everyone’sContinue reading “Budget picnic food: ‘Red Sea’ sandwiches”
A very British family meal: Kedgeree
One of the unexpected pleasures of moving to London has been eating British food. Cue jokes about deep fried Mars bars and grey boiled meat, but the truth is that I’ve discovered not just new dishes but an appreciation for particularly British delights. One of our favourite weekly meals is kedgeree, thought to be broughtContinue reading “A very British family meal: Kedgeree”
Restuffing a stuffed animal: Moomoo never dies
I think my daughter, at age 9, is getting all grown up. She told me recently, “Mummy, I don’t play ‘school’ anymore. I’m too old.” But then we have an exchange like this, about a favourite stuffed animal she received when she was 4 months old: “Mummy, I don’t want Moomoo to die,” she said,Continue reading “Restuffing a stuffed animal: Moomoo never dies”
The problem with thank you cards
The gifts are unwrapped, the leftovers are in the fridge covered in foil, and Christmas songs have lost their lustre. That means only one thing in our house: the race to complete thank you cards is on. On my husband’s side of the family, we draw names and everyone buys one “big” present for someoneContinue reading “The problem with thank you cards”
How do you pack for a life-changing trip? #ONEMums
You could say I’m a great packer, if only because of the amount of stuff I cram into a suitcase. I never want to be caught without a cardigan/the “right” jeans/my trusty swimcap. That means that I lug 26 kilos of shoes and shirts around the world and wear a fraction of them. Now, preparingContinue reading “How do you pack for a life-changing trip? #ONEMums”
Do school prize days really celebrate success?
This is the time of year when parents clear their daytime calendars and start attending sports days, end-of-year plays and recitals, and of course prize days. This year after our prize day there was a casual picnic with parents from every school year, and prize day prompted a lot of debate. The biggest question wasContinue reading “Do school prize days really celebrate success?”
How to do Union Jack face paint
Union Jack face paint: it’s not just for football fans. Whatever else the Jubilee has brought us – hagiographies of the Queen’s dress sense, forced street parties – it has produced an eruption of British flags and bunting on an unprecedented level, and that includes my daughter’s face. All the celebrations can necessitate last-minute faceContinue reading “How to do Union Jack face paint”