AAaaaaargh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, just had to get that off my chest. I'm so DONE with parenting right now. I can't even think straight, I'm so very, very done. I know you get it. You're reading this article, for a start. Plus you're the parent of an...
advice
“I can’t tell my friend that her kid is smoking weed”
A lot of my daughter's friends are using weed. I know this for a fact because I've let the kids smoke at our place when we weren't there. I figured I would rather they were safe in our backyard than bonging on in some park somewhere. If a kid is smoking weed, it's...
6 ways I’ve changed how I’m parenting the teen years
Whenever I mention that I have three highschoolers I'm bound to hear, "OMG, you are braaaaave!". People used to say it in exactly the same way when I told them I had three kids under five. It seems that having your kids close together instantly makes you 'brave' and...
How to comparison shop for anything in one hour
You know the letter, the one that says your contract is about to expire and here are the new rates? The letter you place in a file or drop in a pile and ignore? It’s the letter that fills you with dread because you know that deep down (read: immediately) you should...
My new parenting mantra: focus on the process
In an effort to get healthier and stop feeling old (yes, it has come to this), I've been reading a lot about health and wellbeing. I'm newly obsessed with websites like Outside, The Growth Equation and Trained. Will this turn me into a late-onset athlete? Will...
How to be someone others want to be around
I’m writing this guide for my kids as they grow up and go out into the world — but it’s for anyone who wants to connect with others. To be a connected, fulfilled person, we have to be someone others want to be around. I’m writing it for my teenage self, who was shy...
How to reboot your social life on your terms
As restrictions ease across Australia and we all feel The Busy reentering our lives, it's worth considering how much you really need to reboot your social life. During these months of social distancing, some of us have rejoiced in our empty calendars. Others of us...
The best advice my mother ever gave me
Happy mother's day, mums! I'm celebrating my 16th MD this year. My first was the day after my son was born, way back in 2004. I was recovering from a 40-hour labour and Max was already showing signs of being a "non-sleeper" (as the midwives so mildly put it). To say I...
“I need your best right now”: How to ask kids to step up
These here are troubled times and many of us have some very troubled kids on our hands. It's hard to shield them from the COVID-19 news, and as the kids get older we need to ask ourselves if it's even wise to. "COVID-19 is contagious ... and so is mood," says...
A very rough guide to the high school years
Some parents worry a lot about which high school to send their child to, while most don’t have a choice and go local. Parents analyse schools for their results, attitudes, cohort, reputation, ‘values’, uniforms and much more. Just remember what’s important to you...
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No-bake honey nut granola bars with added walnuts and stories
I'm not sure if you know, but in my 'real life' I've been a writer at SBS Food for over four years. I know, right? I some of the content that supports the foodie shows like Cook Like an Italian, The Cook Up with Adam Liaw and Gourmet Farmer (among many other beautiful...
Minecraft games for a really full-on party (aka DON’T try this at home!)
Allow me to reminisce about the Minecraft party we threw when Max turned 10. It was... crazy. The most full-on party we ever held (and, believe me, there are some solid contenders in that list!). On reflection, it was mostly the Minecraft games I came up with that did...
The best way to teach teens about money (even if you’re not confident yourself)
This month, the Australian Gov launched a new website to teach teens about money. Money Managed is stacked with resources and tools to get our kids on board with what money is and does. I think it's bloody marvellous. Many Mumlyfe readers will be aware that I ...
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