Serenity Lane

  Another set of school holidays are done and dusted.   Did you get a chance today to enjoy the serenity of some peace and quiet?   Amongst all the chaos of motherhood there seems to be one constant – noise.   Mostly the noise becomes just another part of the background ambient noise, at times though it can become overwhelming and overstimulating.   During the school holidays it can be difficult or near impossible to avoid – our children want to talk to/at us about their latest achievement, friend drama, game or just whatever is really important in their lives at that moment.   Multiple children can mean multiple conversations sometimes simultaneously!   Then there’s also the added layers of noise – kids arguing, crying, fighting, whining combined with the blaring of the long-forgotten TV, loud music and possibly games or videos being played on multiple devices at the same time.   Is it no wonder that mama’s get overwhelmed and overstimulated? ...

  Do lots of activities! All the time to try and tire them out so they sleep well at night. It’s good for children to be active; to explore their surroundings and learn what they’re capable of as well as how far they can push themselves and their boundaries. As parents this can be really hard because: · We would really love some ‘down time’ to decompress · We would really like to protect our children from being hurt, getting sick or whatever other consequences there may be for pushing boundaries. Children’s levels of ‘active’ are as usual always on a spectrum and there is always a wide range of what’s considered ‘normal’. For some children, one activity a week may be enough – whether it is music, drama, creative arts or sport. Other children thrive on trying every activity or opportunity that comes their way. Neither way is right, it comes down to a combination of family values, energy levels, financial and time commitments. When children are younger it is easier to keep them busy ...

  Motherhood is hard.   It’s about choosing your hard though.   No one warns you that you’re going to lose yourself when you become a mother, whether it’s the first time, the second time or whatever number you might be up to.   Every time you see those two lines on a pregnancy stick, you immediately have new hopes and dreams.   Just they’re not for you, they’re for someone else; someone completely new who exists only in you.   Motherhood is hard.   The new version of yourself has plenty to learn each day; balls to juggle and sometimes drop.   Routines to instill and so many skills to teach – life skills, sports skills, learning skills, creative skills, money skills, negotiation skills, time management skills.   Motherhood is hard.   Managing friends – yours and theirs.   Managing time, prioritizing good food and good sleep.   Managing emotions – yours and theirs, especially when we may be learning to manage this for our...

  Doom scrolling on social media tends to show you one of two pictures of motherhood – one who has it all, the picture-perfect family, house, seems to have life and motherhood all figured out, always looking so pulled together, never a hair out of place, house is always clean and organized.  The other is the complete opposite – overwhelmed with the never-ending mental load of motherhood, overstimulated by the unending noise of motherhood (the fighting, the loud TV, music, shouting to get anyone and everyone’s attention), the logistics of multiple people having different activities at the same time in different places, the ceaseless clutter of busy lives, the messiness of children.  The second depiction of motherhood is of one that is, however, much like reality  - it feels like a woman who is (barely) surviving motherhood: but is the first depiction, one of a mother really thriving?  Have we forgotten that both depictions are curated highlight reels into each of...

How exciting!   It is such a life changing event.   There are so many wonderful things that happen when you become a   mama, some not so wonderful things and some downright terrifying things (not to scare you too much just yet though).   Most of the well-meaning advice generally focuses on the ‘sleep while you can – it’ll be years before you sleep properly again’ and ‘sleep when the baby sleeps’ – when exactly is that again?   Helpful tip #1.   When I was expecting my first baby, the most practical advice I was given was to wear them in a baby carrier.   This was helpful for a number of reasons but mainly your baby wants to be close to you.   It’s a scary world out here, far from the comfort and safety of mama’s belly.   While they are able to be close to you, your arms are free, allowing you to do something else (‘more productive’) at the same time, such as hanging washing, dishes, looking after other young children or running your own...