You can’t win on school mornings. Either you’re whirling like a dervish (and I’m pretty sure dervishes can whirl like no one’s business), rushing around like a head with its chook cut off and you’re still late for the bell or… everyone is up incredibly early with shoes shined, hair neatly smoothed, uniforms starched to…
10 things to say to your partner every day
There’s no doubt that it takes a lot of work to make a strong relationship. But with enough heavy lifting – and heavy talking – things seem to fall into place. It’s so critical – a healthy relationship raises a healthy family. And brings oodles and oodles of joy. I think telling your partner you love…
Make some cute pot plant friends
Instead of screens today, why not… make a couple of pot plant friends? We recently spent a goodly amount of time making these gorgeous little pot plant friends to pretty up our front verandah. It’s such a simple (and cheap!) thing to make and it’s fun to change the faces or designs over time. Words are always…
Make a cute little owl family
My girls love these sweet little owls – they love making them and they love adding them to their ‘owl gallery’ collection on the shelf in their bedroom. This is the kind of craft that the girls can happily make together without much input from me (always a bonus) and they love surprising me with their latest…
Make a DIY fun games mat for picnics
The perfect picnic can last a whole day. Good food in the sunshine, a game of Fly and a little siesta on the picnic blanket when it all gets too much. That’s the fantasy at least! Having some quieter pursuits for the kids to get stuck into while you doze just might bring you one step…
Lemony egg salad sandwiches
What is it about the #$%@ lunch box that makes it such a #$%@ chore? Personally, I love a good lunch box because you pack it and it’s done. A healthy meal plus snacks all neatly contained with no kids making random food enquiries until at least 3pm. That’s a win in my book. But I know I…
Make a car wash for toy cars
My little friend Nick is completely in love with his toy cars. I can’t remember ever seeing him without one. My Max was never a car boy, he was always more into his toy animals (and screens, always screens). So when the opportunity came up to make a cute little toy car wash for Kidspot, I…
Help your child march to their own beat
I have always loved that expression “march to the beat of your own drum”. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful way to raise our children to be inward-thinking rather than concerning themselves with what ‘others think’ all the time. To march to their own beat. The trouble is, in order to march to your own beat, you’ve…
10 things parents do that really matter to kids
I don’t get to sleep much, but when I do I dream about a book. This book is the parenting instructions manual that was missing when we bought each of our three children. The book would have all the answers about what is really important and share all the secrets about the things that matter…
10 things to ask your child about their day
“How was school today?” you ask brightly. “Good!” your daughter answers. “I can’t remember,” your son mutters. In homes across Australia and, let’s face it, the entire world, this is the scenario being played out. When our kids get home from school we are like eager puppies bouncing around them and they are like fellow…