Here is my latest one for MM: http://www.mamamia.com.au/lifestyle/how-to-stop-your-kids-from-swearing/ ARTICLE Yesterday as I was parking the car, my 6-year-old (Tercero) happily informed me that he had learnt a new word. Now Tercero loves new words. At family gatherings his party trick is that he spells words such as unhygienic and unrealistic for adoring elderly relatives. I […]
This post is an old (sponsored) one I did for Mamamia.com.au but at the time, I forgot to put it onto my blog (I was in the throes of re-writing my novel – the throes are over but the waiting continues – endlessly, relentlessly, anxiously…) http://www.mamamia.com.au/social/things-that-have-changed-in-the-last-20-years/ ARTICLE: 25 years ago (or so) I was a […]
Hi guys, Here is my latest for Mamamia. Today was a big day – my third one’s first day at school. And now I’m back to writing as school holidays are officially over. You know where to find me. http://www.mamamia.com.au/parenting/is-your-child-ready-for-school/ My three-year-old knows how to find Youtube clips of Lightning McQueen in German – […]
Hi guys, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, Here is one I wrote recently for Mamamia about Me Time: http://www.mamamia.com.au/health-wellbeing/moccona-what-to-do-for-me-time/ My sister-in-law recently invited me to a girl’s weekend in Melbourne. “Come on,” she said, “When was the last time you had some ‘Me Time?’” I haven’t peed alone since 2003 so it was […]
Hiya, This was my first sponsored blog post for Mamamia – it is about vaccinations and the things we do to get through them: http://www.mamamia.com.au/parenting/in-vaccination-veritas/ xx and best wishes for the season, Shanks
Hi guys, I wrote this for Mamamia as a sponsored blog post for Springfree Trampolines. I hope you like it (and have a great day tomorrow). x: http://www.mamamia.com.au/parenting/fun-ways-keep-kids-outdoors-springfree/ Fun ways to keep your kids fit (and outdoors) without them even knowing One day soon, the iPad and other screen-based devices may replace all forms of […]
This one was about the Royal post-baby bump: http://www.mamamia.com.au/celebrities/kate-middleton/baby-bump-thank-you/ Dear Kate Middleton, Thank you for being a friend. I’ve had four children in seven years, and an untold number of family size Kit Kat packs. The Kit Kats were for medicinal reasons, prescribed by… myself. My youngest child, now aged three, frequently pulls up […]
Hi guys, this one went up on MM a while back. It’s about my favourite novel and my favourite man: http://www.mamamia.com.au/social/my-husband-took-7-years-to-read-to-kill-a-mockingbird/ In 2010 Husband embarked on an important personal journey. He began to read To Kill A Mockingbird whilst we were on holiday. He’s not a prolific reader of fiction. It’s one of his […]
Recently an old uni friend (Friend M) and I went bush walking in the Blue Mountains. The last time we tried this was in 1994 and it ended badly, so I don’t know what we were thinking. In an attempt to distract me from the physical pain of sustained exercise, Friend M put one of […]
My two and a half year old son Sid can be a real pain in the arse sometimes. He seems to be embracing both The Terrible Twos and The Threenager personas simultaneously and with enthusiasm. He can be heard saying regularly “I gonna beat you Poo Poo” followed by a triple sashay kick to the reproductive […]