Browsing Category: Parenting

Maybe Barbie isn’t so bad

February 14, 2017 Zoe

I didn’t grow up with a huge collection of Barbies. It’s actually a funny story that I’ve already told about how I ended up with Doctor Barbie, but I just wasn’t the type of kid with a bajillion Barbie dolls. I had other dolls as I got older, and so many stuffed animals, but somehow Barbie seemed so tied up with looking a certain way instead of just playing. Over the years, my views of Barbies have changed. Perhaps it’s because Barbies have changed, looking more realistic and less, well, like a Barbie doll. Or maybe it’s because I understand the type of play that parents can encourage with dolls that simply isn’t the same with other toys. It’s not to say that Harley won’t also get cars, LEGO or science kits, but there’s room for dolls as well.

Along these lines, I got a press release yesterday regarding Barbie, and I figured I’d ignore it, that it wouldn’t really be for me. Oh how wrong I was. Watching the video made me smile and get a bit tearful at the same time. It’s all about dads who play Barbie with their daughters. It’s based on an idea that investing time in their imagination is a way to invest time in their future. Here is the video so you can watch without going anywhere: Continue Reading

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2 Comments Parenting, Toys

Ubuntu Baba review – falling in love with toddler wearing

February 6, 2017 Zoe

When Harley was a tiny little thing, I had a ring sling that was fantastic. I could pop Harley in and she would sleep while I had two hands free to do whatever else needed doing. I loved baby wearing at that stage, but the sling itself wasn’t exactly the best design – it put most of the strain on my one shoulder and if she moved around too much, she would basically squirm out of the thing. Once she crossed the five kgs mark, I simply couldn’t use it anymore.

Things were still okay – her car seat would clip into the pram, so I could usually knock her out with a drive and then shop with a sleeping baby in the pram. But once she graduated to a bigger seat, the pram became a bit of a waste; she didn’t want to sit in her pram, she wanted me to carry her on my hip. I was getting really bad carpal tunnel and body aches as a result, which is why I decided to jump back into the world of babywearing with the Ubuntu Baba, and I have never been so happy with a purchase. Continue Reading

6 Comments Health, Parenting, Products, South Africa

Baby Carrier Baby wearing Ubuntu Baba

Reactions to starting nursery school/creche

January 31, 2017 Zoe

You may have noticed that I haven’t posted in the last week or so. I’m sorry for my absence – I really have wanted to write but a number of things have conspired against me. My day job was absurdly busy, I had a day with power issues that led to internet issues, and I was so tired in the evenings that I actually just wanted to zone out while bingeing on something on Netflix. However, the biggest reason is because I wanted to write about Harley starting at her play school/nursery school/creche, but my feelings about it hadn’t quite settled into a form I could write about it. Now, they have, and i think it’s important to write about the various emotions that come from starting nursery school.

First up, I knew that I was sending Harley to a good place. Like, I really really knew it. I didn’t have reservations about the school – I had asked all my questions, and popped in for visits at random times of day, and I was impressed by the answers as well as by what I saw first hand. While that made things easier, that didn’t make things easy. Continue Reading

10 Comments Parenting, Rambling

education Play School

Thoughts on a year of breastfeeding

January 24, 2017 Zoe

Today is Harley’s original due date. It’s also a special kind of anniversary, the anniversary of when she finally started latching and stopped needing to be bottle fed expressed milk. So, while I was like a cow before this date, today marks a year with Harley on the boob, a year of breastfeeding. It’s been such a journey so far, and I have so many feelings about it all. While most of them are good, there is some negative stuff mixed in, too.

All the research says that breast is best. Before even talking about the emotional stuff, simply said breast milk is the best for a baby. It’s got all the nutrients she needs, lets her try all sorts of new flavors depending on what I eat, and helps with immunity and allergies. Plus, it’s free. I had no doubt that I wanted to nurse Harley, no doubt that she would be on the boob for a while. But how long did I think I would nurse? Probably about a year. Now that she’s a year on the boob and almost 14 months old, I’m reassessing the age, but not as much as I would have thought a few months ago. Continue Reading

5 Comments Breast feeding, Parenting

You know you’re a good mom if…

January 17, 2017 Zoe

I wrote recently about wishing that I’d been more confident when Harley came home. Not about how to do things, that comes with time, but more that I wish I’d had the confidence to know that I’m the best mommy for Harley, that I’m doing the right things for her and that I really do know what’s best for her (at least for now). While part of that comes with time and experience, it’s also aided or hampered by the people around me – just having people I know and trust tell me how they see I’m a good mom makes me feel more confident. Contrarily, when people question my decisions or outright undermine them, it can make me wonder if I’m a good mom or if they’re right. I’ve heard many people talk about signs that you’re a good or a bad mom, and I thought I’d throw my two cents in (or maybe a bit more).

It’s hard to know if you’re a good mom, mostly because everything we do as parents is so long term. Sure, your kid might thrive developmentally, or might show signs of being well adjusted, but you just won’t know how you did as a parent until months, years or decades down the line. There are some things you can pick up on along the way, and hopefully these help you when you have those moments of doubt. Or, at least I’ll have a post to come back and read when something makes me wonder it for myself. You know you’re a good mom if… Continue Reading

2 Comments Parenting

bad mother Geeky Mommy mother's love