Due to recent events with Metiria Turei, we have been hearing about the struggles that single parents experienced in the 1980s and 1990s. Those of us who lived those times as children are now adults; a lot of us will now be raising families of our own. I am the child of a solo mother, […]
A warm welcome to Penny Ehrhardt! Penny runs a public policy consultancy called Ehrhardt Advisors. She is a writer, researcher, international human rights law practitioner, parent, Soka Gakkai Buddhist, and lifelong feminist. Formerly based in Napier, New Zealand, she is currently undertaking doctoral research into the economic and social rights of single-parent families at Oxford […]
The day my daughter was born was the day I began a journey I never imagined would be mine. Let’s rewind a bit. When Matt and I had been married for three years, we felt ‘as ready as we’d ever be’ to have a child. We were excited and naïve and ready to face this […]
It’s a great pleasure to welcome Sumitha Bhandarkar here today, the creator of afineparent.com. Sumitha created the fantastic infographic below, based on Dr Laura Markham’s new book, Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings, and joins us to share some thoughts about raising loving siblings. Welcome, Sumitha! “Having one child makes you a parent; having two, you are a referee.” […]
Religious tensions and friendships The Holy Land is, of course, a coming together of at least three major religions. The Muslim call to prayer that was broadcast through loudspeakers at many times of the day and night was a new sensation for me. I admit to finding it unpleasant at times. Once or twice I […]
What is a Blue Christmas Service? Guest writer Melanie recently reflected on the process of putting together a Blue Christmas service at Frenchs Forest Baptist Church, where she is a pastor: The concept of a Blue Christmas Service was new for me this year. The idea behind the services is to provide a quiet, contemplative service […]
A warm welcome to guest poster, Melanie Carroll, who is writing today about the Blue Christmas service she ran on the weekend. Melanie is married to Sean and has two young adult children. She trained at Carey Baptist College in Auckland, New Zealand, but is currently living across the ditch in Sydney where she is […]
You might remember wedding celebrant, community worker and all-round high-quality human being Laura Giddey from this cool post about buying locally-made Christmas presents. We’re lucky to have her back with some reflections on being single. Please make her welcome in the comments below! I’m 26 and single and this has many great perks. I’ve learnt […]