Pancakes are political Would you like to know your neighbours better? Do you like delicious food? Do you want to change the world, one small action of kindness at a time? Well, do I have the festival for you: Shrove Tuesday! When I was a little girl, our elderly neighbours had spare keys to our […]
This is an all-in-one post for Week 4 of our Lent with Kids plan. To fill in some background, start here. You can also see the series index here. The collection of Lectionary texts for the fourth Sunday of Lent includes these three Gospel readings: John 9, where Jesus heals a man who has been blind his […]
A warm welcome to Rochelle Gribble, here with an insightful analysis of the recently-introduced, highly controversial ‘National Standards‘ that New Zealand primary schools are now required to report on twice a year. Rochelle is a once-was, sometimes-is, may-be-again secondary teacher. She has a Masters degree in Education and sometimes even gets to use it! However, […]
Page Five is almost the same as Page Three, but only one breast at a time is on show. SBJ and I are in this week’s Cook Strait News, along with a bunch of other fabulous breastfeeders, gathered for the Big Latch On. Around the world, 14,536 people were breastfeeding a baby at a registered […]
Two things I’ve stopped counting: the number of beds SBJ has slept in and the number of planes he’s been on (#humblebrag). Our enjoyably nomadic life continues, and we have just arrived in the United Kingdom, via Ras al-Khaimah, for a couple of months with family here. We haven’t been travelling with a small person […]
Thanks to Kiwi Families editor (and regular here) Rochelle, who spoke about Mother’s Day on Radio Live yesterday, and Lawrence’s ever-informative Facebook feed, I have another contribution to the Mother’s Day debate. You may recall I wasn’t sure where the apostrophe should really go. Is it a day to celebrate one mother or many? Yesterday […]
You may have spotted Michael/SKATERAK’s comment on Tim’s first Not Only A Father post. It reads: This will definitely be an interesting series. Thanks for whetting my appetite already. Is there any chance you could throw in some advice on how to present God to children, as well? Just a little question, eh, Michael? I […]
You’d think the task of ‘explaining Easter’ would not be a tough one for a minister. Hm. I have the privilege of writing occasionally for the parents’ resource website Kiwi Families. Mostly it’s great fun, but sometimes it’s flippin’ hard work, like the other week, when the editor, Rochelle, asked if I could write something […]
I’ve just reviewed a stunningly good Joy Cowley book for the Kiwi Families website: As Easter approaches, and shops are already full of hot cross buns and chocolate eggs, I know plenty of families would like to bring some balance. Exploring the original story of Easter isn’t just for Christian households, either. If you’d like […]
I can’t resist a request. Daina owes me a Manifesto Confession for this post! (I also work for chocolate.) Daina wants to hear from y’all about pocket money. What is your approach? What did your parents do with you? Like many of us, she’s keen to build some financial literacy into her kids’ lives, so […]