Recently I’ve been lucky enough to start writing for The Spinoff Parents, a thoughtful, inclusive, non-click-baity conversation chaired by the marvellous Emily Writes. A few months ago I wrote these two pieces: Think Big for Kids: 5 ideas to protect kids and support families Thereās a God in our Christmas: One mother on the role […]
A warm welcome to Kathryn, sharing the story of a very difficult year of motherhood. This was originally written several years ago. Next week is my babyās first birthday. And Iām not planning a party or celebration of any kind. I donāt think I would cope very well with that right now, and I donāt […]
The day my daughter was born was the day I began a journey I never imagined would be mine. Letās rewind a bit. When Matt and I had been married for three years, we felt āas ready as weād ever beā to have a child. We were excited and naĆÆve and ready to face this […]
On New Yearās Eve, 2014, our daughter Hazel was born at Wellington Hospital, by emergency caesarean section. Gosh, we were lucky. āYou must be disappointed,ā a healthcare assistant commiserated with me the next day, assuming I would be sad that what started as a straightforward, natural labour had ended in the most dramatic of all […]
A warm welcome to this yearās Advent in Art series, where we join thousands of others in contemplating artistic works while we wait, wait, wait for Christmas. For an introduction to this series, and He Qi, the artist featured in 2014, please see the first post, on the Annunciation. Week 4:Ā The Magi Everyone is focused […]
A warm welcome to this yearās Advent in Art series, where we join thousands of others in contemplating artistic works while we wait, wait, wait for Christmas. For an introduction to this series, and He Qi, the artist featured in 2014, please see the first post, on the Annunciation. Week 3: Nativity Jesus is born […]
I grew up with Father Christmas visiting each December. We had a particularly awesome system, in fact, that involvedĀ pillowcases instead of stockings (primarily so a board game could fit, I think). As I got older, I became aware that Father Christmas from the adult point of view was part of our family history, too. My […]
We don’t know for sure that Mary was a breastfeeding mother, but it seems a reasonable inference. In a time before formula and modern medical care, she would have had few other options, and if she or someone else hadn’t breastfed Jesus he would almost certainly have died in infancy, from malnourishment or water-borne disease, […]
Trigger warning for discussion of rape and child marriage. The tragic, terrible death of an eight-year-old Yemeni girl made international news this week. You might have read reports that a little girl died from injuries she received during wedding-night intercourse with a 40-year-old man who had just married her. Coming from a much more fortunate […]
A warm welcome and heartfelt thanks to Stephanie, a Dunedin mother, lawyer and regular commenter here, who is generously telling some of her story of baby loss today. She is available to talk further in the comments, so do feel free to ask questions and share your experiences. I always feel uncomfortable when a stranger […]