Just last week Mia Freedman made the statement that the problem with helicopter parents is the helicopter children they create. Deep in my bones this resonated with me. Hello, my name is Tracey, and I am a helicopter parent. My son is many wonderful things but what he typically isn’t, is fearless. He radiates joy…
motherhood
The one and only. Navigating the feelings of failure in raising an only child.
Having faced the real and agonising possibility of never having a child, the idea of having more than one child was not something I could entertain. It was inconceivable, literally and figuratively. Undergoing IVF, I made bargains with the universe. Give me one baby and I will never ask for anything ever again. I will…
I joined a book club and found myself
About a year ago I started to feel as though I had forgotten who I was. In a state of perpetual preoccupation, trying to keep up yet feeling like I am being left behind. I am surrounded by women who are smart, aspirational, connected, savvy and educated. Trail blazers and social entrepreneurs. It wasn’t as…
My son gave me a performance review and I did not do well
Last week my son gave me a performance review and I don’t remember reading the bit in the parenting book that said that there would be a time in your life that your child might complain about your parenting techniques. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on the receiving end of a performance…
Why we need to talk about the mother guilt load
There is a universal law that exists that states that the end of a school term pretty much sucks. The level of suckiness depends on whether it is term one or term four, but overall, the week leading up to school holidays is long and exhausting and, in my case, rarely my finest work. At…
Hope. Because maybe being brave shouldn’t be the only thing that matters.
Charlie turns nine this year. One moment I’m the mother to a sweet and funny little boy who is agreeable and trusting, who calls me mummy, who places his sticky, squishy little hand into mine, who demands back tickles and songs about sunshine and who would delight in entertaining me with glorious stories full of…