Tag Archives: parenting

‘Kids just think for yourself’

May 6, 2011 By in Family Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments

Graffiti in a playground saying Kids Just Think for Yourself

I’ve had enough politics for one day, and I’m feeling inspired by the excellent Scribbling Mum, so I’m going to attempt my first Live In The Now post. The premise is to try and take a monthly snapshot of your life, and capture some of the details that you don’t take the time to record in photograph albums or baby books.

My snapshot is viewed through fairly bleary eyes this month, not just because I was up early checking election results, but also because DorkySon’s sleep has gone to hell in the last few weeks. My reliable 7pm-7am sleeper has suddenly started needing two hours of tucking-in and sips of water before he finally crashes. He has also started middle-of-the-night wake-ups again (mainly to tuck in the toes of all his cuddly animals), and seems to think that the family day should now start at 6am. It’s not good. I don’t function well when my sleep is being disturbed. Continue reading →

Reflections of a resting Scottish Green Party activist

May 5, 2011 By in Activism, Scotland Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 8 Comments

A silhouette of a hand placing a vote into a ballot box

This day four years ago, I’d been up since 6am. I’d spent an hour driving round Edinburgh to put A-Boards up outside polling stations, before standing outside Barclay Church all day with my rosette on – chatting to a young Tory and smiling at voters in the hope it might persuade them to vote Green. When the polls closed I grabbed some dinner with DorkyDad, and we headed out to Ingliston for a long and depressing night at the Lothian count.

Today, I’ve been up since 6am. I spent an hour making breakfast, playing with trucks and reading books to DorkySon, before toddling up the road to go and vote.  When the polls close I will probably be tucked up in bed, although if DorkySon wakes up at 2am and shouts for me to tuck Peter Rabbit’s toes back in, like he did last night, I may well have a sneaky peek on my iPad to see what results are in. Continue reading →

Should you let your children swear?

April 29, 2011 By in Family Tags: , , , , 3 Comments

A person's hand with the middle finger raised silhouetted against the sky and ocean

There has been a link to a book called Go the F*ck To Sleep circulating among my mummy friends recently. Sample verse:

The cats nestle close to their kittens now.


The lambs have laid down with the sheep.


You’re cozy and warm in your bed, my dear


Please go the f*ck to sleep.

Then a couple of days ago, there was an article over at Offbeat Mama about whether it’s okay to swear in front of your children… and also whether it’s okay for your children to swear in front of you.

There were, as with most parenting debates, people with strong views at each end of the spectrum, as well a few folk who seemed to have really over-thought the whole thing. One woman didn’t allow any swearing from her kids until the age of twelve, but then allowed her children to add one new curse word to their vocabulary each year between the ages 12 and 18 – starting with crap, moving onto hell and so on… I presume that on the joyous day when they each turned 18, her wee darlings received a card saying ‘Happy Birthday C*nt!’ Continue reading →

Dear Diary…

April 27, 2011 By in Blogging Tags: , , , , , , , 8 Comments

An open diary with a yellow pencil lying across the pages, on a white background

Were you one of those teenagers who kept a daily diary? I was.

Given that I was a bit of an awkward kid, who lived on a farm and had no social life beyond the occasional school disco, I’m not sure how I managed to churn out so many pages… but perhaps one of these days I’ll be able to face opening up those old diaries again, and reading what I was up to fifteen years ago. Continue reading →