parenting

Back-to-School Costs Continue to be a Burden for Parents

by

School fees and the cost of buying those back-to-school essentials continue to be hot topics in South Africa and a big headache for the parents who foot the bill. Governing bodies of some state schools across the country have recently met to decide on school fee increases, with many parents being burdened by what has been branded the “privatisation of public education”. This is making even state schools unaffordable for many families. On top of those fees, parents also have to pay for all those all-important school essentials, such as uniforms, sports equipment, stationery and school trips. That makes the …

Read more

Being a Mum in 2017…Am I ‘SICK’ or What!

by

I tell you it’s hard work. Being a mum in 2017 is REALLY hard work. It’s not the looking after the children – it’s the keeping up with them and all the ‘in’ things especially the manner of speaking. In my days, ‘Sick’ meant you were unwell or as we grew older – ‘Don’t be sick’ meant that what the person was saying made you want to puke. Much like a ‘sick joke’. Now, a fashionable shoe is ‘Sick’ meaning it’s very ‘in’. And it’s not said like ‘Sick’, it’s more like ‘Siiiick’ with a special lilt making it sound like …

Read more

Life’s Lessons – To Lie Or Not To Lie

by

Today I had to teach my son a lesson  – a lesson in telling lies. Ethan is honest to the core. He cannot tell a lie. He cannot keep from telling the truth even if it gets him into trouble. Sometimes he is TOO honest. And it’s a trait that I like in him. Last week though, I had to teach him to tell lies – white lies they may be but a lie all the same. He was spoken to by the teacher last week because he told another child that her drawing wasn’t great. In fact, he told …

Read more

Making Tough Choices over Secondary School

by

When I was choosing a secondary school for my daughter, I wanted the best and applied to the best in the borough. This was even though I am not in the catchment for that particular school. It’s tough when you don’t live near the best school and want the best for your daughter. I shouldn’t really complain though because near us is a good school and that of course went down as my third choice. That was way back in September. As the time for the results approached, I was a bit more apprehensive about my choice. What if I …

Read more

Mandy Gurney’s Top Ten Tips to Help your Child Sleep Better

by

I know what it’s like to be sleep deprived. It is what you have when you have a new born. In fact it does get better but there are still times when toddlers and slightly older children from 3 – 6 years, wake up at night with a bad dream or wanting water or the toilet. And of course there is the perennial problem of children not wanting to go to bed. I don’t think they like the day to end – especially when they are playing with their favourite toy. My younger two in fact, seem to have a …

Read more

Our Stay and Play Experience at Nursery

by

Okay….so I am a little miffed. I have a right to be. After all the worry about Aeryn going to school, even though it was a Stay and Play and not really a school day, I had nothing to worry about. In fact just the opposite. In the run up to the day and preparing her for school, she has been playing school. Which means that she gets a bag ready and then says ‘Bye Mummy’ . Hubs is usually the teacher in school and she ‘goes in’, says ‘Good Morning’ and then answers the questions the teacher asks her …

Read more

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers:

%d bloggers like this: