Absolutely true!!

A year of good things 31/366: Stay at home dads

My husband is a stay at home dad and has been for 2 ½ years...

Being a full time parent has its challenges, I personally think women multi task better :) and are more organised and efficient and therefore being a stay at home mum suits us. However ANY man who is willing to take on what I think is the most important and challenging role deserves alot of respect.. dealing with nappies (it’s surprising how many dads have never changed their own kid’s nappies!), toilet training, cooking dinner, etc and if you have a little girl they bring a whole new set of emotions and challenges. Although I work full time, I do *quietly* check that all is going well during the day, that our precious one is being fed healthy food, that TV is the absolute last resort, that there is some sort of education being taught even when playing.. call me a Tiger Mum (no it’s not that bad - I love everything that my daughter makes me and would never say a home made card she made me is not good enough!) but I think discipline and routine are really important. Sometimes I get frustrated when things don’t always happen smoothly like if dinner isn’t cooked, or if the washing was left in the machine ALL day, or if there is food all over the couches, or the TV was on for a few hours. I know sometimes you just have to do what works.. especially if you’re also running a small business which is what my husband does.

So as women what do we normally do when we just need time out? I’d say beauty treatments would be common, retail therapy works for most of us.. pampering of any kind is a guarantee.

Well, this morning when my precious one was all happy and keen to go to Kinder when I left for work – the entire scene changed within an hour. She wouldn’t put any clothes on, she was crying and upset and only wanted me, time was running out, the car tyre was flat.. and as a result of all of this she ended up being late for kinder and definitely not in the best mood. I told my husband just to go for a coffee in a cafe, read the newspaper and just switch off – he always likes that. But no – he said he was going for a haircut, he needed it. That’s cool.

But when he said that he was going to squeeze in an eyebrow wax.. I wondered to myself, is it possible to turn into a stereo type because of your role? I’m all for men and beauty treatments, don’t get me wrong, I like that my husband takes interest in what he wears even if he is a stay at home dad, but I do wonder, how many other men/husbands have swapped the traditional role and to what extent?

Today’s good thing is definitely stay at home dads.. Thank you to all the dads to are hands on with their children, who are willing to clean poos and wees, who don't frown upon being in the kitchen, who contribute to housework.. all without being paid a cent, but getting the most valuable reward ever - time with your children and a precious lifelong relationship.

Check out this article on the increase of stay at home dads.

ps if you know of any Stay at home dad support groups in Melbourne, let me know, that's one thing that we've found there's not alot of if any!

image from the Herald Sun

A year of good things 50/366: Tomatoes

Last year one of my resolutions was to eat more veges from our garden which we did but we only had enough for a few months.. Look what we found growing on the side of our house!! Very exciting as I love tomatoes!!

A year of goods things 49/366: learning land

I'm a big advocate for reading and learning with creativity when raising children. So when my daughter's friend's mum told me about Learningland signed up and so far it has proved to be enjoyable and rewarding..on the first proper class where they leant the 'a' sound as in apple, ant, astronaut, this is what they made.. Play doh apples with beautiful green play doh and brown pipe cleaners.. How cool is that!

ps don't you just love those painted nails? cute, cute, cute..

I had good intentions.. Year of good things 45/366

Oh dear.. I had good intentions of paying more attention to the blog but you know what my problem is.. it's the photos.. I don't really have a good set up - but things are about to change!

I now have a fancy phone that takes ok pictures and have downloaded an app to make the pictures look even fancier.. I'm not a photographer at all, but I do like what this app has done to this pic.. which moves me onto my good thing for the day..

Spending time with my daughter while working from home.. and this afternoon this precious little 3 year old said, "mummy i want to make a scarf" - so here she is having a little play with some wool and needles..

I think that is not just a good thing... it's a GREAT thing!

A Year of Good Things 9/366

My first post on a Year of Good Things has taken longer than expected but here it is - I treated myself today - I bought these Saltwaters in Champagne.. it felt good to spoil myself a bit, and now I'm excited as I wait for their arrival in the post.. now all I need is for the sun to come back to Melbourne.. it was here now it's gone! It may seem a little selfish, but this year I am going to do alot of good things for myself, not at the expense of others, in ADDITION to what I do for others. Of COURSE my precious girl will continue to come first.. that will never change.

ps this pic is not mine, it belongs to Petrune.. my feet don't nearly look as beautiful!

Happy New Year, Happy New Ways..

Happy New Year everyone, I hope you have had a relaxing break and have spent quality time with friends and family. I’ve had a good 12 days off, some days I had no idea what to do and it was just perfect.. my 2011 was very tiring and exhausting and looking back I think it was a year where I literally put myself last and everyone else first, not because it was asked of me, but because that’s how I am. It comes naturally with motherhood, with being a woman (I think), but also I am a Capricorn and born in the year of the rat.. both apparent perfectionists. Being a full time working mum is a challenge and finding that manageable balance between work and home and everything else keeps you constantly on your toes. This year I think I managed that pretty well, but I never gave myself any attention and I got so exhausted trying to fit in so much in one day.

SO

THIS YEAR WILL BE DIFFERENT.. HOW?

1. I aim to simplify my life - I’ve noticed through many blogs that this seems to be a common theme and I personally think technology is to blame. The iphone is tempting, the addiction is off putting!


2. I will declutter my possessions and have less lying around


3. Ask for help if I need time to myself


4. Make an effort to catch up with girlfriends


5. Participate in Pip’s Year of Good Things


6. Remind myself that the challenge of being a working mum is oh so normal


7. Have music in my life again


8. Stop and smell the roses.. I was constantly in ‘heads down bum up’ mode last year


9. Craft more and more and more and more


10. Enjoy my blog, it’s my own space


11. And just for fun.. I am determined to find myself the perfect green dress - details in the next post, perhaps you can help me?

Have a fantastic 2012 everyone x