Getting chore charts to work + FREE chore chart printable

By on

Chore charts

Chore charts. It’s a divisive topic. Should kids be rewarded for contributing to their own household? Should parents have to make a captain obvious list as to what needs to be done? Do they actually work? Does anyone use them after the initial month of fervour wears off? Do the white board markers go missing in all families? If so, you could look into a site like https://writeyboards.ca/, where you can purchase a fresh new set of markers and maybe a new whiteboard while your at it!

We currently have a chore chart hanging off the fridge, laminated and ready for ticks and crosses. Once we can find the white board marker. Read more…

Meal Planning for Beginners (or the culinarily challenged)

By on

Frozen lunches - for the culinary challenged

Every Sunday my insta feed fills with the pictures. Fresh bread, ribbons of vegetables about to be transformed into edible beauty, bliss balls, home baked muesli bars and menu plans.

Evidently there are scores of parents productively spending their Sundays in the kitchen with a view to the week ahead. I won’t say it’s  a cult. But I know some of them own Thermomixes. Read more…

Holding onto Holiday Feels

By on

I drafted this post relaxing in a camp chair, listening to the ocean and watching the sand and waves. By the time it’s published, I’ll be in thick of back to school preparation and the working year.

The calm will be a distant memory. It’s funny how that happens. We take holidays to relax and recharge and the recharge fades as soon as routine sets in.

I wish I could take the rested me into the stress of normal life. I wonder if I can.  Read more…

All the End of Year Feels

By on

End of year feels

He doesn’t really fit here any more. All limbs and bone. My nearly-eight-year-old boy, sitting in my lap. This used to be his space. A place he’d often crawl into, arms around my neck as his little body curled into mine. His three year old brother still fits in that space. All cosy and content.

But despite his size, my big boy has chosen to sit here. His weight awkwardly leaning against me. His legs jangling against mine. And I don’t mind. Not one bit. We both laugh at how absurd it is, but neither of us move. Read more…