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The Great Appendix Adventure of 2022

Cameron turns 20 in just over a month. In my almost 20 years of parenting I have stayed over in a hospital with a child TWICE. Once when Jack had a tummy bug and the second was a week ago when Emma had her appendix out. I can say in all honestly, twice was more […]

Comfortable Maternity Wear

Comfortable Maternity Wear | Parenting with HarassedMom

I am very glad that social media hadn’t arrived when I had Cameron, almost 20 years ago because the world at large is better off not having seen me in the early 2000’s maternity wear! Thankfully by the time I had Emma, fashion designers had realised that maternity dresses don’t have to be tents, they […]

The Big Kids – Where are they now?

Common consensus that the teen years, as a parent, are the hardest but I can honestly say that they have been my easiest. Maybe I just got lucky with Cameron and Kiara or maybe the teen years aren’t as bad as they are made out to be? Obviously we had a few rocky moments and […]

Easter Fun at Menlyn Park Shopping Center

Fun fact – my birthday falls over the Easter Weekend! This is the second time it has happened (or that I can remember). The first time was when I turned 17. It is also our first “out of lockdown” Easter celebration in two years! So there is a chance we are going to have a […]

What To Pack When You Go Swimming with Kids

What To Pack When You Go Swimming with Kids

Swimming was such a big part of my life growing up and it has become such a big part of my kids life.. Many of us have memories of spending our summer holidays around the pool or next to the beach.  When you have a child you get to experience the fun of jumping into […]

Does your toddler really need a report card?

Does your toddler really need a report card | Parenting with HarassedMom

The end of the first term of school is almost here, which means a report card will be sent out shortly. For those with little ones who have just started school this is probably pretty exciting but does your toddler really need a report card? Every parent thinks their child is streaks ahead of every […]

Stop putting sugar in your kids lunch box

Stop putting sugar in your kids lunch box | Parenting with HarassedMom

Today I am talking about something considered controversial, but I am speaking from my personal experience with one of my four kids. I know it’s not easy, but you have to stop putting sugar in your child’s lunch box! Did you know that in South Africa 2 out of 10 children are obese or overweight? […]

Valentine’s Day at School

Valentine's Day at School | Parenting with HarassedMom

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and while schools don’t focus on romantic love, there is often some sort of celebration of  special people and showing love and appreciation to others. You may be asked to bring a red food item or to bake something for the Valentine’s Day at school bake sale. It […]

Discipline mistakes parents make and how to fix them

times parenting feels like one mistake after another, many of us feel like we don’t know what we are doing. The good news is we are all in the same boat and that we can all learn from one another’s mistakes. We all lie sometimes. My tween son was lecturing me about how there is no such thing as an acceptable lie and he is right, but we many of us have lied to our children. Often it is not something we set out do to but in the heat of the moment, or our desperate need to stop a tantrum we lie. I am not giving you a free pass to keep doing it but I do understand. Sometimes being honest with your child is more affective and they will learn to understand that sometimes life just isn’t a whole lot of fun but that it’s ok. Give in When it comes to discipline, giving in only sets you back. You must stand your ground even when their screams threaten to burst your ear drums or they declare they will hate you forever. It is, for me, one of the hardest discipline issues to get right even after having four kids. My husband and I still high five ourselves when we successfully manage to stand our ground! Removing yourself from the situation does help to you to maintain your composure. Bribe once too often My girls never reacted to bribery of any sort but my boys never forgot! They may have forgotten in the moment but a day or two later they would remind me that I had promised them a double scoop ice cream and a flake if they had a bath. Bribery does have a place and it does work but used too often it can become a tool your little angel uses to manipulate you (yes your sweet child is capable of manipulation.) So, keep it in your bag of tricks for those days nothing else seems like it is going to work. Practice what you preach. We all know this; our kids absorb everything we do. Every single thing. Even if we tell them to put their clothes in the hamper, if we don’t they aren’t likely too. So be aware of the actions you are displaying, make sure that they are the same as those you are teaching your child. Some evenings I want to sit on the couch and eat my dinner but my husband feels we need to eat meals at the table so, unless the kids are out, I make sure we all sit at the table and eat. Yell, a lot loudly! All my kids switch off completely when I start yelling. The boys retreat and Emma starts fighting back, more defiant. It is incredibly hard some days when they are acting out, you are tired and just trying to get dinner cooked without having to referee a million fights over who is the real owner of the green loom band. Yelling and losing control, even just a little, doesn’t help. Well it may make you feel a little better to get it out but it won’t calm the situation so instead, remove yourself. Go for a walk in the garden or sit in the bathroom with the door closed for a few minutes to regain control. Learn your kid’s triggers Bad behaviour in younger kids is often a result of something that has happened, they may be over tired or even hungry. Recently we got home late and I had an urgent work commitment that had to be done immediately, it meant they were left to play for a bit. It all went well until it didn’t, they were over tired and the smallest thing set both younger two off and I suddenly had two hysterical kids refusing to do anything. In hindsight, I should have put them to bed before I started working. You know your child and you know when they are going to cross over, be on the lookout for the signs and try to avoid it at all costs. Disciplining children is hard, some days it feels like it is too hard but it will pay off. The hard work, the hidden hours in the bathroom, the mistakes and the triumphs, will all pay off, I promise you. | Parenting with HarassedMom

Sometimes parenting feels like one mistake after another, many of us feel like we don’t know what we are doing. The good news is we are all in the same boat and that we can all learn from one another’s mistakes. We all lie sometimes. My tween son was lecturing me about how there is […]

Signs your child may have Sensory Processing Disorder.

Signs your child may have sensory processing disorder | Parenting with HarassedMom

My oldest daughter never slept. We tried everything but eventually after 3 years of trying, we gave up and accepted that she was just not going to sleep. The tantrums started shortly after she turned two. They weren’t the usual toddler tantrums, they were more intense and never ending. She could cry for up to […]