This is always a hard subject to talk about with other Mum’s. It seems we all have firm ideas on discipline so it is often a taboo subject for fear of offending or upsetting others.

I always had firm ideas on discipline. When I was younger I would always say I would never hit my children and I used to look down on parents who did. Since becoming a parent I now have a new understanding on the subject. While we do not smack in our house (yet … ) I do understand how and why parents do.

My little one is only 12 months old and even at this age he is learning to push his limits with my patience. We have a baby playpen  around our tv cabinet to stop little fingers pushing buttons or pulling the tv over. Cooper loves to stand up at the gate and he rocks it back and forward so it will bang on the wall. I tell him stop and he hears me, I see it in his eyes that he knows what stop or no means. He does it again and my voice repeats the command, the third time I get of my chair as I say stop and he plonks to the ground and cries. He knows I will get up and he knows if he cries it will pull at my heart strings and he wont be in trouble. The strange thing is he has never been smacked before or even spoken to harshly, the most he will recieve is a firm no or stop and if he continues we will remove him from the situation and ignore the behaviour. I am still unsure where he has gained his knowledge to fall to the ground and cry as soon as I get off the couch, when only 3 seconds before it was a fun game?

We are still undecided on the discipline we are going to use as he gets older and I am sure we will work it out along the way. We are both not supporters of physical discipline, however sometimes I am sure there is no other alternative. That is a bridge we will have to cross when we come to it.

I would love to hear some of your thoughts on discipline, so please leave me a comment!

Jen xx

As Mum’s we always tend to put ourselves last. We are the last to shower, the last to serve ourselves food and generally the last to bed at night. But I want to express how important it is to put yourself first sometimes. This is something I have only just realised myself.

My day generally starts at 6am if not earlier when my son wakes. Between 6 and 7:30am I need to feed my son a bottle and breakfast, cook breakfast for my husband, unpack and pack the dishwasher and drive my husband to work. When we get home my day is filled with Mummy activities – playing, feeding and light housework. While Cooper is asleep I generally use that time to catch my breath or do something around the house. It is generally not until after he is in bed at night that I even bother having a shower. If I do have one during the day it is rare I will fix my hair or apply make up because I think I don’t have time or I really think “why bother?”.

The past few weeks I have stopped thinking this way, I must admit it’s not everyday but most days I shower in the mornings and spend 30 minutes on myself. Fixing my hair, applying some make up and spritzing perfume. It is amazing how much better I feel after this. Just a simple 30 minutes to make myself look and feel human and most of all a women and not just a Mum.

So I am here to ask all you Mummies out there. No matter how busy your day is, set aside some time, just 30 minutes to shower, fix you hair and apply make up. You will be surprised at how much better it will make you feel about yourself. When you have more confidence tasks seem easier and life seems to function a little better.

Jen xx