Because the eye rolls are real, the questions are deeper, and the snack demands never stop. The Tween Shift No One Prepares You For One day, you’re knee-deep in phonics and Play-Doh. The next, you’re navigating existential questions over toast and trying to explain algebra while your child stares at you like you’ve got three heads.…

This morning, one child built a cardboard ramp for a marble. The other used lipstick to write “NO ENTRY” on her bedroom door. Later they argued about whether Pluto is a planet, watched a documentary about volcanoes, and made 12 (slightly wonky) pancakes. At 4.30pm I stood in the kitchen and wondered: “Wait. Did we… learn…

When we first stepped into the world of home education, I imagined a smooth transition: swapping uniforms for pyjamas and rigid timetables for wild, joyful learning. But oh, the reality. Tears (mine and theirs), wobbles, and more than one sneaky Google of "Can I un-homeschool?". It turns out, what we really needed wasn’t a curriculum or…

If the phrase “extra income” makes you want to scream into a pile of laundry I see you. Because not all side hustles are created equal. Some want 40 hours a week and childcare. Others pay you in discount codes and stress. So I pulled together the ones that actually work. The ones that fit around…

I used to say it all the time. Be careful. Be careful. Be careful. And I thought I was helping. But I started to notice something. They would freeze. Or ignore me. Or worst of all, they would get nervous. Not safe. Not aware. Just anxious. So I stopped saying it. And this is what I say…

I have said "put your shoes on" at least 700 times this week. And yet... silence. Blank stares. A sudden inability to hear my voice unless snacks are involved. Getting kids to listen without shouting is basically the gold standard of parenting. But it is possible. Not perfect, but possible. Here is what works, what flops,…

What I Am Still Learning as a Mum of Tweens I thought the hard part was the newborn stage. The nappies. The night feeds. The chaos. But here I am, parenting two funny fierce complex girls and realising… I am still learning. Every single day. Motherhood did not stop evolving when they learned to tie their…

I did not plan to become a home educator. I planned on school runs, packed lunches, a quiet cup of tea once the house emptied. But plans change when your children are not thriving. And when your gut tells you the system is not serving them, you listen. So I quit. My job. The traditional school…

What Happens When Mums Burn Out? There is tired. And then there is burnt toast, blank stare, please do not ask me anything ever again tired. If you are a mum in 2025, you probably know the difference. Mum burnout is not about being dramatic. It is what happens when you keep giving, showing up, pushing through…

Can I Gift a House to My Child? You have raised them, loved them, fed them roughly 12 thousand times, and now you are wondering... can I gift them my house too? The short answer is yes. The slightly longer answer is yes, but with paperwork, legal advice, and a firm understanding of how inheritance tax…