Smart Spending in the Waikato*

As a parent, you’re always looking for ways to help the budget extend that much further. This post is dedicated to the number one way to save money on your Waikato Child’s wardrobe: the Chiefs Jersey. Also known in our house as our son’s “Weekend Uniform” it’s the only item of clothing that your child might need. Warm enough to keep them warm in winter (mostly) and cool enough to keep them cool in summer (mostly) it’s ideal for all situations: day wear, night wear, birthday party wear, sports wear, shopping wear, active wear, dinner wear, and mufti day at school wear. It doesn’t need as much washing as other items of clothing so it will be available at all times. It’s the perfect gift for any parent in the Waikato region. Better living everyone!

*Please note: this post was fact checked by my 9 year old son (pictured below) and he assures me it’s all true.

Chief, in his Chiefs jersey, with some Chiefs.

Phases of Summer

Today is the last Saturday of the school holidays. As another Christmas/Summer school break comes to an end we have moved into the final emotional stage “Thank Goodness School Goes Back Next Week”.

It’s interesting how the summer stretches on. At the end of the term last year the children were ready for a break. The bustle of Christmas rushing us along and they were tired, cranky, and ready for a break. They were hyped because of the guy in the big red suit. The adults otherwise engaged in preparations.

Afterwards, the inevitable post Christmas slump and a few days before New Year to recover, visit the beaches and enjoy BBQs (when the weather allowed).

Great celebrations at New Year with contemplation on the clean slate of the calendar ahead of us, and a week away at the beach (Raglan for us) with the only downside being that it had to come to an end.

There’s been heading back to work in the heat, juggling childcare, the kids arguing over their favourite holiday programme, and doing the rounds of the various attractions.

We live in a great city where there are so many things for the kids to do – visit a new destination playground each week, explore the Hamilton Gardens, wander through the leafy Hamilton Zoo, wade in the river, climb the Hakarimatas. We are so lucky.

But it’s been seven weeks and the bickering is back, the lunch boxes are ready, the stationery is sorted, the uniforms are clean and It’s Time.

I wish everyone the most peaceful long weekend out and a happy return to normality next week, when the long hazy holidays will be just a distant memory.

Exploring the aviary at Hamilton Zoo

January is nearly over

It feels like the month that never ends. And another parenting post. Sorry, I do have things to get outraged about and other things to share, I don’t like to post too many similar topics in a row but I have been suffocated by three smallish people for the past month. January just seems to go on and on.

I’m actually writing because I’m hiding. I’ve had a little tanty… I’m in my room. Hiding. I am up to date with mindless social media, replied to all my emails. My garden is 100% weed free and I can’t plant new things till summer ends because they’d sizzle. Now I’m blogging. Hiding.

My tanty. I’m not proud of it, but it was a slightly louder than normal, not smiling, exasperated cry of: “You DON’T need me! You don’t need me! Stop saying Mum, Mum, Mum, Mum, Mum like the seagulls on Nemo! Go play! Your rules are – NO electronic devices for goodness sake, NO eating as entertainment, and you don’t NEED ME! You are a PERSON in your own right! Be a person! Sort yourselves out and PLAY!” I left my somewhat stunned looking child in the kitchen where I wrenched some personal space from and …. cleaned the bathroom. Because it was terribly filthy and in a month there had been no space for even chores.  Probably not a parenting win, but it was a win for my sanity because I’ve mostly managed to have a couple of hours to myself just to regroup and breathe a bit, and concentrate on being my own person and fixing up my business.

Parenting is hard. School holidays are hard. I’m well in need of a holiday.

Family Values

We got an over-sized pamphlet in our letterbox today entitled Family Values – pitting politicians against each other and compared their values, as opposed to their policies. The first policy that springs to mind for me when I think parenting and politics, is Section 59 – the anti-smacking legislation which had been on my mind earlier in the day after what may be herein known as McDonalds-gate.

I have three children, they are all loved, cherished and fussed over. They are equal parts intelligent, funny, charming, charismatic, empathetic, compassionate, crafty, independent, stubborn, single-minded, headstrong, quick witted, laws unto themselves. Who were ungrateful to be eating an apple pie at McDonalds, and would have preferred a Happy Meal. They possess the skills to make sure their parents are aware of their wants and needs. Which they did. To the entire restaurant. Loudly.

And I couldn’t help but wonder how different it would be if it was legal to give them a short sharp clear signal that their behaviour was unacceptable. It crossed my mind. I don’t smack my children. I don’t believe in inflicting physical harm on my children, partly because it’s illegal. But it definitely crossed my mind.

Parenting is hard, somehow I don’t think that it matters a jot how well-equipped we are, how high our EQ is or how many books we’ve read or theories we’ve studied.  Some days it’s a bit like playing the pokie machine – the odds are stacked against you, no matter how much you might win, at the end of the day, your children know you better than anyone, and they know what buttons to push.

I don’t know if Section 59 has really done anything to protect the children that need it most, and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want to model my values off those of a Politician. But with the benefit of hindsight and regardless of how it felt it at the time, it wasn’t a situation that warranted any drastic measures. I think, as parents, some days the best we can do is “tie a knot and hold on”. Take deep breaths, leave the aggravating situation, smile through gritted teeth and explain to the children quietly and calmly how they will not be going to McDonalds again any time soon.

SAHM (because giving it a natty acronym makes it less painful)

Today is my first day of being alone as a stay at home Mum.

Not that I haven’t been at home before, but this is different. I used to have babies at home, but my youngest is now 4. I used to have a husband that worked funny hours, which meant he was home at lunch time.

Now, I have a husband with a nice, normal 9-5 job, two kids at school and one in preschool. I have a puppy for company, a very tidy house and days, weeks and months ahead of me with time to myself to fill in a new town.

It brings me to a somewhat existential crisis. Who am I? What am I going to do with my life? What am I going to do with my career? How can I fit it all in around the family, and do what is best for everybody? Some days, there will be lots of time, and I was reminded this weekend that other times there won’t. Three kids is a lot of sick days. And holidays. So how do you work around this in a fulfilling manner? Take a good job and make it work? Or take a lesser job to gain flexibility? Did I go really go to uni and establish a broadcasting career to do data entry? And is there anything wrong with that?

I sure as eggs won’t be the first or last person to have this internal dialogue. However, I can’t see any road maps pointing me in the right direction.

I have been accepted to a midwifery course starting next year. Thing is, it’s 45 weeks a year, 40 hours a week with assignments and call outs on top. It would require afterschool care for the kids 5 days a week and no sick days. Then the questions start again. Is it achievable? Is it fair? Is it right? Is the cost on the happiness of the kids outweighed by the benefit to myself, my career, job security, general life satisfaction? Is it? School holidays, which seem to be every fortnight or so, are just around the corner. What would happen then?

It was never meant to be easy! I might just have to replace the wine with coffee and take my inspiration from Marge.

Sunday Morning Interruptions

Sunday mornings are about the only day of the week we can manage anything like a lie-in. Having taught the older two to use a mysky remote, the three kids are happily indulging in their only television viewing of the week. And it’s fabulous. Technology is wonderful.

Now, if only we could do something about this nagging household member with its wet nose and ever hopeful wagging tail. Doggy TV?