MAMA FROG- Alternative Parenting Blog

  I've never been what you could describe as a calm person. I'm the kind of person who prefers to keep themselves busy, so that they can say what they have been up to, or to organise the next big project. I think this is probably because I am afraid of living in reality. But since I've become a mother (and a mother again) I've found myself yearning for a bit more simplicity.       This week we have houseguests. My sister, her husband, my two year old niece and her tiny three week old baby brother. It certainly is a house (or pub flat) full of small people. Normally I found family visits quite stressful. I dislike the disorder and mess that comes with visitors. I push myself to prepare fancy food that no-one appreciates. I bust a gut tidying up after the multitude of small people.     Not this time though. This time I've decided I need to chill the F out (Sorry!!), and to live in the moment and enjoy spending time with all these family p...

I think I probably have a bit of rep in my quiet market town. I've been babywearing froggy since day one really, and although there is a local sling library and I do see other baby carrying mama's from time to time, baby wearing with one definitely confused a few people. From old ladies chastising me for taking my baby out without any blankets or hat ( I couldn't get her to understand that the loss of body temp is decreased via slinging it), to the old man who insisted I must be suffocating my baby or even my gp - who advised me baby wearing was okay for newborns but to stop soon because it would cause back damage. Anyhoo, I just kept on wearing my little man. I found pushchairs an absolute pain in the bum. Victoria shops just weren't designed for someone to push  a cart around. Plus navigating busy pavements is never easy let alone when you factor in a buggy. When I got pregnant with my little girl, I kept wearing him. I felt it kept him close during a sea of c...

To me, homebirth sounded like it should be the most simple and obvious choice for number two. My first childs birth had been straight forward. The labour had lasted all day, but things didn't kick off till early evening when I headed back to the hospital, jumped in the birthing pool and fairly quickly delivered him with just gas and air. As my son was only 11 months when we found out we were expecting number two, homebirth also appealed on a logistics level. I hadn't yet left him with a baby sitter and I wanted the whole process, for him, to be as easy a transition as possible. I left my first midwife appointment feeling great. We discussed my homebirth plans and she had been really supportive. Even my husband seemed up for the idea. We run a pub so getting cover can be a bit tricky on short notice. No running me to hospital wondering if this was it, only to be sent home again. I became an addict of the homebirth uk website. I poured through birth story after birth story rea...

Since babies arrival I have been struggling to parent my toddler gently. Obviously two under two, a business, an allotment and a degree to handle was never going to be be easy, but I hadn't quote prepared my self mentally for how much it would stretch me. I also didn't want to take a break from anything. However having two babies, there is always a compromise, especially when you want to be a gentle parent and want to keep busy. For example I'd wanted to avoid daily screen exposure (tv, tablet, phones etc) for frog until he was two. By the third trimester I was dead on my feet by 4pm so tv became a more present part of our lives. Supermarkets are also I compromise I've had to make. Sometimes I've not been able to get into town before the independents shut Our Waldorf inspired daily rhythm has also been shelved. I am a little disappointed. But am trying to focus on the positives and view all of these slackenings as part of the adjustment process to life with...