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Mum's Lounge is the lifestyle website for Mums
It's the place where mums can go for some you time and keep up to date with what's going on. So sit down, relax and browse through our latest articles.
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Jolene's Mumbo Jumbo
Skilfully portraying a realistic view of parenting – the good, the bad, and the f'ugly - Jolene will have you nodding along enthusiastically, crying into your cornflakes, and spitting your coffee onto your screen with unrestrained hilarity.
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Hot Specials
Grab a cuppa, put your feet up and check out our hot specials and news, delivered direct to your inbox every week.
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Making Time For Yourself
Motherhood is full-on. Fuuuuuuuull on. In all nuances of the word ‘full.’ It's brimming and boiling with love and warm, milky cuddles, highlighted and layered with tight squeezes, snuggy little bodies, and juicy, sloppy wet kisses goodnight. Yes, it is unarguably full. Yes, having a child has been the most rewarding, loving, life-changing experience I have ever had. But it's also been the hardest.
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No One Listens to Mummy
Kids are not listening; they are running amok and think they are hilariously funny when I say they are naughty. I have had a bad week with cheeky little kids and it does not help that by the time you sort out one, the other one starts and then you have to go chase after the other. And so on…
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Do Your Kids Watch Too Much TV?
Someone once asked me to write a post on TV and computer use for children. I groaned. This has not been one of my outstanding areas of parenting. In the interests of honesty, transparency and openly acknowledging faults, I proffer the following pieces of wisdom, not all of which I follow all the time.
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Meals for Sick Babies
Babies often lose interest in meals when they are unwell. Wondering what to feed your sick baby? The most important thing you can do is to keep up their fluids by giving them lots of little feeds of either their regular milk or cooled boiled water.
Bored Kids
Bored Kids
At some point over the school holidays I will have bored kids telling me that “I don’t know what to do”. And you know what? That is completely fine with me. I have learnt it is so easy to get caught in the run around trap with kids. Whilst trying to fit everything in that we think as parents they need (and looking around at what other children are doing), we can actually end up overstimulating and exhausting our kids. I can then also set up expectations that they must be entertained and occupied all the time. My kids need time to rest, potter and investigate in their own environment.
They also need to get BORED. It is only when they get bored will they seek out new interests, design new games of their own and maybe even participate in the household activities that mum and dad are doing.
Individual temperaments have a huge impact on how easily kids get bored. I have never heard “I don’t know what to do” from a couple of my kids, but have had heard it dozens of times from a couple of the others. Over the holidays I plan for a mix of activities with the kids that include:
- Activities away from home
- At home planned activities
- Unstructured time
Allowing the children to have unstructured time where they “don’t have anything to do” can lead to really positive results. (Although children who have no parental attention and who are never occupied will most likely find negative ways to expend their energy.)
It can sometimes take the kids a while to work out what to do, but they get their in the end. Last school holidays for one child who can often find it hard to decide what to do, I had him write up a list of all the things he likes to do. We printed it out and stuck it on the notice board so he could refer to it when he was at a loose end which worked really well for him.
As tempting as it can be, I need to remember as the parent when they come to be complaining of nothing to do, I do not need to fill this vacuum with suggestions or parental led activities. My kids need time to be restful and time to think for themselves about how they can occupy their time.
Do you let your kids get bored?
Nicole Avery is the master organiser behind the popular parenting blog Planning With Kids, where she shares tips and tricks to organising the chaos of family life.
Her first book “Planning With Kids” was released in May 2011 by Wright Books. Follow Nicole on Twitter at @PlanningQueen or on Facebook.
Family
There are so many issues and topics that face families. Here you will find a collection of fabulous articles dealing with everything that is important to your family life.
Jolene's Mumbo Jumbo
Skillfully portraying a realistic view of parenting – the good, the bad, and the f'ugly – Jolene will have you nodding along enthusiastically, crying into your cornflakes…
Celebrities
We all love to find out what our celebrity friends are up to! Every week we’ll bring you a look at the fabulous (and hideous) outfits that they have been getting around in.
Health
You have precious little time in every day - so how do you keep yourself and your family healthy, both on a budget, with the time you have?
Beauty
Finding time to dedicate to you is a hard job for a mum! Here you will discover fabulous tips, product reviews and trends that will keep you in the beauty know.
Pregnancy
Pregnant or know someone who is? There are fabulous articles to read through answering every question. Ask a question of our resident childbirth expert…
Fitness
Getting fit as a mum doesn't have to take hours a day of slogging it out in a gym. We'll show you how you can get back in shape…
Books
Want to immerse yourself in the latest novel? Here we will review all the latest books so that you can make an informed decision!
Movies
Subscribe to the Mums Lounge Movie Club for your chance to WIN tickets for a trip to the movies, its simple click subscribe and see if you’re a winner!
Home & Garden
Interior design, event styling, kids birthday parties, gardening tips, you’ll find them all here. Also a wonderful place for visual inspiration!
Travel
Fabulous ideas on travelling with or without the family or just read the fabulous stories and travel from your armchair!
Recipe Box
Dinner ideas? Cooking on a budget? Left over meal suggestions? You’ll find it all here in the Recipe Box!
Fashion
Want to know the latest looks? Need inspiration? You’ll find it all here! Looks to fit into a budget and ones to aspire to!
Arsenic Hour
We all need a little help when the witching hours strikes with the kiddies and every day we’ll bring you some inspiration to get you through. (Warning – shirtless men galore!)
Finance
Running a family is a financially tough business! We will look at budgeting, tax, credit cards, super, stock market, if it involves money we’ll have it covered!
Kids’ Activities
What to do with the kids? This section is full of activities and ideas on things to do when your spending time with the children.
Work at Home
Want to spend more time with your kids but still earn some money? This section will help you with tips, ideas and inspiration to do just that!
Family Activities
Looking to do something with the family over the weekend or while you're on holidays? Here's an array of information and ideas on how to pass the time and have fun while you're at it!
