The Stork Network Blog

Car Seats - What's the safest?

Car Seats - What's the safest?

Whenever someone comes in to buy a car seat they generally say straight up "I just want the safest seat you have!" But actually what is the safest seat? Our standard response is that the safest seat we have for you is one that fits your car, your child, your budget and your needs... so how do you then choose?

The time we were ALL put in timeout - A honest insight into Lockdown 2020

The time we were ALL put in timeout - A honest insight into Lockdown 2020

Lockdown you have been fun, full of laughs, full of extra ‘time’ together, full of games and relaxing together. BUT overall locked you have sucked and it’s been hard and I’m so ready for you to be over. 

Why is "Sleeping through the night" the gold standard?

Why is "Sleeping through the night" the gold standard?

Infant sleep... a topic that usually stirs debate, strong feelings, difference in parenting styles and sometimes divide amongst families. With the advances in technology and the fact we all now have access to screeds of information at the touch of button infant sleep has now catapulted into the limelight on any parenting forum.

What does it mean to put your own needs first?

What does it mean to put your own needs first?

How often are you told as a mum to put yourself first, do something for yourself, take a break. What does that actually fucking mean? How often, where, when, with or without kids? I want to, but I don’t have the money or the time! I don’t have a baby sitter, hubby is at work, I have no one to do anything with! I’m to scared, I’ll have a panic attack, everyone will judge me, my kids will play up, no one can get the kids to bed but me, who will cook dinner, what if they miss me etc etc etc.

Reflux & Strong Will - Mouse's First 6 Months

Reflux & Strong Will - Mouse's First 6 Months

From the moment my milk came in I knew we were again dealing with Reflux (my older daughter had it too). She would become upset, irritable, arching her back, vomiting, windy etc after every feed!

Are you raising a strong willed child?

Are you raising a strong willed child?

Strong - To have the power to move heavy weights, a great force, powerful or difficult to defeat, powerfully affecting mind, senses and emotions, extreme, especially excessive, able to withstand force or pressure, very intense!

Willed - To have a specified level of determination, intense desire or wish, deliberate, try to make someone do something or make something happen by exercising mental powers.

Get the cotton wool - the kids are playing!

Get the cotton wool - the kids are playing!

Our children are so protected these days and a 2019 'childhood' certainly does not resemble my own, but are we taking it too far? Are our kids becoming 'cotton wool kids?" I fear that without the freedom to just 'be kids' we are going to end up with a world full of adults who are less determined, poor goal setters, unconfident and more. 

You are too big to pick up anymore!

You are too big to pick up anymore!

It's that old cliche you hear all the time from people who have been there before you "don't wish it away it goes to quick in the end" and go it does!

Becoming a parent is the best thing ever...... isn't it?

Becoming a parent is the best thing ever...... isn't it?

So, you hear it all the time… ‘becoming a parent was the best thing ever” “it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done” “I can’t imagine my life without my baby” “I’ve never felt so in love” …….. what about when it’s not any of those things. What if parenting looks to you like sadness, guilt, insecurity, worry, anxiety, frustration, grief for your previous life, shame for your feelings, numbness and a lack of vitality…. What if that’s your normal?

Is feminism going a step to far?

Is feminism going a step to far?

I believe myself to be feminist, I am absolutely 100% for equality amongst the sexes. I believe that men and women should be given equal opportunity, equal pay, equal respect. I believe in telling my young girls that if they want to grow up and have careers in male dominated industries then thats fine, go for gold my girls! If my son wants to work in a female dominated industry -GREAT! I value the fight of the ladies before me that have given me the right to vote, the right to be heard and the right to believe and have confidence in myself as a women. 

Is it ever OK to criticise someone else parenting?

Is it ever OK to criticise someone else parenting?

Like most things in life we are all individuals and we are all different and the way in which we parent our children is not immune to this difference. It’s easy to pass judgement on someone else’s parenting or to have an opinion because there’s a high chance that what they are doing isn’t necessarily what you would do. But without being that person, parenting those kids, in their situation are you really entitled to pass judgement, particularly if that judgement is negative?

Just Eat It!

Just Eat It!

Now as a mother the fact that my child wasn’t eating her dinner worried my senseless. I panicked that she would be hungry, malnourished, start waking at night etc etc, if you can think it I worried it. So, because of this I became so upset and obsessed with the fact that she wasn’t eating dinner I started losing sleep as I would be constantly thinking about how I could just get her to eat her god dam dinner! We must have tried EVERYTHING and by everything I really mean everything.