May 2012
“I’ve discovered a small body in the bed can be warm and snuggly or cold and wriggly.”*
I’ve only ever been able to sleep in the same bed with my children when they were tiny babies, except for rare and golden occasions when they were snug, still and blissfully silent. Of my two boys, one is a terrible snorer and the other a terrible wriggler. I’ve always been known for my ability to stir from a deep sleep at the distant echo of a falling pin, so regular co-sleeping was never an option for me. But I do cherish the special times when it all works out and we both slide into a gentle, restful nap together. It’s magical – especially when a little hand grasps mine.
* From Being Mummy by Anne‑marie Taplin
Last updated 02 May 2012.
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Photograph © Katrina Pearson
Feature story
BBQ-baby-babble-guy
You know that guy at the barbeque who just won’t shut up about his kids? It doesn’t matter what you talk about he is somehow able to relate it back to little Michael’s first day at kindergarten or darling Janie’s freakish gift for finger paint...
What's new this month
Being a parent
is a bit like riding an express train,
don't you think?
Hurtling from one day to the next, sometimes it feels like time just rushes by.
Parenting can be exhilarating, joyful, bittersweet, maddening or exhausting – sometimes a combination of all these emotions in one day! And then our babies leave home, flee the nest… it can be devastating, a blessed relief or both!
Parenting can also erode our sense of ourselves as creative people. Although a labour of love, raising children can be monotonous and isolating,
...that’s why we all need to express ourselves.
Parenting Express gives a voice to parents and others who care for children. If you write creative nonfiction, poetry or fiction about your experiences of giving birth and the challenges and rewards of raising the next generation, we want to hear from you.
Anne-marie Taplin - About this website
About me
About my book
Read excerpt from The Divided Heart, Art and Motherhood on the topic of creativity and motherhood