I have three boys. They are aged between 13 and five. I spend vast amounts of time worrying about them. Boys, we are told continuously, are going through a hard time. They are not doing as well at school in certain subjects as girls. They spend their teenage years feeling disaffected. They tend towards nihilism [...]

Just less than a year ago, I got a call from a researcher at the BBC. She explained to me that they were making a program about The British Family focusing on four areas; marriage, sex, money and children. She asked me if myself and my family would like to feature in the fourth part [...]

Every year, without fail, I decide that we will make our own Christmas cards and possibly even decorations. As the children come home from school crowing about how, in class, they cut out snowflakes and sprayed glitter over stenciled reindeers and hung up crepe paper angels, I resolve to do the same. Surely nothing is [...]

This is what happens in my household of a morning. My alarm goes off at 7am. I get up, rush around, sort out my children’s school uniform (which I have washed and dried the night before, staying up past 11pm to put the final lot in the drier). I get the children up - I [...]

What is the effect of changing a person’s name? This is something that has, apparently, become more common. It is also something I am thinking of doing. I have called my daughter Ottoline but, in truth, she doesn’t seem to be an Ottoline at all. I am not exactly sure what she is, but she [...]

We are standing on the top of Winter Hill, admiring the view down to Marlow and the River Thames, when it all kicks off. I have with me seven children – I have my next-door neighbour’s kids -  and the dog. I have taken them to this local beauty spot so they can run around [...]

What to believe now? I have read so much research recently about being fat versus being thin, I have virtually lost weight just fretting over it. One report earlier on in the week clamed that every woman had at least two fat friends. How on earth did they work that one out? We all have [...]

I am at my friend’s house for a few days. It’s the most beautiful place – relaxed, fun, everything I feel I need. Sometimes we all need a break. It’s a really hard thing to give yourself, a break. Don’t we all assume we can’t have one or don’t deserve one? Mothers spend their life [...]

My third son is now obsessed with being an ‘indigo child’. He does things deliberately I think, just to get some kudos. The other day, my husband went to have a shower and found DS3 in there.
‘I didn’t know you were having a shower?’ my husband said.
‘I’m not,’ said DS3. ‘I’m just counting to six [...]

Is this ever going to stop? This is what I ask myself every day. Is the endless round of doing everything - from walking the dog at 6.30am (now I have to do it with a bleedin’ torch), to getting the kids off to school, to getting my baby daughter out of nappies, to feeding [...]