I wrote this last year and was unsure about publishing, but have decided to do so one year on... After being in Malaysia for 364 days (residency rules) I was determined to travel with my then three-year-old to other parts of Southeast Asia before heading back to the U.K. I adore Vietnam and my
I am now convinced I cannot take my eye off my daughter for even a short time. We picnicked with friends in Hyde Park, then went to the Princess Diana Memorial playground in the corner. Initially, either me or a friend kept a keen eye on Daisy as she was playing with water and I was a
When I was growing up, my Mum was a stay-at-home Mum. It was quite the norm back then, but never something I saw myself doing. As I started to think about the possibility of kids, I thought it would be great to have a parent at home and thought perhaps I would find a
Are men lazy or have things changed? Why do I say that? From my recent experiences as I started to dabble in the world of dating again... Shouldn't men make an effort? At least to start with?First of all, I don't have much time as a single mum, in full-time employment, but secondly, as I grew
I don't know if there is meant to be a certain age for getting rid of a dummy... Maybe there is; I went along with what was gut feeling. It wasn't easy, as we had a nanny who didn't seem to want to play along, but I got there in the end- with the help of
A few days ago, one of the babysitters I have employed a handful of times messaged requesting a reference. She had a good way with my daughter but I was mega busy. I did say I would try and do it at the weekend, though. (In fact as she was due to come that
"I need a holiday." How many times do we say that? If you're lucky, you're due a holiday and you'll be able to rest and recuperate. But can you do that if you've got a little one? As a single Mum it was hard in the early days, but now I wouldn't think twice before
Why oh why did I go along with the Santa thing? I am now beginning to regret it. After all, what’s wrong with celebrating Christmas and Mummy buying the presents with her hard-earned money? I can hardly now be the one to tell my daughter he's not real, can I? Don't get me wrong, I
Holiday pool - day one: My daughter, Daisy, took her toys down to the hotel pool and lots of children (who she didn't know) wanted to play with them. On seeing the colourful toys they (generally) made an effort to find be out whose they were and communicated they wanted to play. They asked;
Things I will miss:The friends we've made:My neighbours and their children-Daisy's playmates. My neighbours are friendly and wonderfully helpful. In the evenings we shared quality time at the playground. Daisy learned the art of riding a bike (with stabilisers) and sharing ( sometimes). After the nannies left, my friend and neighbour took Daisy to nursery
“Keep your paddle close to the boat!” “Pull!” “Lean forward!” “Timing!” These are some of the things our dragon boat team leader shouts down the boat; I often think it's directed at me. Maybe it is, well especially last time I went to practice. I really enjoy dragon boating, it's a good workout, there's some
What to pack for airplane-travel with a toddler: coming to Malaysia we were moving house: so I brought 7 bags!! I am not sure how I managed with my two-year-old, changing flights twice, but I did. I will not do it again in a hurry, mind, so here's what I would recommend for a
