http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/motherhood/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/PMT-alert-quick-kids-retreat-to-your-bedrooms/ You’re the worst mother in the world,” she yelled, running to her bedroom. “Well, go find another one,” I yelled back, because I’m mature like that. It had been an awful morning. The cereal was wrong, the rockmelon too hard, the floor too cold. And those were just my complaints. In that horrible way where one person’s mood dictates the others’, I’d PMTed my family. The dagger-infused hormones may have been coursing through my body, but by 7.03am, I’d infected the lot of them. “Will someone feed the damn cat,” I yelled, because that sort of tone is guaranteed to prompt one to say to the other, “Hey sis, I know you have homework – leave it to me.” penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/PMT-alert-quick-kids-retreat-to-your-bedrooms/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/PMT-alert-quick-kids-retreat-to-your-bedrooms/#item8476 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Quite often, you hear a mother say “I can’t imagine life without my kids’‘, and I’m well and truly in that camp. I can’t imagine not having their blessed, sun-shiny presence, minute-to-minute, day by day. As Mother’s Day rolls around again and women around the country prepare for their tea and toast in bed and get ready to beam when they open that candle, purple notebook or hand cream from the school stall, I find myself thinking about how motherhood has changed me - almost down to the DNA. It has certainly made me a better person. And it has made me want to keep striving to be even ‘‘better’’ for my self, the kids and other people. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/motherhood-has-changed-me-down-to-the-dna/ Quite often, you hear a mother say “I can’t imagine life without my kids’‘, and I’m well and truly in that camp. I can’t imagine not having their blessed, sun-shiny presence, minute-to-minute, day by day. As Mother’s Day rolls around again and women around the country prepare for their tea and toast in bed and get ready to beam when they open that candle, purple notebook or hand cream from the school stall, I find myself thinking about how motherhood has changed me - almost down to the DNA. It has certainly made me a better person. And it has made me want to keep striving to be even ‘‘better’’ for my self, the kids and other people. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/motherhood-has-changed-me-down-to-the-dna/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/motherhood-has-changed-me-down-to-the-dna/#item8469 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Quite often, you hear a mother say “I can’t imagine life without my kids’‘, and I’m well and truly in that camp. I can’t imagine not having their blessed, sun-shiny presence, minute-to-minute, day by day. As Mother’s Day rolls around again and women around the country prepare for their tea and toast in bed and get ready to beam when they open that candle, purple notebook or hand cream from the school stall, I find myself thinking about how motherhood has changed me - almost down to the DNA. It has certainly made me a better person. And it has made me want to keep striving to be even ‘‘better’’ for my self, the kids and other people. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/friday-dilemma-does-this-time-cover-suck/ This is the latest TIME magazine cover which hit American news stands yesterday. It’s a picture of 26 year old mum, Jamie Lynne Grumet of Los Angeles, breastfeeding her three year old son, Aram. Grumet believes breastfeeding a child this old is “biologically normal” and has posted several pictures of herself breastfeeding Aram on her blog.  It’s caused a storm in America and you can read all about that here. And check out this news.com.au story - some experts say breastfeeding up to seven years is ‘natural’. There’s plenty to say on this issue. One Puncher’s first reaction was concern for the child when he grows up and how much he’ll be teased at school. What’s your gut reaction? Eeww, or whatever? Follow The Punch on Twitter: @thepunchhq penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/friday-dilemma-does-this-time-cover-suck/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/friday-dilemma-does-this-time-cover-suck/#item8475 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Quite often, you hear a mother say “I can’t imagine life without my kids’‘, and I’m well and truly in that camp. I can’t imagine not having their blessed, sun-shiny presence, minute-to-minute, day by day. As Mother’s Day rolls around again and women around the country prepare for their tea and toast in bed and get ready to beam when they open that candle, purple notebook or hand cream from the school stall, I find myself thinking about how motherhood has changed me - almost down to the DNA. It has certainly made me a better person. And it has made me want to keep striving to be even ‘‘better’’ for my self, the kids and other people. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-mummy-wars-are-over-they-never-actually-existed/ It was the line that brokered the ceasefire of the century: “Let’s declare peace in this phony war and go back to focus on the substance.” With that simple sentence came a halt in the so-called “mummy wars” between working and non-working mothers - just as a fresh bucket of kero had been dumped on the embers this month by campaigning US politicians and their media-savvy wives. This olive branch was delivered by Democratic consultant and working mother Hilary Rosen by way of apology to Ann Romney, Republican candidate Mitt Romney’s wife and a stay-at-home mother to five. Rosen had controversially accused Mrs Romney of “not having worked a day in her life”. Naturally, an online skirmish followed, with plenty of publicity smart-bombs. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-mummy-wars-are-over-they-never-actually-existed/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-mummy-wars-are-over-they-never-actually-existed/#item8326 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Quite often, you hear a mother say “I can’t imagine life without my kids’‘, and I’m well and truly in that camp. I can’t imagine not having their blessed, sun-shiny presence, minute-to-minute, day by day. As Mother’s Day rolls around again and women around the country prepare for their tea and toast in bed and get ready to beam when they open that candle, purple notebook or hand cream from the school stall, I find myself thinking about how motherhood has changed me - almost down to the DNA. It has certainly made me a better person. And it has made me want to keep striving to be even ‘‘better’’ for my self, the kids and other people. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Mummywars-how-mothers-are-our-own-worst-enemies/ I’ve lost count of the number of media reports involving new studies about motherhood and child rearing. What’s right. What’s wrong. Not to mention the endless proclamations from celebrities and high-profile know-it-alls passing judgement at the rest of the parenting world. But instead of helping the parenting public, all these conflicting reports simply contribute to the compounding guilt, increasingly felt by parents, boht new and old. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Mummywars-how-mothers-are-our-own-worst-enemies/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Mummywars-how-mothers-are-our-own-worst-enemies/#item7503 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Quite often, you hear a mother say “I can’t imagine life without my kids’‘, and I’m well and truly in that camp. I can’t imagine not having their blessed, sun-shiny presence, minute-to-minute, day by day. As Mother’s Day rolls around again and women around the country prepare for their tea and toast in bed and get ready to beam when they open that candle, purple notebook or hand cream from the school stall, I find myself thinking about how motherhood has changed me - almost down to the DNA. It has certainly made me a better person. And it has made me want to keep striving to be even ‘‘better’’ for my self, the kids and other people. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/motherland-in-decline/ This video does not make for happy viewing. It depicts a British Mum, who quite possibly is intoxicated, and her racist rant against just about everyone else in her tram carriage. The video, taken this weekend, has sparked a nationwide debate about racism and immigration and has reportedly resulted in the woman being arrested. After this year’s London riots, it is hardly the video the English needed the world to see. London’s Olympic organisers probably won’t be too chuffed either. But mostly, we feel sorry for the kid on her lap. What kind of life can he look forward to? penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/motherland-in-decline/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/motherland-in-decline/#item7263 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Quite often, you hear a mother say “I can’t imagine life without my kids’‘, and I’m well and truly in that camp. I can’t imagine not having their blessed, sun-shiny presence, minute-to-minute, day by day. As Mother’s Day rolls around again and women around the country prepare for their tea and toast in bed and get ready to beam when they open that candle, purple notebook or hand cream from the school stall, I find myself thinking about how motherhood has changed me - almost down to the DNA. It has certainly made me a better person. And it has made me want to keep striving to be even ‘‘better’’ for my self, the kids and other people. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/smug-mums-dont-overthink-gender/ Without me even knowing it, I’ve become a member of a club. It’s a pretty exclusive society with celebs such as Demi Moore and Nicole Kidman among its patrons. Victoria Beckham was recently accepted after years of trying for membership. Beyoncé is on the waiting list. Apparently I’m a SMOG – a Smug Mother of Girls. We’re quite the trending topic on the internet after doctors reported an increase in women wanting a girl. Add to that a dubious survey that claims two-daughter families are the most harmonious and I’m starting to look like a stuck-up cow. Especially when DMOBs (Defensive Mothers of Boys) reckon SMOGs are judgmental of their boys’ behaviour. “I know too many mothers of girls,” sniffs one blogger, “who truly believe that boys are unpleasant, noisy, smelly creatures who take the look off the place and get in the way.” penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/smug-mums-dont-overthink-gender/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/smug-mums-dont-overthink-gender/#item7188 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Quite often, you hear a mother say “I can’t imagine life without my kids’‘, and I’m well and truly in that camp. I can’t imagine not having their blessed, sun-shiny presence, minute-to-minute, day by day. As Mother’s Day rolls around again and women around the country prepare for their tea and toast in bed and get ready to beam when they open that candle, purple notebook or hand cream from the school stall, I find myself thinking about how motherhood has changed me - almost down to the DNA. It has certainly made me a better person. And it has made me want to keep striving to be even ‘‘better’’ for my self, the kids and other people. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-invisible-woman/ Every woman hits a time in her life when she suddenly becomes invisible. I am at that age.  Except yesterday. I was walking down the street, not looking like a mum for a change, and a young guy wearing too much aftershave stopped talking to his mate as he watched me approach and pass him by.  It was sort of flattering: that I can still stop a conversation and even more flattering knowing that they weren’t drunk. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-invisible-woman/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-invisible-woman/#item6175 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Quite often, you hear a mother say “I can’t imagine life without my kids’‘, and I’m well and truly in that camp. I can’t imagine not having their blessed, sun-shiny presence, minute-to-minute, day by day. As Mother’s Day rolls around again and women around the country prepare for their tea and toast in bed and get ready to beam when they open that candle, purple notebook or hand cream from the school stall, I find myself thinking about how motherhood has changed me - almost down to the DNA. It has certainly made me a better person. And it has made me want to keep striving to be even ‘‘better’’ for my self, the kids and other people. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-mum-equation-taks-multiplied/ Recently, I went back to school for a maths lesson. It was sold as an opportunity to understand the new methods on the curriculum – and wine was promised. But, really, it was detention for those of us guilty of confusing our kids with vertical algorithms. If you still think the way to work out 81 x 26 is to stick one above the other, draw a line underneath, then multiply, well, sorry, it’s a big red cross for you. Because in this modern era of mental computation (fancy Gen Z term for guessing), it’s all “the jump method”, “the split method” and something called “counting on”. Anyway, emboldened with my new maths and a couple of glasses of Shiraz (technically, three, if you’re applying the stumble, I mean, jump method), I came home and tried to solve my own equation. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-mum-equation-taks-multiplied/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-mum-equation-taks-multiplied/#item6148 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Quite often, you hear a mother say “I can’t imagine life without my kids’‘, and I’m well and truly in that camp. I can’t imagine not having their blessed, sun-shiny presence, minute-to-minute, day by day. As Mother’s Day rolls around again and women around the country prepare for their tea and toast in bed and get ready to beam when they open that candle, purple notebook or hand cream from the school stall, I find myself thinking about how motherhood has changed me - almost down to the DNA. It has certainly made me a better person. And it has made me want to keep striving to be even ‘‘better’’ for my self, the kids and other people. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-best-authority-on-breastfeeding-is-you/ How can a new, first-time parent feel any sort of confidence?  Seriously, after being told time and time again that exclusive breastfeeding until six months of age is the best thing for our babies’ health, we now hear that maybe those recommendations are putting children at risk of other health worries. Just maybe.  If you’ve recently had a baby, you know the pressure to breastfeed. The stress placed on new mums to get their babies on the boob, and keep them there until they are at least six months of age, can be pretty overwhelming in those first few months.  Especially if breastfeeding is not going so well for you. In fact, the pressure is so great that most new mums either persevere, or give up and are wracked with guilt. So when stories like these are released questioning the advice we are given in those early weeks of parenthood, we’re left wondering who and what are we meant to listen to? Especially when the official government response is they will review the national breastfeeding guidelines later this year. Great! What if your baby is past that stage by then? What if you have a seemingly hungry four-month-old baby now, and want to know what to do? penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-best-authority-on-breastfeeding-is-you/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-best-authority-on-breastfeeding-is-you/#item6042 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Quite often, you hear a mother say “I can’t imagine life without my kids’‘, and I’m well and truly in that camp. I can’t imagine not having their blessed, sun-shiny presence, minute-to-minute, day by day. As Mother’s Day rolls around again and women around the country prepare for their tea and toast in bed and get ready to beam when they open that candle, purple notebook or hand cream from the school stall, I find myself thinking about how motherhood has changed me - almost down to the DNA. It has certainly made me a better person. And it has made me want to keep striving to be even ‘‘better’’ for my self, the kids and other people.