Behind Mummy's Smile: Recent Episodes
Amy Prewett
Getting your head around your child being at school is one thing. Then, it is all about the extra-curricular activities . Who is doing what club, when, where - how much?! Multiple places to be at the same time and do they really want to be there or is it to ease your guilt that your child should be doing something?
Back to school, back to being on the dodgy hamster wheel. Life - work balance is harder than ever with many new adjustments after a hot summer. Mum guilt and feeling like an utter failure most of the time, life of a working school Mum.
How open and honest are you with your children? How much should we be protecting them from what is happening in the world? As our children grow, the challenges of parenthood change. We have to be mindful of how to protect them from things that are beyond our control.
Long gone are the blissful lie ins and being able to leave the house with nothing within a moment's notice. Yes, we have embarked on a life-changing journey together and yes, it is bloody challenging, but we do have a laugh along the way - even if it is just at ourselves.
I'm back and in the middle of the summer holidays. They may be talking heatwaves and droughts in the news, but I'm focused on trying to keep food in my fridge and cupboards long enough to make it through the day.
Taking care of yourself is as important as looking after others around you. Finding the time or remembering to do this can be easier said then done. Trying to break the habit of the never ending cycle of being on the hamster wheel.
Welcoming Daisy back, we talk together about skin colour. By educating ourselves, we can better support our children and encourage them to be accepting of any race, faith or just another human being.
This episode shares the story about my beautiful friend Kelly's first pregnancy in dealing with a very preterm baby. There are tears and the realisation of not being able to prepare for the unexpected.
Struggling between home and work life, as there never seems to be the right balance. Never enough hours in the day, always feeling like there is more you should be doing and not good at anything. Wish I could magic more time.
Asking for help is the most difficult part. Then it's about making sure you get the right support, which can come from anywhere.
Just when you think you've got it all figured out, you have a threenager on your hands. The terrible twos usually starts before they are two and there always seems to be some new regression to take everything right back to the start. Then...they smile at you or tell you they love you. It makes it all worth it.
Birthdays and many other celebrations bring along new stresses. The fear of ruining their special day can be overwhelming, even though they would be happy with the bare minimum. Tell me this gets easier the older they get.
The good, the bad and the ugly sides all come out when you are sleep deprived. Caffeine and sugar become your new best friends to keep you going. Nothing can prepare you for those sleepless nights.
Introducing my first guest...Daisy! Together we talk about starting school, juggling work and life commitments. There are always going to be times when one of the balls drop. You pick that up and another one comes crashing down. And so the cycle continues.
When becoming a Mum yourself, you feel like you want your own Mum. But what happens when she isn't there when you really need her? You realise you are stronger than you think. As painful as it is, I open up about the difficult relationship between my Mum and me.
When days merge into one and the thought of actually going outside can seem daunting, you are wrapped in your new baby bubble. Leaving the house becomes a military operation. What do I bring? Where should I go? When you eventually leave, you realise that you have thought everything baby related, yet completely forgotten about yourself.
As if you were prepared for having more than one baby to look after. You quickly realise how much you have forgotten about having a newborn. Pressure to breastfeed, pressure to deal with the unexpected, pressure of being a mum of two.
Our bodies are amazing. The sacrifices we make to create and bring life into this weird and wonderful world.
Being a Mum is tough, no matter who you are. Everyone has a story. This is the start of mine.
Supporting mental well-being at whichever stage of motherhood by sharing different stories and advice