MotherMind - Mums and Mental Health

and how to introduce the concept to your kids by EK Wills © acrylic of Bondi Beach by EK Wills This holiday period has been a mixture of good times and learning experiences. Our friends visited from overseas after not having seen them for many years and all of our kids got along famously plus Sydney did not disappoint with scorching temperatures set to sizzle a tourist and Aussie alike. But both of these occurrences provided opportunity to learn about the often taboo topic of mortality. Firstly, our visitors openly discussed the recent treatment for breast cancer of our close friend. She is unusually practical and grounded so able to talk freely about her experience. During the whole ordeal, they had openly involved their 12 and 13 year old girls in the process so they knew what was happening and what their mother was experiencing. When she lost her hair due...

By EK Wills It all started with ‘What they definitely wont teach you at pregnancy school’, an article in the Sydney Morning Herald by Bronwyn Prior  and was reinforced by a diary that my MIL gave me after my first baby was born. It was called A Mother’s Companion: A Comforting Guide to the Early Years of Motherhood by author Tracy Marsh of Tracy Marsh Publications since 1983 (ISBN 9781885171597 ) and is an i llustrated book that ‘addresses the changes that  mothers  experience once their baby is born ’. My first reference books were: 1. Baby & Child From Birth to Age Five By British psychologist Penelope Leach , first published 1977, now revised as Your Baby & Child   described as the ‘ much-loved, trusted, and comprehensive classic—an international best seller for twenty-five years ’ and 2. What Mothers Do Especially when it looks like nothing (ISBN 9781585425914) ‘Instead of preaching  what mothers  ought to...

What Everyone Must Know About Treating Head Lice By EK Wills Kids are like cats. When the warm season hits, they need to be checked for ‘crawlies’. Cats get monthy prophylactic flea treatments so should your child have the same for head lice? And what should you use when there are so many products on the market and many of them toxic? Our family had a recent scare when a hairdresser told me that the girls had eggs so therefore were infested. I immediately went home and checked with a fine-toothed comb and conditioner to paralyse the mites. I found nothing but it sparked a conversation online about whether eggs exist without a parent host to be found and how to treat head lice. We have traditionally used conditioner and combing (so called wet-combing) to deal with infestations. Initially, we do this on a daily basis and follow up weekly for a few times to make sure newly hatched lice do not spread thei...

- Goals For This Year by EK Wills We all know the spiel: reflect at this time of year and think about what we want to improve for next year. Many of us have also experienced the initial surge of enthusiasm, followed by a burst of energy, only to watch as it dwindle like a candle after a few weeks at best.   © NYE    If you recently read my motivation blog, you may have started to work out what it is that drives you. This will give you direction towards setting goals for this year. Or maybe it’s time to revisit this as the year draws to a close. The idea of goals is to set specific targets to help you get where you want to be. You could have complex plans like starting a business, which require specific goals like researching the competition and establishing whether the market can sustain another competitor. Or, if you are a parent, you could have more intimate motivations like helping your bab...