Summer reissue: A tape recording in a brown paper bag recently landed in Emily Writes’ letterbox. After thoroughly disinfecting it she was shocked to discover what it contained. First published April 10, 2020. Today was a normal day, day 8,271 of the lockdown, and I saw there was a parcel in the letterbox. Knowing a … Read more
‘I know you don’t need me any more and I’m happy with that. It’s the way it should be.’ Before you were born, I took a photo of the beach where we lived – this is a long time ago, more than a lifetime for you of course, and buying a first home near the … Read more
It’s a New Zealand institution – one that Emily Writes wanted no part of. So no one was more surprised than her when a family getaway to the local Top 10 turned out to be kinda blissful. About 15 years or so ago, my husband and I were planning a holiday. I am of the … Read more
A new study of NZ children has found no link between birth type and test scores. That’s no surprise, says Emily Writes, so why do many new mums still have to put up with being judged? While pregnant with my first baby and attending antenatal classes, I was introduced to a new fear – the … Read more
Halloween is just around the corner. If you’re a parent looking for spooky activities to entertain your beastly offspring, Emily Writes has got your back. What to do for Halloween during a global pandemic? It’s a question few parents care about or are asking, but I’m on deadline and so here we are. If you’ve … Read more
The new sexuality education guidelines aim to teach kids about healthy relationships – and what sort of parent wouldn’t welcome that? On Tuesday, new sexuality education guidelines were introduced in New Zealand schools. The long-awaited changes include a greater focus on consent, gender and pornography. These guidelines have been years in the making and parents … Read more
Stuck for ideas this Father’s Day? Amanda Thompson rounds up a small sample of the best gifts (plus jokes!) for the dad in your life. Dads are great, they’re nice to have around. Or so I’ve heard. I’ve always been a bit vague on the finer points of having a dad since mine was more … Read more
It’s a podcast almost four years in the making on a topic ‘shrouded in silence’. Emily Writes speaks to Susie Ferguson about The Unthinkable. Susie Ferguson is talking about something I desperately don’t want to talk about. Baby death or stillbirth is a heart-breaking subject that many of us instinctively turn away from. Ferguson didn’t … Read more
In the sixth part of a series sharing the stories of families learning from home during lockdown, Arihia Latham reflects on the life lessons her daughters will take into a new future. This month we acknowledged te wā o Matariki me Pūanga, the Māori new year. It’s been a year huh. I have heard people … Read more
A group of mothers, personal trainers, and physiotherapists have joined together to try to address New Zealand’s lack of post-birth care. Here’s why. In the year ending March 2020, 59,238 people gave birth. Many of them (more than you’d think) will suffer from urinary incontinence and vaginal prolapse. When you give birth you roll the … Read more
In our RNZ podcast Conversations With My Immigrant Parents, immigrant whānau across New Zealand have frank conversations about ancestry, love, expectation, acceptance – and food. We asked immigrant kids to listen to the podcast and share with us their responses. Last year, we had the immense privilege of making the first season of our podcast … Read more
Of the huge funding boost coming for early childhood education, Playcentre has been left with just the crumbs, writes Kate Barber. Amid all the celebration of the $430m funding boost for early childhood education (ECE) announced in this year’s budget, little attention was paid to the plight of Playcentre. The organisation has been earmarked just … Read more
In the fifth part of a new series that shares the stories of families learning from home during lockdown, Emily Writes puts faith in her community as her son returns to school. He knew school would be opening the following week and we’re not quite sure how. Maybe the excitement and anxiety of the neighbourhood’s … Read more
Simon Day shares some lessons from his first three months as a dad. When my twin boys were born on Boxing Day 2019, Corona was still just a beer. The first 12 weeks with our boys felt like a lifetime, and after seven weeks of lockdown, those first 12 weeks now feel like a lifetime … Read more
In the fourth part of a new series sharing the stories of families learning from home during lockdown, Tamsyn Matchett discovers a new importance in being kind. As a parent, I frequently find myself talking to my daughter about kindness. I bet it’s a common feature of most parents’ vernacular. It’s a pretty straightforward concept: … Read more
Mother’s Day is just around the corner and this year it will be different – no, not because of the pandemic, but because Emily Writes has created a gift guide for you. This Mother’s Day will be a Mother’s Day like no other. We’re in the midst of a global pandemic and if you’re a … Read more
In the third part of a new series sharing the stories of families learning from home during lockdown, Jessie Moss observes her daughters learning at each step of their lockdown journey. As Covid-19 began to sweep the world, our family started looking for a new house. We finally moved on March 20 and a few … Read more
Today, on International Day of the Midwife (May 5), midwives share what it’s like working through a pandemic. As you read this new lives will be delivered into the world. Not just new babies, but new parents too. For those women birthing, this might be the most powerful and strong, scared and overwhelmed, vulnerable and … Read more
In the second part of a new series sharing the stories of families learning from home during lockdown, Charles Anderson tries to impose some order on his household and learns that disorder is OK too. It was somewhere between week two and three of level four lockdown when Ivie Anderson, aged 5, began to have … Read more
Separated from her nine year old daughter in Hungary, Daisy Coles is finding solace in video calling – and Disney gifs. Two months after I last saw her, I’m still finding my daughter’s drawings around the house. Precise line drawings of squirrels, lions, foxes in her signature style: thoughtfully considered, executed with an exquisitely sharp … Read more
In the first part of a new series sharing the stories of families learning from home during lockdown, Emily Writes watches her sons hold on to connections in isolation. I think when I look back on this time as a parent one of the things that will stick with me is my seven-year-old son desperately … Read more
At the beginning of the level four lockdown Emily Writes spoke to children across the country about how they were feeling and what advice they might have for grown-ups. Almost four weeks on, she checked in to see how they were doing. The day we went into lockdown I decided to have a chat to … Read more
This week, as a treat for tired parents, we’re sharing a small sample of the Emily Writes Weekly newsletter free. Emily Writes Weekly comes out every Thursday at 7pm. This week’s edition included – along with tips about Quibi and Emily’s fan mail of the week segment – ideas for home learning for parents. It … Read more
Parents who have had it drilled into them that their under-10s will fall behind if they don’t homeschool all day are stressing out. There’s absolutely no need to, and teachers agree. Today marks a return to school for most primary school kids in New Zealand, except that they won’t be returning anywhere. It’s groundhog day … Read more
A tape recording in a brown paper bag recently landed in Emily Writes’ letterbox. After thoroughly disinfecting it she was shocked to discover what it contained. Today was a normal day, day 8,271 of the lockdown, and I saw there was a parcel in the letterbox. Knowing a trip to the letterbox would be the … Read more
With the nation in lockdown and schools closed, many parents will be looking for ways to keep educating their children. Amee Parker is in her final year of a PhD looking at homeschooling, and she has some advice. As a nation we are now forced, out of necessity, to stay in our homes. For those … Read more
Emily Writes talks to teenagers about how the level four restrictions are affecting them, and asks how they can be better supported. There are unfortunately so many terrible stereotypes about teenagers, but Gen Z might just be our most resilient generation yet. Struggling through feelings of helplessness around climate change, they started a movement to make … Read more
Tips on how television can help educate your kids, for parents who have to keep working. It feels as if a great many parents are simply flourishing during this lockdown with fairy gardens, bird song and mason jars, daily bongo drum dancing and essays written by three-year-old prodigies about how satisfying it is to be … Read more
Emily Writes speaks to children throughout the country about how they’re feeling right now and what advice they might have for grown-ups. The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this work, join The Spinoff Members here. About one third of New Zealand households have children. And today those … Read more