Yesterday the Green Party announced a major policy platform aimed at parents and children in New Zealand. In her own words, Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei explains the Budget for All Mothers. All Kiwi kids deserve the best great start in life, right? And what better country to raise kids: we are blessed with a … Read more
How do we teach our children that their body is their body when there are times we just need them to comply with us so that we can keep their body safe? Laura Borrowdale finds there’s no easy answer – but it’s a discussion we need to have. One of my mother’s key pieces of … Read more
A mother writes about surviving and escaping an emotionally abusive relationship, to encourage others to find help should they need it. Content warning: This post describes an emotionally violent and manipulative relationship. If you are in an abusive relationship, help is available. The 0800 Family Violence Information Line (0800 456 450) provides self-help information and … Read more
Mum of three and clinical psychologist Holly Coombes has some tips for all parents about supporting children through anxiety. One of the hardest things as a parent can be to see your child struggling, and not know what to do. Parenting a child with anxiety can take this to the next level. You want to … Read more
At The Spinoff Parents we are committed to publishing stories of parents who have struggled with poor mental health in the hopes that others will see they’re not alone and we can break the stigma of mental illness in parenting. Here Kelsie Moroney shares her story of overcoming PTSD after a traumatic birth. Content warning: This post contains … Read more
Like a lot of mothers, Juliet Speedy was often told that the baby years would be the best years of her life. She’s not convinced. There’s this spot at our small, local mall that I used to frequent. It was a bench seat opposite the supermarket and outside that supermarket is a climb-on Bob the Builder toy. … Read more
What does Mother’s Day mean to you? What do you love about being a mum? Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes asked a bunch of mums to tell us what their life is like. The time is here for Mother’s Day content. In the hopes of finding you some quality out-of-the-mouths-of-babes content I asked my four-year-old … Read more
Josh Wharehinga is a father of six and Gisborne District Councillor, Tairāwhiti Health and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa board member. Last week he wrote about his mother on his blog and, for Mother’s Day, we’re republishing it on The Spinoff Parents. I talk a lot. All the time. I talk about what it was like … Read more
Forget the floral hand lotion, the pointless kitchen gadget, the bunch of crappy supermarket flowers. Emily Writes has a few things that would really make her day on Sunday. Mother’s Day! Every store in the land has shop fronts full of shit to buy your mum (and some not shit – like my book, which … Read more
Mother’s Day is a time for sleep-ins and massages and home-made cards for a lot of parents. But for one group of parents it’s an especially painful time. Tessa Prebble writes about being a mother on Mother’s Day when your child has died. When I was pregnant with my daughter a friend lent me their … Read more
After being told I’m so incredibly, breathtakingly lucky that my husband watches our children when I have to travel for work, this post by Brannavan Gnanalingam was like the first pinot gris after a very long day. I too long for a day when we are all allowed to be incompetent as parents. Bring it … Read more
May is Postnatal Depression Awareness Month. We’ll be sharing stories by mothers around New Zealand about their journeys with postnatal depression. If you need help, there is help. Please ask for help, because you matter. Content warning: This post contains a descriptions of mental illness. It may be upsetting to people who are struggling with … Read more
Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes has noticed a lot of parents online are really upset, often with each other. Here she shares some ideas to make the village a little less hostile and a little more kind. For the last two years (at least) I’ve been pretty fully immersed in the world of parents talking … Read more
In The Night Garden is the creepiest kids show on TV. Every parent knows it. Angela Cuming digs deep to find out who invented this terrible and annoying show that children all over the world adore. “That is the creepiest fucking show. My kids love it but it is creepy as fuck.” That was my … Read more
What does the evidence really say about breast-feeding and bottle feeding? And how should we apply that evidence to our own parenting? Dr Jess is on the case. It was during a breastfeeding class that the terrible “incident” occurred. As I was attempting to get back into my seat after the 10th wee break, I … Read more
It’s harder to be a teenager today than ever before. So how can you as a parent help? By continuing to show up and support your teen, even when they seem hellbent on pushing you away, says Louisa Woods. It’s the most common reaction I get when I tell someone I work with teenagers: ‘I … Read more
The excitement then the pain that follows – the experience of miscarriage has devastated many families. Rebecca Lewis sheds light on the private sadness that many families suffer in silence. Content warning: Rebecca Lewis talks about her experience of miscarriage in this post. If you have suffered a miscarriage this post may be upsetting for you. … Read more
Would witnessing terminations change your view on abortion? Student midwife Lucy Kelly explains how an abortion clinic placement made her rethink her assumptions about women who end their pregnancies. Every single day of my work and study involves seeing new life, and celebrating new life with families. My studies, my degree, my career, and my purpose … Read more
What’s your fantasy? The Spinoff Parents Editor Emily Writes guesses the fantasies of sleep deprived parents and lays it out for some night-time reading. A week ago, while discussing writing in a writers group, I was reminded of the majesty of the prose in 50 Shades of Grey. I’ve read the first two books and … Read more
Angela Cuming gave birth to twins in Northern Ireland, under the British National Health Service. She reflects on the difference of care she received there compared to her oldest child’s birth in New Zealand. When my identical twin boys were born via c-section the doctors had me walk, crying and in pain, into the operating … Read more
Did you know competitive stroller running was a thing? Runner and dad Chris Ingham talks to marathoner Mike Wardian about how to make running with a baby better for both of you. I used to be a bit of a runner back in the day: I even came second in my school’s cross country in … Read more
Shaun Robinson, the head of the NZ Mental Health Foundation, suggests 13 ways you can start a conversation with young people about the issues raised by the controversial hit show. Content warning: This post contains discussions of mental health and suicide. It seems like everyone is talking about 13 Reasons Why. Some people find it … Read more
Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes has a message for parents whose kids don’t sleep: don’t fall into the same traps she did. There’s heaps of advice out there, and she took all of it. But did any of it work? Let me start by saying I’ve tried every single thing possible to get my children … Read more
It’s the TV show that every teenager is watching – and it features graphic scenes of rape and suicide. We asked an Auckland teenager to share her views on controversial new series 13 Reasons Why and what she wants parents to know about its content. Content warning: This post contains discussions of mental health and … Read more
Should we stop using the term ‘special needs’? Spinoff Parents columnist and advocate for children with disabilities Tessa Prebble looks at a new campaign to retire the phrase, launched to mark World Down Syndrome Day. In the world of social justice, language is important. I consider myself fairly woke, or if I’m honest, in a continuous … Read more
Cassia Mor talks to women about sex after babies – the good, the bad and the in-between. I talked to 10 women about sex after childbirth and the differences in their responses were quite amazing. It became clear that for these women – like me – so many factors came into play in their journey back … Read more
Jessica Hammond Doube’s daughters are at risk at every playdate, every time they go to a restaurant or cafe, and at school every day. And at Easter, the risks posed by their severe food allergies are even more pronounced. Here Jessica writes about how allergies affect her family’s life, and what she wishes other parents … Read more
Daniel Campbell’s daughter was born 11 weeks premature. Here he shares the experience and tells how you can support other parents whose children arrive early. It was May. Our baby was due in August and we were looking forward to starting antenatal classes the following week. Our very first baby, an exciting time. We were … Read more
On Monday we published a piece in which midwives spoke out. They talked about how exhausted they are, how they’re underpaid and overworked and underappreciated. Today we share the responses we received from politicians, and from NZ’s main midwives organisation. Following Monday’s story, we heard again and again from readers who were shocked by the … Read more