Children are sponges, they say. So why, asks Emily Holdaway, won’t radio give some thought to the kids who are adopting the incorrect pronunciation they hear on a daily basis? I stand in the kitchen, doing the dishes. I can hear Mum reading to Ziggy in the lounge. She’s reading to him the story of … Read more
Founder of New Zealand’s first Women’s Fund, Dellwyn Stuart, reflects on the gifts we give when we support other women. I blame my mother. Repeatedly, in a strong clear and insistent voice, she told me ‘girls can do anything’. This was the mantra of my generation who grew up in the 70s with mothers who could … Read more
On Mother’s Day it’s important to recognise all mothers – and to consider the way we talk about those mothers who bear the brunt of stigma around poverty and income inequality, writes KidsCan’s Julie Chapman. It’s Mother’s Day, when our glossy magazines are overflowing with flawless images of Kiwi celebrities paying tribute to their mums, and the … Read more
No, there is nothing cute or funny about mums spending Mother’s Day doing the housework, writes Angela Cuming. Between Damien Grant and Mark Richardson, you’d think there be little left for the mainstream media to do that belittles and demeans women and mothers but never underestimate the power of a click-hungry news editor, especially in … Read more
Mother’s Day is on Sunday. If you have a mother in your life, or you know a mother, The Spinoff Parents has crowd-sourced a list of shit mums really want. Gosh mothers are lucky. They get one day a year where they get treated nicely for a few hours. Mother’s Day! Hurrah! Are you wondering … Read more
High school teacher Amy Paulussen says that paying part-time teachers less for equivalent work than their full-time counterparts is evidence of how the gender pay gap has sneaked into the state sector. I recently returned to teaching. I’m not going to lie, with all the teacher-shortage and work-load-untenable news stories, I was daunted. And I’ve … Read more
For many, Mother’s Day isn’t a day of celebration. Here, a mother explains why she finds Mother’s Day so tough. Every year it rolls around and my anxiety increases. The countdown begins, mailers and emails are full of “Love Your Mother” sentiments. All over social media people celebrate their mothers. If they’re mothers themselves they’ll … Read more
Mike Hosking argues that kindy teachers don’t deserve to be paid like high school teachers. But does he have any idea what an early childhood educator actually does? So, it seems a bit redundant to write a piece about Mike Hosking’s latest “Mike’s Minute” or whatever it is he actually does. It’s all just grist … Read more
It’s getting cold and, errrr, winter is coming. As part of our budgeting series brought to you by the awesome folks at Flick Electric, here’s everything you need to know about keeping your family warm. These tips from New Zealand parents have been curated by Emily Writes, editor of The Spinoff Parents. It’s freezing. I … Read more
Calls for adequate funding for New Zealand’s midwives have led to discussions about how best to support pregnant people and their whānau through birth and beyond. Hinerangi Rhind-Wiri from Māori public health organisation Hāpai Te Hauora asks if we are considering the distinct and important needs of Māori midwives and whānau alike. Midwives’ call to action for pay … Read more
High school teacher, counsellor, and mother of three Louisa Woods considers the way we talk about teachers and teenagers in light of the latest ‘school scandal’ which was anything but. In my time as an English teacher I’ve used I don’t know how many texts. Some have been classics, the ones you’d expect: Othello, To … Read more
Today, the Sunday before Mother’s Day, is recognised by some as ‘Birth Mother’s Day’. Here a mother writes in celebration of the woman who gave birth to her son. Dear mother of our son, I am sorry that we forget you, that we overlook you in our rush. We prepare lunches, pack bags, get to … Read more
Midwives around New Zealand marched today, protesting pay rates and working conditions across the industry. Don Rowe joined the march up Auckland’s main street. New Zealand midwives and their supporters marched in cities around the country today, calling for urgent adjustments to what they say is an outrageously low pay scale, which can in some … Read more
Kristen Joiner reflects on what she wants her teenage sons to know about life in this new world they’re growing up in. It’s 2018. Thank God. From Donald Trump comparing the size of his button with Kim Jong-un’s, to Harvey Weinstein and #MeToo, 2017 was a doozy of a year. Hopefully it will turn out to … Read more
Juliet Speedy knows the importance of a close group of mama friends. Here she talks about the feeling we’ve surely all had: The Mummy Crush. A whole new world of friendship opens up when you have kids. A pretty bloody amazing one. One fabulous part of becoming a mum is how quickly you can make … Read more
Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes reflects on the death of a family member and what it means to be a mother. The school holidays have flown by in a blur. Attempts to work felt like I was just barely keeping my head above water. I dropped many balls – but managed to keep some in … Read more
Setting a budget and sticking to it is really hard and The Spinoff Parents regularly gets asked to pull together budget tips that real parents use. Here are the best crowd-sourced tips from parents in New Zealand. We’ve tried to split this series into parts – because we were sent so many tips. This week we’ve compiled … Read more
In response to recent comments defending the cruelty of benefit sanctions for mothers, Dr Rebekah Graham brings us the case of Anna, a young mother whose benefit sanction made an already difficult situation worse. After the birth of her baby, Anna went to Work and Income for assistance with food provision. However, once there, the … Read more
To mark Anzac Day, we asked #ArmyWife Greer Berry to share with us the ups and downs of being married to a person in the New Zealand Defence Force. Google “army wives” and images of delicious looking women with fresh hair and plump breasts will appear, one perfectly manicured hand saluting their husband with the … Read more
Dwayne The Rock Johnson welcomed his third daughter into the world today. Having read his Instagram post about the birth, Dwayne The Rock Johnson’s number one fan Emily Writes is now recovering in hospital after an ovary explosion. From her death bed, and with the assistance of her group-chat sisters Becka, Tamsyn, Gem and Vanessa, she … Read more
Patsy Holt’s granddaughter may be tiny like a mouse but she has the courage of a lion – and she’s the reason the 73-year-old grandmother is running her first ever marathon. As part of our series celebrating the amazing things young New Zealanders do every day, brought to you by our friends at Flick, Angela … Read more
The thought of their teenage kids watching porn is an uncomfortable one for many parents. But as teenager expert Louisa Woods explains, it’s probably not a cause for alarm. If you think your teen has never or is never going to access porn, you must be living under a rock and keeping them captive with … Read more
When a supermarket in Marton announced it would offer special shopping sessions for adults and children with autism or sensory processing issues, families around New Zealand rejoiced. Alexandra Saunders shares why it means so much. News came today that Marton Countdown is offering an hour of quiet, every week from 3-4pm on Wednesdays. Designed to … Read more
Many Spinoff Parents readers have asked how to make a submission on abortion law reform in New Zealand. We asked national president of ALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa Terry Bellamak to write a guide for us. During the election campaign last year Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised to reform New Zealand’s abortion laws. Her government appears … Read more
In the second instalment of our new advice column Is it Normal? – a place for parents to ask experts the questions they Google at 2am – a nutritionist advises the parent of a very fussy eater. Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes: Since Is it Normal’s debut last week your questions have rolled in and … Read more
Mum of two Emily Holdaway doesn’t sleep much, but she says she is thriving. Here’s her secret. It’s been two and a half years since our first child was born. Two and a half years since I’ve had a full night sleep. If you had told me this before motherhood I would have laughed at … Read more
Adam Mamo knew that part of being a dad was being able to do dad jokes. This is his inspiring story of how he discovered his inner dad comedian. I thought it would just happen. I’d witness the birth of my first child and my head would click suddenly to the side twice and I’d … Read more
On Friday 20 April the doors to the Karori Plunket Creche will close to the last child, the last family, for the very last time. Angela Cuming spoke to Liz Taylor whose son Allan attends the creche. In March, Plunket announced Karori Plunket Creche’s closure, and took the $50,000 the community had fundraised and earmarked for renovations. … Read more
‘Every child in New Zealand deserves the support they need so that they can succeed in education,’ said Labour during the election campaign. Now it’s time to back up those words with real funding for children with autism and other special needs, writes Erika Harvey. Dear Jacinda, I didn’t expect to be here. To be … Read more