…this is where the comparison, which just taps away in the background, can start to become a bit dangerous. There are two sides to this- what we see and what we present. Even if you just lurk, seeing the heavily curated feeds of others’ lives can leave us feeling inadequate and anxious. How many times have you found yourself buying something just because you saw it on Instagram? Just like in magazines, social media can sell us the myth that we, too, can have this life if we were only to buy this product. And, if you don’t, and suddenly see that everyone else managed to get that Marks & Spencer dress then you can begin to feel inadequate and out of the loop.
Read MoreWhere are the Dads?
“This can be really exacerbated during the early days of parenting, when attention is on the baby first, and supporting the new mum second - with very little awareness that dads are also going through a major life transition”
Read MoreThe Spectrum
While not all of us have been through mental health crises, all of us need to pay attention to our mental health in some way to remain ‘well’.
Read MoreThe virtual and the valuable
Generally speaking, we want to be in the ‘in-group’, because it will make us feel stronger and like we have a definite place in the world. The in-group protects its status, and the self esteem of those on the outside is damaged because it attacks their sense of belonging. That’s where cliques come from. That’s what happened due to the tagging element of the campaign- although the intention was to use tagging to spread the word about the campaign, it also created an ‘in-group’ - or rather many different in-groups - resulting in others understandably feeling excluded.
Read MoreV is for Village
And that is what this campaign is all about. Saying loud and clear that we're here to support one another on this rollercoaster ride of parenting (and life in general) and that everyone's welcome.
Read MoreUnravelling the Onion
2017 was the year we started taking feminism seriously again. What does that mean for our children?
Read MoreJust One Thing
Have you seen my Just One Thing series?
Read MoreThe Silent Army
While you go to meetings,
Write your emails, just exist
A silent army marches
And there are millions to enlist
Read MoreDon't make me Blush
So what are we doing? Is this nesting gone mad? .
Read MoreWorlds apart (but still neighbours)
What is right for Fred will never be right for Lola. In fact, they would feel so strongly against it they would feel the need to attack each other on social media. But Fred and Lola aren’t so different. They each want what’s best for their children. They both feel they are doing the right thing.
We’re all going to parent differently, based on our own experiences and of course our current circumstances. Our choices can feel worlds apart but in fact, they live side by side.
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