As a clinical psychologist, one of the most common concerns I hear from parents is, “Is this normal, or should I be worried?” Childhood is full of fears – some fleeting, some more persistent – and it can be surprisingly hard to tell the difference between...
The Thoughts We Don’t Talk About: Why “Scary Thoughts” Don’t Mean You’re a Bad Mum If you have ever been standing at the top of the stairs in your home, looking down at your sleeping newborn, and suddenly had a vivid image of yourself dropping them, you...
As a clinical psychologist, I’ve sat with many women in the weeks and months surrounding the arrival of a baby. Again and again, I hear a similar thought process: “Why didn’t anyone tell me it would feel like this?” We talk a lot about pregnancy, birth plans, and baby...
From the outside, you look like you have it all together. The nappy bag is perfectly packed, the laundry is folded, and baby is meeting every developmental milestone on time. Your partner and friends might even call you a “Supermum” because you seem so organised and...
When “Clean Girl Culture” Meets Motherhood: Why the Pursuit of Perfection Can Quietly Hurt Us As a clinical psychologist, I spend a lot of time talking with mothers about pressure. Not the obvious kind – the sleepless nights, the endless laundry, the mental load...
I have a video on my phone of a toddler in a tutu and beanie, thrusting a plastic teacup in my face, yelling ‘Your tea is ready! Drink your tea!’ There is the sound of a gurgling, fussing infant in the background. I can hear in my voice, as I accept my pretend tea,...
