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The Fairytale Mum

Children's Author & Parent Blogger

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Better late than never... Happy New Year to you fr Better late than never... Happy New Year to you from me and the boys and the bump! We had a quiet Christmas and these pregnancy hormones put my head in spin at times, so I'm really excited to be 'waddling' into 2020 and the chaos that I'm sure will follow soon.🦆🤰🐣 We've reached 31 weeks now so I'm starting to feel the urge to prep: I've raided @mothercareuk (listening to the employees' stories, it is so sad), started shaping up for the birth at pregnancy yoga (thank-you @stephanielundyyoga - your class was amazing!) and after feeling slightly smothered during 3 weeks of Christmas hols, I'm looking forward to breathing again at @daisyhertfordware tonight. Writing wise, I have so much planned including a #podcast and more #picbookplay activities on #igtv , but I've realised I need to streamline a little so that I can be better focused in the short term. Also... This year is the year when I will finally make it to Ibiza! Tickets are booked - I just need to get my glitter tattoos and glow sticks ready... And push out a baby of course🤭... It's going to be a magical year! What are you looking forward to most? Have you set yourself any goals for 2020? . . . . . #goals❤️ #happynewyear2020 #31weekspregnant #31weeks #mamamoments #familyof5 #3rdtrimester #makingovermotherhood #othermothers #coolmumclub #snaphappybritmums #lookingforwardto2020 #lookingforward #mumsthatslay #mumstofollow #mumstobe #thirdtrimester #writingcommunity #writinggames #bookishlife #bookishplay #bookishlove #playtolearn #playbasedlearning
🤔WHICH DO YOU PREFER?🤔... . Two of Hugh's fa 🤔WHICH DO YOU PREFER?🤔... . Two of Hugh's favourite books right now are the classics 'Dear Zoo' by #rodcampbell and 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' by #michaelrosen and #helenoxenbury . Both are narrated from a human perspective, both feature animals... But what if our favourite bear hunt book was told from the bears point of view? Or if the sequel to 'Dear Zoo' was a sequence of letters written from the animals, to a possibly slightly irresponsible pet owner?🐯🦒🐘😉 Typically, children's books are either written with a personified animal as the main character, or a child character whom small children can relate to. Yesterday, as I was penning some ideas for a new story for very young readers in @hertscoffeelab , I couldn't help but wonder, which would you prefer? ANIMAL OR HUMAN? Who makes the best protagonist? Which stories do your children love most? . . . . . #bringbooksalive #readingcorner #chatplayread #readingnook #readaloud #readabook #readaloudfamily #literacy #literacymatters #earlyliteracy #literacyadvocate #authorsoninstagram #amwriting #writingcommunityofig #helenoxenburybooks #rodcampbellbooks #classicchildrensbooks #classicpicturebooks #picturebookblogger #picturebookauthor #picturebooks #picbookplay #playwithbooks #booksfortoddlers #booksforchildren
🤯😠TAMING THE TANTRUMS😠🤯... . Happy hal 🤯😠TAMING THE TANTRUMS😠🤯... . Happy half-term hump day #hertfordshiremums ! After a fab start to the half-term (minus one cold and a constipated toddler) with trips to the farm, the forest, to visit family and of course the park, the mood today took a a bit of a dive. I've started to feel a little tired with this pregnancy now (I know, I know - nothing like how I will be feeling once our third newborn arrives!😬) So I figured a day indoors might be a nice way to recuperate... Or not... Cue tantrums. "Mummy, where are we going today?" "Mummy, can we drive somewhere?" "Mummy, can we go to softplay?" No, no and no! I just wanted one day. So after things turned a bit sour... (You can see a certain sulky face on my stories after Mummy won Tic Tac Toe just once!)... I recalled a tip I once read on social media to help tame the tempers... Just add water.💦 Have a look on my stories to see what we did. What's your best tip for taming the tantrums?🤯 . . . . . #toddlertantrums #imamumand #othermothers #bringbooksalive #eyfsactivities #eyfsideas #turningtwo #thisisfive #tufftray #tufftrayideas #waterplay #halftermfun #halfterm #hertsmums #coolmumclub #snaphappybritmums
🕯️I've umm-ed and ahh-ed about sharing my sto 🕯️I've umm-ed and ahh-ed about sharing my story with you, but I'd like to now... I've found sharing to be cathartic and maybe, just maybe, it might help another mother who is living a similar experience. VANISHING TWIN... That's what they call it, but the truth is that my baby girl's sister didn't simply vanish into thin air. She's still there. I've had no cramping, no spotting, no bleeding, no evidence of a #miscarriage - but sadly we know from one of our later scans in our first trimester, that one of the little hearts inside me wasn't strong enough to keep beating. BITTERSWEET... I know how lucky I am to have two gorgeous boys on the outside. I know how lucky I am to have one gorgeous girl kicking me on the inside. I know how lucky I am to have gone through IVF to get here. I know how lucky I am. But I also know how it feels to hear the words, 'I'm sorry.' I understand how it feels to bottle up the tears for the rest of that ultrasound and then break down later - when there are many people who would think that I should be feeling happy. I understand what it feels like to 'untell' your family, your doctor's, your midwives, your friends that there's not two anymore. UNDERSTANDING... What I don't understand is why. Often it is due to a chromosomal abnormality. But our little embryos were tested during the IVF process... No trisomies, no deletions, no triploidy. They were both perfect. So... If it wasn't a problem with the embryo... Well, I do understand how we sometimes blame ourselves. NOT FORGOTTEN... And just like an elephant, I know that a mother never forgets. For I believe, you are a mother from the moment that pregnancy occurs, you don't stop caring and you don't stop being a mother - ever. I know that when a stranger asks, 'How many children do you have?' they'll always be the flicker of a memory of the ones you lost. I know. #waveoflight ... So, tonight, I stand united with so many of you who can't rock their babies to sleep. It's not just 1 in 4... There are thousands of us, each with a unique story to share. If you would like to share your story in the comments, please do. I promise to offer comfort in any way I can.🕯️❤️ #blaw2019 #babyloss
🤔HOW ARE YOU FEELING TODAY?😊😟😵... . Wh 🤔HOW ARE YOU FEELING TODAY?😊😟😵... . Whilst procrastinating from doing any 'real work' today, I've found myself absorbed by the many mental health posts for #worldmentalhealthday . If you don't already follow @mumologist or @thepsychologymum then please do. Mental health is a BIG thing right now. It's a BIG thing for mums, a BiG thing for dads, a BIG thing for EVERYONE... And that includes our children too. When I worked within the classroom, it became increasingly clear to me how fragile tiny minds are and also how big the pressures are that we - as grownups - place on our children. Of course, we need to learn how to cope with pressure and most children manage to do so beautifully - most of the time. But sometimes, our children need a little extra guidance. So... I mention @mumologist and @thepsychologymum as they are running #thevillagepledge - a plea to encourage us all to ask how someone else is feeling today and take note of their response. I would like to add that we ensure we don't forget our children with this plea too. With tiny minds, 'bad behaviour' is so often a cry for needing something more from us. Could they benefit from having an extra bit of one-on-one time with you tonight? Would an extra story at bedtime help their well-being? Will you give them just one more squeeze and whisper something you're proud of them for as you tuck them up tonight? How are your children really feeling? P.S. No children were harmed in the taking of this photo. Hugh is usually my most contented child - but even content children can have meltdowns when they're not given the correct spoon!😉 . . . . . #wmhd #wmhd2019 #thevillage #thevillagepledge #iminyourvillage #worldsmentalhealthday #childhoodanxiety #childhoodtrauma #childhooddepression #anxietyproblems #anxietyrelief #pnd #overcomingpnd #depressionhelp #howareyoufeeling #askforhelp
🎵🎶READING RHYME🎶🎵... . Congratulations 🎵🎶READING RHYME🎶🎵... . Congratulations to #kesgray and #jimfield on another wonderful book in their Oi series. "Oi Puppies" was released this week and we've used it as the inspiration behind our next #picbookplay activity. Our #oipuppies themed #picbookplay is perfect for children learning to read and focuses on rhyming words. You can watch it now on my #igtvchannel and I'll pop all of the instructions and ways in which you can adapt it over on #theblog a little later. (#linkinbio👆 ) And if you have any wise words on coping with an expanding litter, then I'd love to hear them. Is the jump from 2-3 children harder than going from 1-2? Is it harder than going from 0-1?! Perhaps Frog will have some answers for me too?🐸🐕🐕🐕🐕🐾🐾🐾🤰❤️ . . . . . #picbookplay #picturebookblogger #kesgrayjimfield #imamumand #readingrocks #readingtips #earlyliteracy #eyfsactivities #playbasedlearning #playprompts #funwithphonics #learningtoread #rhymes #picturebookoftheday #tufftray #tufftrayideas #hertsbloggers #londonmums #receptionteacher #receptionyear #startingschool #mumlifeisthebestlife
🤰DISTRACTIONS (Part 2)🤰... . They say a pict 🤰DISTRACTIONS (Part 2)🤰... . They say a picture tells a thousand words... 🤫🤭 Early readers often bring home stories without text. Did the author get distracted and forget to write the words? 😝🤭🗯️ Of course not... Wordless picture books are wonderful to read with children. Studies have shown that the language we share with them can be more complex when we have the freedom to use our own words instead of those written on a page. Sometimes, even picture books with text may include a purely illustrative spread (such as in the tiger and teacup pictures above) - the story still progresses and the impact can be insightful, shocking and heartwarming!🤩😯🤗 Stories without words promote the skill of decoding as children have to search for pictorial clues to understand the meaning.🤔 Stories without words develop confidence as there's no anxiety or pressure around needing to read text precisely.😊 So... PLEASE don't be put off if your child brings a 'reading book' home from school that is to be read as a series of pictures. I assure you, no one got distracted in the making of the book... ...I have a little story of my own to share with you too. It's the reason I've been a little distracted recently - and I think it proves my point perfectly... Pictures alone really can tell the most amazing story. (SWIPE➡️ to 'read' more!🥰) BONUS POINTS if you can comment with titles of any of the books you see above... ⬆️📚❤️ (I'm a little in love with them all right now).😘 . . . . . #picturebookauthor #illustrators #learningtoread #learningtoreadandwrite #readeveryday #eyfsideas #eyfsteacher #booksforchildren #booksfortoddlers #booksforbabies #earlyliteracy #earlychildhooddevelopment #earlyreading #startingschool #phonics #phonicsisfun #receptionyear #alittlebitofeverything #motherhoodjourney #joyfulmamas #honestlymothering #sunrisebaby #ivfmiracle #familyof5 #dueinmarch
🐝 B U Z Z I N G 🐝... . Last night I went to 🐝 B U Z Z I N G 🐝... . Last night I went to the @scbwi #Agentsparty19 at the Bush Hall in London. Typically, I completely forgot to take any photos of the event whilst I was there 🤭 so here's a little snapshot of me at the hotel this morning.😆 I spoke to two agents who both expressed interest - woohoo🎉 - so I came away absolutely buzzing! Actually, I think the whole room was buzzing. There was a fab vibe throughout the night with many positive responses. I have to say a whopper thank-you to all the agents and @scbwi volunteers who helped organise and run the event. It felt slick... And although I feared I might have to sharpen my elbows in order to get a chance to pitch, that really wasn't case. Thank-you to everyone and good luck with your submissions!🤞❤️ . . . . . #writingcommunity #writingcommunityofinstagram #scbwi #agentsparty19 #bushhall #authorlife #authorcommunity #authorssupportingauthors #authorsrock #authorsoninstagram #amwriting #childrensbookstagram #childrensbooks #childrenswriter #picturebookauthor #picturebooks #imamumand #joyfulmamas #coolmumclub #alittlebitofme #amediting #readwriterepeat #lovebooks📚
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