If parenting’s taught me one thing, it’s that love and fear go hand in hand. It’s also taught me that kids get all the fun in this world. First, it was those hideous soft play areas (shudder), then parks (yawn), followed by yet more parks (give me strength), then those indoor trampoline centres that look awesome until you remember you’ve had three kids including one, ahem, ‘assisted delivery’. Goodbye, pelvic floor. From ghastly rhyme times to expensive swimming lessons, all too often parenting involves sitting on the sidelines with a disappointing coffee while the creatures you created have the time of their lives.
Looking back, 14 years ago, I was strapping my firstborn into a Maxi-Cosi, triple-checking the clips and adjusting the neck support as if he were a Fabergé egg. Now, a lifetime later, having moved from London to Devon, I’m standing on the beach as my gangly adolescent springs to his feet, then zips along the crest of the wave on a surfboard.
Denne historien er fra July 31, 2023-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
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Denne historien er fra July 31, 2023-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FAST & THRIFTY DINNERS
Filling family meals to save you time and money
ARE VIRAL FITNESS TRENDS WORTH THE HYPE?
Keen to know if the workouts she sees online can actually make her fitter, Rachel Tompkins, 44, gives them a try
GO OUT OF SEASON
While some European cities seem to go into hibernation over winter, others just get better in the colder months
MY LIFE IN MUSIC
Monica Cafferky, 55, reveals how certain tunes bring back special memories
THE DECISION THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
After trying diets without success, Breanne Concannon, 31, was left feeling hopeless
MY TOY ΒΟΥ KEEPS ME YOUNG
For Trish Hughes, 44, the thrills of being married to a man 20 years younger is worth all the judgement
'THAT'S NOT MY BABY'
Lying in the hospital bed, my husband Michael had tears of happiness in his eyes as he showed me a photo on his phone. 'Here she is,' he said proudly. 'This is our beautiful baby girl.'I stared at the photo and shook my head. 'No, that's not my baby,' I said. 'There must be a mistake.'It was August 2010 and I'd not long before had an emergency caesarean. I'd not had a chance to see Winnie when she arrived as she'd been whisked away for tests because she was nearly two months premature.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Hayley, 45, has her son to thank for crucial evidence
'I'D LOVE TO DO EASTENDERS'
Loose Women's Linda Robson on the daytime show, dating and her next career move
Beckhams INSIDE THEIR PROPERTY EMPIRE
We take a look at the power couple's posh pads
