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… if so you are not alone.   This article by Jennifer Senior has caused outrage.  It basically says that having children does not make you happier.   In Texas childcare ranks below preparing food, watching TV, exercising, talking on the phone, napping, shopping and even housework!  Whereas children used to be economic assets now it is often the case that the world revolves around them and their needs.  There is a huge amount of guilt surrounding parenting and “getting it right” in the eyes of others.  As a result of parents are running around after their children trying to be “perfect” they often end up exhausted and then their relationships start suffering.

Senior is most accurate when she writes:

Children may provide unrivaled moments of joy. But they also provide unrivaled moments of frustration, tedium, anxiety, heartbreak.

Senior’s article will not come as any great surprise to most parents.  However, it has been given a provocative title (like this post) to make the issue appear black and white.  Obviously this over-simplifies the matter but there is nothing like stirring up a bit of outrage because it is definitely taboo to admit that you don’t love every moment of parenthood.

When you have children it can take time to adjust to their needs and you are bound to have moments when you are driven half-crazy by your kids, but this doesn’t stop you loving them any less.  It certainly doesn’t mean you hate parenting.  It is more likely to mean that you enjoy and need a well-earned break from time to time.

Let’s face it, if we all hated parenting no one would ever have more than one child and this is definitely not the case! So, if there are any cons, they are definitely outweighed by the pros.

Having just qualified as a Secondary School Teacher  I have had an amazing insight into what happens behind the scenes in schools.

Piers (my brother) is a teacher and I never really understood why he used to go off the radar during term-time.   Now I know better!  Teachers are generally perceived as having an “easy life” because they have apparently short hours and long holidays.  However, this could not be further from the truth.  All the teachers I know work tirelessly behind the scenes, coming in early and staying late to support students, attend meetings, communicate with parents, plan lessons, mark work, receive further training and many other things.  They are  not paid for this extra work  but they generally don’t mind about it because they love what they do and are dedicated to their jobs.  Although teachers have long holidays, often these are taken up with planning new and improved lessons for their students or perhaps even going on a residential trip.

Now although teachers work hard, they would not change their careers.  This was illustrated by a funny conversation in the staff room today when I heard that teachers will have no sympathy with anyone who tells them how hard  work but will immediately feel for anyone who tells them that there job is boring.  With teaching, although it is hard work there is never a dull moment.   It is such a varied job and you rarely have a chance to sit still!

The school I have been at is widely regarded as challenging, yet the teachers really accomplish amazing things with the pupils and are able to reach even the most reluctant students.  I have seen some inspiring teachers at work and to do what they do day-in, day-out, year after year requires someone with pretty remarkable qualities.

So, I would like to take my hat off to teachers everywhere for the wonderful job they do.  Thank you and keep up the good work!

I went to the Cybermummy conference in London yesterday which was fab.   I met loads of fantastic mummy bloggers and learned a whole heap about writing.  As a result, I have decided to separate this blog from my other more commercial sites (familydaysoutuk.com and kids-london-guide.com).  This means things will be a bit chaotic around here for a while but it will soon be back to normal.

Hooray – I have finally fixed this blog so I am officially back!

Things have been very quiet because first the main site broke and then I managed to break the blog when I tried to fix the site myself (oops). Anyway, it has become painfully obvious that I don’t have the technical skills to fix the main site so I have decided it is time to bring in an expert. Hopefully everything will be back to normal in the near future.

It is great to be able to post again after just over a year of being absent … so watch this place as I will now be posting more regularly.

Things on the main site are still not fixed and it doesn’t look as if they will be for a while so apologies!

Nevertheless, the blog will continue …

Sorry about the hiccups here recently. Our host decided to migrate Littlelegends to another server and this means that the majority of the site is not working

We are working with them to sort it out as soon as possible!

I can’t believe another year has gone by and it will soon be 2009. This just a quick message to say thank you to everyone who has supported the site and contributed via adding places and commenting. This is what Littlelegends is all about.

So, what’s in store for 2009? Well, there is a plan underway and as soon as the groundwork has been set I will let you know a bit more. There is no point ruining the surprise

Happy holiday!

Finding childcare is always stressful, no matter what your circumstances. So, any way to make this daunting task a bit easier is very welcome, particularly if it is affordable!

Mother of three, Georgiana Walsh, has recently written a book to tackle this subject called How to Find Childcare You Will Love

Individual chapters are dedicated to each type of childcare with simple tables and guides to make deciding what is right for a family as easy as possible. Inside you will find:
- Examples of questions to ask each type of childcare to help find the right one for your family.
- Advice for parents who have children with special needs.
- Tips for settling a child in with their childcare and for working well with them to ensure a lasting and happy childcare solution.
- Safety and developmental advice to help parents and childcarers work at making sure your child is safe, happy and thriving.
- A guide to changing needs to help parents make the right childcare decisions over the years.
- A chapter to help parents look at your own needs and feelings, towards both parenting and childcare; a family is not happy unless everyone within it is.

I am pleased to be able to offer readers a 25% discount on a copy of the book (or any NannySuccess.com product) – just enter the code NB2 at NannySuccess.com checkout

Katie in London by James Mayhew tells the story of a little girl who visits London with her Grandmother. Her Grandmother sits down for a quick rest and falls asleep and that is when the fun begins. Katie has all sorts of adventures. In this particular book, Katie and her younger brother, Jack, are taken on a tour of all the London landmarks with the help of a Lion from Trafalgar Square. They visit the Tower and Crown Jewels, the London Eye, and the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. The illustrations are wonderful and fairly accurate depictions of these famous attractions.

This book is a wonderful introduction to the London sights and it is perfect for any parent planning on taking their child to the capital. Children from 3 to 7 will enjoy this book.

I have also discovered that there are further books in this series which I can’t wait to read with my kids:
* Katie and the Dinosaurs about Katie visiting the Natural History Museum
* Katie’s Picture Showabout Katie visiting the National Gallery

Source: Tupinambah@flickr

On Sunday 21st September the London Freewheel event, organized by the Mayor of London, will be taking place with the aim of encouraging more people to cycle around the capital.

It sounds like a great day out for all the family, especially if you have older kids. Participants will be able to cycle round some of London’s most famous roads and landmarks including the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace.

The London Freewheel will not cost you a penny and is even suitable for wimps like me because the route is traffic free

Due to the huge number of cyclists taking part (some 38,000 odd last year), the organizers suggest that if you go as a family that you all wear the same colour/hat/flag/balloon etc so that you can keep track of each other.

To find out more about the route and to register visit the official site.