For the month of Ramadan, Muslims spend daylight hours fasting. It’s an exercise in self-control and gratitude, and encourages spiritual reflection. But what’s it like to observe Ramadan while looking after young children? We ask mum-of-three Sumiyyah Balesaria…
mother
Family
For many mothers, establishing breastfeeding is difficult and painful. But surprisingly, putting an end to breastfeeding can be a challenge, too. Here are some ideas for how to stop…
Family
Rebecca Schiller on her new book – Your No Guilt Pregnancy Plan. “It’s my way of countering some of the judgement, bullshit, guilt and narrow representations of motherhood that are out there.”
Family
“Feeling guilty is often what I call a ‘trigger’ feeling,” says life coach Zoe Blaskey. “There is usually something else going on underneath.” Here, she explains the likely origins of ‘mum guilt’ and how to get rid of it for good…
Work Life
The editor, Annie Ridout, has benefitted from having a business mentor to help her with The Early Hour. Now she’d like to offer a mentorship to another freelance mum, in need of some guidance…
Family
“Our favourite family meal is … all of it! We are a family of foodies with ‘healthy’ appetites.” Clemmie Telford – mother-of-three, founder of Mother of All Lists blog and creative strategist – discusses home life, in Peckham, with her brood….
Work Life
Sarah Davies De Paola’s childhood dream of becoming an energy healer dissipated when she moved to Zurich to live with her husband. She ended up working in finance for a decade but has now quit to embark on a more spiritual career path, alongside running her own business…
Family
Maternity leave – a year off work drinking coffee and playing with a cute baby – may sound like a nice extended holiday. But the reality is quite different, as French illustrator Emma relays in this revealing comic strip…
Family
With the natural birth movement challenging the more medicalised model of birth, new mothers are feeling as if they’ve failed if they have an epidural, or need medical intervention during childbirth. Emma Svanberg explains why this is a feminist issue…
Family
A recent trial offered a cash incentive to mothers for breastfeeding their babies. Annie Ridout argues that what mothers need is respect and a change in attitude towards breastfeeding in public – not a patronising suggestion that money solves all issues…