I used to want to be a yummy mummy. Now, I cringe when I hear the term. The yummy mummy idea is nothing more than a creation of the mass media designed to target women’s insecurities in order to make us better consumers. What do I mean?…
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared how we parent despite and because of challenges thrown our way. Please read to the end to find a list of…
As parents, we make decisions for our families based on what we believe to be right. This stems from our upbringing, our experience and the unique personalities and temperaments of our kids (and us!). Parenting isn’t a one-size fits all approach and we will always…
When I speak of the ‘world’ I’m referring to popular culture. The dominant force in our Western society that influences the way we think, feel and what we value most highly. Recently, I watched a little ABC3 with my 6-year-old. The show was about a…
As I experience the last few weeks of my final pregnancy, I feel a mixture of excitement and sadness. This has been the last time I will experience the joy of seeing those two lines on a pregnancy test, a squirming jellybean on an ultrasound…
This has always my perception of the home-schooled family. But here is the modern homeschooling family! Look! They seem almost….normal! In the last few years I have come across mums who homeschool or who were homeschooled. What was once a foreign concept full of harsh…
Over the years, I’ve realised so many of the perceptions and beliefs we have about motherhood are heavily influenced by our popular culture which is founded on the media and advertising.This is the inspiration behind my blog! MUMmedia about learning to filter through all the…
After the recent hype over child beauty pageants in the media, I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon. I admit to enjoying (?) the odd episode of toddlers and tiara’s . It was fascinating and despite the fact it made me uncomfortable and occasionally disturbed – I…
We know that advertising is deceptive, often misleading and untruthful and yet it doesn’t cease to amaze me how low it can go. On Saturday, I sat down on the couch to watch TV and given the new (fairly restrictive) TV rules in our household…
The media have become the mainstream culture in children’s lives. Parents have become the alternative. Americans once expected parents to raise their children in accordance with the dominant cultural messages. Today they are expected to raise their children in opposition to it – Ellen Goodman…