How much do we condition our children to fit our (and society’s) pre-conceptions? Do we unconsciously select blue clothing for our sons and pink for our daughters?  And how would we feel if our sons wanted to wear hot pink?  Judging from the public reaction to Shiloh Jolie-Pitt’s tomboy wardrobe, the subject is clearly a touchy one.
This age-old debate of nature/nurture was brought home to me the other day when my 3 year old son appeared in one of his sister’s frilly vests.  Stifling a laugh, I asked him why he was wearing her vest?

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We have a bit of a plastic embargo in our house.  This goes for toys (plastic is only condoned in the bath, otherwise everything’s pretty much wooden or material), furniture (did you know you can get a wooden child’s loo seat?) and it also extends to eating materials.  Ok, so the china cereal bowls have the odd glued-back-together chip.  Wooden toy boats do not like being immersed in water for too long.  And we’ve had to say farewell to an occasional drinking glass that didn’t agree with the terracotta floor tiles.  But I still stand by our decision.  Natural materials look nicer and are a greater pleasure to use.

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Weaning your baby can strike fear into the hearts of otherwise confident new mums.  Common concerns range from a baby choking to worrying about getting the right mix of milk and solids.

And when you’ve overcome those worries, you’ll be wondering what sort of recipes you should be making your baby!

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Duplo blocks?  Barbie?  Scooter?  Nope.  The favourite toy of toddlers in 2010 is Apple’s iPhone, according to the website Mac Daily News.

My 5 year old is already saving up for one (and yes, she realises it’s a big save – she told me the other day that she thinks she should have enough in her piggy bank by the time she’s 8 year’s old.  I hate to burst her balloon and tell her she’ll still be saving when she hits double figures…).  And I hear her school friends discussing whether their parent has the iPhone 4 or an older (ie: inferior) model.  Some even have parental hand-me-downs or their own iPhone Touch handsets.  Peer group envy is huge.

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Considering it is completely natural, nutritionally best for your baby and an all-round good thing to do, breastfeeding in public can attract an awful lot of unwanted attention.  Only recently, a breast-feeding mother was asked to be more discreet whilst she fed her newborn in a library, where the only other person present was a pregnant woman.

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