Writing

When I grow up,  I want to be an old lady.  Also, a writer.

Sometimes, I get the opportunity to write a little something, and here is a smattering of those somethings.

202110 Reasons Play is Essential for Children OHbaby! Issue 56, Summer 2021
2021 Joyful Rituals OHbaby! Issue 55, Spring 2021
2021 Too Much of a Good Thing OHbaby! Issue 54, Winter 2021
2021 Use it Wisely OHbaby! Issue 53, Autumn 2021 
2020 Bath, Jamies, Bed OHbaby! issue 52, Summer 2020
2020 Feeling the Feels OHbaby! issue 50, Winter 2020
2020 Growing Great Flatmates OHbaby! issue 49, Autumn 2020
2019 Tired of Tech? KiwiParent Mag issue 292, October/November 2019
2019 The Power of Love OHbaby! issue 48, Summer 2019
2019 Rethinking Screentime OHbaby! issue 47, Spring 2019
2019 The Comparison Trap OHbaby! issue 45, Autumn 2019
2018 Mind Over Matter OHbaby! issue 43, Spring 2018
2018 R.E.S.P.E.C.T OHbaby! issue 42, Winter 2018
2018 Toddler Soul OHbaby! issue 42, Winter 2018
2018 “Singin’ in the Ruins” Proceedings of the 2nd International Neurosequential Model Symposium: Banff, Canada 2016
2018 Sensing Baby Family Times Magazine, April 2018
2017 Poor Connection (on Technoference) OHbaby! issue 39 Spring 2017
2017 He’s not naughty, he’s just tall! Tots to Teens June/July/August 2017
2017 Rethinking the Nappy republished by The Natural Parent magazine
2017 Four Year Old Play OHbaby! Winter 2017
2017 Expert Advice OHbaby! Winter 2017
2016 Wonderland (The Benefits of Wonder) Tots to Teens September/October 2016
2016 The Art of Quitting OHbaby! Autumn 2016
2015 The Power of Play Little Treasures December/January 2016
2015 Redefining School Readiness OHbaby! Summer 2015
2015 Embracing Imperfection Newsletter of the Brainwave Trust, Aotearoa, August 2015
2015 See What Love Can Do OHbaby! Winter 2015
2015 Play at Home OHbaby! Autumn 2015
2014 Bringing Playful Back OHbaby! Summer 2014
2014 Weathering the Storm OHbaby! Spring 2014
2014 Angry Mamas OHbaby! Winter 2014
2014 Mummy Guilt Tots to Teens, June 2014
2014 Crying it Out Tots to Teens, April 2014
2014 Sharing OHbaby! Autumn 2014
2013 Babymoon Tots to Teens, December 2013
2013 Why Good Dads are Sexy OHbaby! Spring 2013
2013 Raising With Respect Tots to Teens, October Issue
2013 Love, Limits, and Limitless Love.  OHbaby! Winter 2013
2013 Alternative Milestones Tots to Teens
2012 NEW Baby_Beware of the vampires-1.pdfTots To Teens, December/January Issue
2012 Good Enough Parenting OHbaby! Issue 19 Spring
2012  Who Are You Calling Terrible? OHbaby! Issue 17 Autumn 2012.pdf
2012 Unmapped Territory Tots to Teens Magazine, February/March Issue
2011 The Science Behind the Strategies OHbaby!-Science-Strategies-Issue 15-Spring 2011.pdf
2011 Brain Development – Make the Connection.  OHbaby! Magazine, Winter Issue
2011 Love Connection – interview with Little Treasures Magazine, February issue
2010 Rethinking the Nappy.pdf – Orig. in Newsletter of the Brainwave Trust: thanks Pennie
2009 Guest Blog for The Yes Vote campaign
2009 Take A Deep Breath” aka calm.pdf – Newsletter of the Brainwave Trust
2008 Brains and Behaviour – Newsletter of the Brainwave Trust
2008 There’s Nothing Terrible About Two’s: In Defence of Toddlers – Newsletter of the Brainwave Trust
2007 A Few Words About Play – Newsletter of the Brainwave Trust
2007 Obituary for Magda Gerber .pdf – Dimensions of Early Childhood, Journal of SECA, USA
2006 “Lessons from a duck pond.pdf” – Nga Tau Tuatahi/The First Years
2005 “Relationship-shaping.pdf”, written with Nathan Mikaere-Wallis, – Nga Tau Tuatahi/The First Years
2004 New Born Story – Nga Tau Tuatahi/The First Years, New Zealand Journal of Infant & Toddler Education
2003 Interviewing for a New Director: Advice for Boards – Child Care Information Exchange, USA
2002 To the Child Care Providers of New York City on September 11, 2001 – Tennessee’s Children
2002 How to Keep Children at the Center of your Program – Early Childhood News, USA

Recent Posts

too little too late (too busy!!)

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Kia ora friends,

The busy is a bit much at the moment. In my life, the hurtling will be somewhat inevitable till we put the thesis to bed, in about 7-8 months. Hurtling. Data collection is complete, analyses mostly done and the descriptive chapter will burst into life in forthcoming weeks.

It’s a weird wee patch, where I’m having to pause and see it through, even as I can see what needs to happen next.

As ever, it’s hard to put my attention too squarely on the ol’ work during school holidays. The (not so) small person is now eleven, and I gotta keep finding ways to focus on her and be super productive in the moments that surround intentional interactions. That link is a funny gag, btw. I will be working my bum off at every available moment! It’s the only way!

Time is precious, we know that.

Time is the thing we can’t make more of. We can’t forget that.

And our kids are kids just the once! My firstborn will soon be twenty! When’s the last time i pushed her on a swing? But many of us are still on the phones more than we are with our children.While we’re thinking ’bout it, we could do a bit better at keeping phones away from children (babies!) too.

Can we agree that’s heartbreaking?

And sheesh, may I hold my hand to my heart and whisper sadly about the passing of a beautiful and beloved early childhood kaumatua, who I have acknowledged here in the old bloggity many times, and I’ve quoted her liberally in work for OHbaby! and others. Darlings, Pennie Brownlee has died. My go-to book for gifting to new parents has always been “Dance with me in the Heart” and many of you will also know “Magic spaces“, both of which were written by Pennie.

Yeah.

Exhale.

Life is short and precious and there is heaps to do.

The things which Pennie wrote so well about were the truly important bits that make child development magical and wonderful and make the most of the exuberant synaptogenesis of brain growth that rockets along in those early years.

Relationships. Play.

That’s it, y’all. that’s what makes children thrive.
and both those things are disrupted by by-God tech!

Anyway.

Walking in the woods is good for us, says Harvard, and this is the website of Diana Suskind, whose work I was reminded of by a lovely colleague last week. Cool rock play. Love. Here is a fab new post from our friends @ Sensible Screen Use, about the need to think more critically about our tech use in classrooms. OH! And ECE centres, brothers and sisters. It is most unsatisfactory what seems to be going on all over the show. May I remind us all that what’s ‘normal’ and what’s ‘healthy’ are not always the same thing!!

I’m doing that broken record thing again, so I’ll send so much love and go put a load of washing on. x x x

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