Category: Our story

Introduction

Hi! Beth and I are starting this blog to follow the progress our new book.

The book is called You’re Doing Great, Baby! and it’s a picture book for new parents who might feel overwhelmed by all the sudden life changes and new responsibilities that come with parenting (and who don’t have time to read anything except picture books).

We want this to be a book that will remind new mums and dads that they’re doing their best and to reassure them that they’ll get through these tough times (if that’s what they are). There’ll also be rhyme and colourful pictures so hopefully babies won’t get too bored either!

We’re still working on it, and we’ll let you know how we go!

‘Sometimes you’ve got to be kind to be kind’

When Leo, (our eldest) was really little, I was obsessed with his sleep. I wanted to teach him to fall asleep and stay asleep by himself, but it seemed like the only way of doing that involved tears.

When he was ten weeks old we went to a sleep school and came home and tried to pat and shush, but it just didn’t work for us. One very memorable time all three of us ended up in tears and we knew it wasn’t working. We were sleep-school drop-outs.

During that time when all I thought I wanted was for him to learn to sleep by himself – out of our arms, out of our bed, as the books said – Jeff said something that’s always stuck in my mind.

You've got to be kind to be kind“Sometimes you’ve got to be kind to be kind”.

It totally blew my mind.

That simple truth cut through all the conflicting emotions I was feeling. My love for Leo, my desire to control him, wishing for a full night’s sleep, wanting to do the ‘right’ thing (whatever that was), wanting to hold him when he cried… All the stories I was telling myself just melted away with those simple words.

Continue reading ‘Sometimes you’ve got to be kind to be kind’