Emily Writes

Newsletter

I got sent ashes

I have been sent many strange things over the past year. I’ve had many offers of strange things. People send me very strange emails. But getting a jar full of ashes is my weirdest thing. I received a... Read More

Snark

One day your kids will grow up

I don't know if anyone has explained to you how growing works but one day your baby is going to be an adult. I found this out from a shared poem on Facebook. I'm really glad I discovered it because this whole time that my kids

Guest posts

Should you get your child immunised?

I am grateful to share a post today by the incredible Dr Jess Berentson-Shaw who is a researcher and writer at the Morgan Foundation. This post was originally published on the Morgan Foundation website. I'm publishing this post because I can't write it. If I were

Podcasts

Dear Mamas: The podcast - episode one

Kia ora! Holly Walker and I are super excited to bring to you the very first episode of our monthly podcast - Dear Mamas. This first episode is just kind of an intro into what we are all about - we introduce ourselves, and then talk about a lot of

Love

Who will you be?

One of my favourite things to do is imagine who my boys will grow up to be. Will they be bogans? Or hippies? Will they stay up late reading by torchlight like I did? Or will they ignore all books like their father? Will they be outdoorsy like him? Or

The hard stuff

Closed to be open

It’s a strange little struggle when the way you want to parent, or the way you thought you would parent, interferes with what you just have to do to get by. I say little because – look, sometimes you just have to get on with it don’t you? But

Uncategorised

The night I was an unlocked car

TRIGGER WARNING: This post discusses sexual assault. I barely drink these days. With no sleep and breastfeeding around the clock it's just not an option for me. I know few parents who drink heavily because really, who wants to look after kids when they're hung-over? But

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We're not competing

One thing I've tried to reject since the moment I became a parent three years ago, is the concept that I am in competition with any other mum or dad. This idea that there are perfect parents out there is bullshit, but we all keep chasing that dream

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When time stands still

As I rocked (quite vigorously I must say) my baby to sleep and attempted again to get the dummy into his mouth I thought to myself "Ughh I can't wait till he is older and we are through with this shitty stage". I thought the same

Love

The tiny big promises

I used to be reasonably big on New Years resolutions. And New Years Eve. But to be honest, with two kids - the passing of this year passed in a blink. The babies cared not that it was New Years Eve. One wouldn't go to sleep for hours

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This isn't indulgent

My nanna was a smart woman. She raised seven children. And had 18 (or probably more - it's hard to keep up) grandchildren. I adored her. She died before she could meet my children, which is heartbreaking in its own quiet way but sadly not an unusual story

Love

A guide to being nice at Christmas (or the gift of not being a jerk)

Whether you have wee ones or not – Christmas can be a stressful time. Or a magical time. Or some kind of magical stressful time. I have had a number of emails in the lead up to Christmas from new mums who are stressed and tired and really nervous about taking