Blog
Through the blog, Rachel’s Memoir The Skies I’m Under and The Skies We’re Under podcast we share the stories of fellow parents so we can all feel a little less alone and little more understood.
Click the icon to the left to access a page of useful resources that we have compiled over the years.
5 little things that make a Big Difference
When I worked as a nurse in A&E, I knew that even in the middle of emergency procedures, how I treated the patient and family would be remembered. As a parent standing over my fitting son while the doctors fought to stop an hour long seizure, this simple fact went from theory to reality. As a healthcare professional and the mum of [...]
The 12 Days of a complex Christmas – a parody for complex families (originally posted 2016)
Shakin’ Stevens and Slade are unashamedly blaring out from music systems around the country. The usual suspects have decked their National Lampoon homes with sufficient lights to be seen from space. ‘Miracle of 34th Street’ and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ are scheduled on a loop over the next couple of weeks. You’ve seen the Coca Cola ad, the John Lewis ad and [...]
Don’t Call Me Mum Initiative
Only a few people in this world call me Mum, and to everyone else I ask, "Please don't call me mum." I have a few pet hates. They include; Hardened weetabix that needs a chisel to remove Finding my laundry mottled with disintegrated tissue Someone parking so close to my wheelchair adapted car that I can’t get the ramp [...]
My children don’t come first!
I’ve heard it said, that the children come first. It’s a statement expressed in many forms. ‘It's the kids that matter.’ ‘You need to do what’s best for the children.’ But guess what? Sometimes, they DON’T. I've long held the belief that children aren’t the most important people in a family. I haven't dared to write about it because I know [...]
Training to change the future…
I wasn’t given any training to be a mum - I wish I had. Eleven years on, I can be both super human and super-useless in the same day. In truth, the super-human bit normally filters away by the time I get out of bed but in my dreams I nurture my children with ease and finesse. My nine-year-old helpfully told [...]
Hello autumn, goodbye summer
As much as I love the summer, I’m glad it is autumn. It's time to collect conkers and pick the last few blackberries. Although I will miss the brighter days and warm sun on my face, the summer is my toughest season.