What beautiful pictures and a lovely keepsake.

Hi there!!

I noticed you joined our linky so I popped by.

I love your list. Watching sunrise on the beach is magical - I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

I'm adding you to my 101ers blogroll (it's separate to the linky) and I'll mention you in my next update. Good luck with your list. I've also added you to my list on Twitter, I'm Pigsdontswim.

I live in Germany and am a SAHM. The system is very different here and parents are expected to help their children. During primary school, there's no afternoon school. Children get mountains of homework and parents are expected to enforce their learning.

I have four children and I happily take the time to help them when they have a problem. But I am totally against sitting for hours (and I mean hours) doing homework with them. Two of my children have dyslexia. One profoundly. I have invested a huge amount of time helping her through this.
Although I'm happy to explain when they don't understand something or ask them questions for an upcoming test, I push for them to work as independently as possible as the rule. That is not the case for many parents here, they are constantly helping and pushing their children through the three-tier high school system.

What's important to me me as a SAHM is to talk to my children, teach them to cook and other practical aspects of life. I prefer to teach them in more practical ways than with formal sit down learning i.e. playing a game together, going for nature walks, working together in the kitchen (a great learning process for kids - reading recipes, maths, decision making, responsibility as well as the actual learning about cooking and food). I see my role as the person who gives them life skills. I am not trained as a teacher and believe homework should only be a reiteration of what has been learned at school.

This mother should never have won a prize for her comment. It's ridiculous. I'm glad that you complained to the magazine.

Hi Emily,
I have four children and am a stay at home mum. Our situation means that I have not really got the choice to go out to work.
My ex-mum-in-law who stayed at home with six children says life is much harder for mums today. She thinks that expectations on women today are much more than they used to years ago.
I live in Germany now and the local school expect us to help with learning and hours of homework. One teacher told us we had to correct our child's homework every day as she just didn't have time.
Many of the mothers I talk to are worn out from all of the running around that's expected of them.
It seems to me not only to be a matter of how you look, but also how your children look, how they behave, what they have and haven't got, what they do and don't do. And as the mum you're held responsible for every failing.
I'm not a super-mum, or a helicopter parent, in all truth, I go somewhat against the grain. But I still feel the constant pressure and am mostly exhausted.

You saved the best 'til last ;-)

If it makes you feel any better I embarrass myself continuously! With and without the help of the kids. Was the person who walked in on you someone you knew?

Sounds Yummy!!
You could call it 'the yummy madhouse curry'

Completely true. Some changes are so for the better, but some... When did the ice cream sellers disappear? Nice post!