To my mother
Since taking on the enormous responsibility, and incredible privilege, of raising tiny humans, I can now begin to comprehend the guilt...
top of page
Michele Veldsman
- Oct 16, 2022
- 3 min
The longest lesson to learn
Friday marked the last day of a 16-year long journey, that took me from a pathless psychology undergraduate, to a naive research...
3,790 views4 comments
Michele Veldsman
- Sep 23, 2022
- 3 min
Vulnerability
I often mindlessly scroll instagram, in the hopes the pretty, curated, aspirational pictures, will dull the anxiety induced by mindlessly...
214 views0 comments
Michele Veldsman
- Aug 21, 2022
- 3 min
Inheritance
Inheritance. What a loaded word for a parent. More complex than the comparatively tractable heredity of our biological characteristics....
179 views0 comments
Michele Veldsman
- Aug 11, 2022
- 2 min
"stretched: like butter, scraped over too much bread"
Contributed blog Miniblog courtesy of anonymous parent (stock image) Tell us a little something about yourself We live in Scotland and my...
71 views0 comments
Michele Veldsman
- Aug 4, 2022
- 3 min
An arsenal of silliness weaponry
Contributed blog One of the great joys of parenting is the return of silliness to your life. You're suddenly bouncing on trampolines,...
208 views0 comments
Michele Veldsman
- Aug 4, 2022
- 2 min
Pick your battles
Contributed blog One of the greatest challenges for parents is the societal expectation to parent like you don't have a full time job,...
54 views0 comments
Michele Veldsman
- Jul 22, 2022
- 2 min
Cherish every moment
I find the experience of having children utterly time distorting and disorienting. Twenty-six hours of painful, induced-labour, with two...
90 views0 comments
Michele Veldsman
- Jul 11, 2022
- 3 min
Raising girls, raising boys, raising children
Before I had even thought about having kids, I had already thought deeply about how I would raise a daughter. She would have unshakeable...
121 views0 comments
Michele Veldsman
- Jul 3, 2022
- 2 min
a tendency to burnout
As I face Monday with an equal dread towards a packed work schedule and the routine responsibilities of getting my small children in a...
485 views0 comments
Michele Veldsman
- Jun 28, 2022
- 2 min
n=1 (or one size does not fit all)
As a scientist, I learned very quickly that almost nothing in parenting is an exact science. Even some of the official guidance on...
50 views0 comments
Michele Veldsman
- Jun 28, 2022
- 2 min
Secret snacks
When my daughter was a toddler, I could tell her things were "too spicy" so I could eat the sugary snacks I needed for energy to keep...
60 views0 comments
Michele Veldsman
- Jun 28, 2022
- 1 min
How about a cuddle?
Parents need to become experts at defusing situations. I am guilty of always using a screen or a snack to temper a tantrum, so I love a...
62 views0 comments
Michele Veldsman
- Jun 23, 2022
- 2 min
On identity
Mother, wife, scientist, daughter, woman (not necessarily in that order) The other day, while checking my payslip (which neatly doubles...
283 views0 comments
Michele Veldsman
- Jun 16, 2022
- 2 min
Adjust your expectations
Expectations are the enemy in parenting. From planning a home birth that ends in an emergency c-section, to the vision of yourself as a...
137 views0 comments
Michele Veldsman
- Jun 16, 2022
- 1 min
Bedtime games
The eternal parental struggle - getting the kids bathed, pyjama-ed and, crucially, asleep. Like parenting, this is really about the kids...
64 views0 comments
Michele Veldsman
- Jun 13, 2022
- 1 min
Being a parent is hard
I find being a parent the most challenging, emotionally complex and often isolating thing I have ever done. During the pandemic lockdowns...
177 views0 comments
bottom of page