Webdesigner Depot have posted about The Most Controversial Magazine Covers of all Time.

These are US publications so maybe it isn’t surprising that a baby magazine that published a breastfeeding baby on it’s front cover was included in the list.

Apparently some found the August 2006 of Baby Talk despicable.  And this was in 2006 not 1956!  Get over it already!

This is what the blog had to say:

While this image seems benign to most people who have been involved with a baby in one fashion or another, the cover was decried as obscene.

Even though moms made up the target demographic, a survey of 4000 of them turned up the fact that 25% had a negative response.

One mother actually shredded the magazine so that her 13-year old son couldn’t see it. Not that he likely noticed; he was probably on the computer downloading porn watching tips from Kanye.

And here is the beautiful cover:

It’s a baby eating is all.

Kim Clijsters win at the US Open, after entering on a wildcard and only 5 weeks back into international competition, shows how powerful motherhood can really be.

Unbelievably, she is the first mother to win a grand slam since Evonne Goolagong Cawley, from Australia, at Wimbledon in 1980.

Here is how Kim explained her win in The Times Online:

“Really, I’d only hit the ball three or four times since my first career ended,” she said. “I had become pregnant, there was a further nine months of breastfeeding, I was helping take care of my father, who was so sick [Leo died of cancer in January never knowing his daughter would play professionally again], there was my husband to look after. To tell you the truth, having ten minutes to myself was a major relaxation.”

Armed with a cause - to get herself truly fit again - Clijsters took up the same programme she had when she played first time around, but with a greater intensity than before. “It was really a lot of physical work and then we kind of added tennis back on when I got closer to playing,” she said. “There was Jada to think of, of course. I didn’t want her to be so connected with me that I couldn’t leave her side, it’s important she is around a lot of family, she can sleep at her grandparents, she can sleep at my sister’s.

“At first, when I was leaving to go and train, I’d see her at the window crying and I’d have to rush back in and give her a big hug. I don’t know if that was the right thing to do. Now, I say to her, ‘Mummy’s going off to practise’ and she says, ‘Bye-bye’. Because she knows I’m coming home, everything is fine.

“It is nice to know that what I have done here might inspire a few people. Even before I started to play again, everyone was interested to know what stroller I was buying, what baby food Jada preferred, it is automatically a little different if you are a bit well known.”

Kim has shown that motherhood can be the make and not the break of your career.  Well done Kim!

This weekend my husband took the kids on a dads and kids weekend, along with my brother and his kids.  It’s now an annual event in our family.  The dads get to hang out with their kids, and the mums get some time off.

When I told some other mums about what was happening on the weekend, they looked at me wide-eyed and said, ‘What are you going to do?’

Well, this is what I did this weekend:

Slept in
Read a book
Went to yoga
Watched a chick flick
Ate takeaway
Did a tarot reading
Watched the footy
Did some writing
Went for a walk
Went to a birth blessing
Cranked the car stereo up loud
Wrote a blog or two
Read the paper

In other words, I did exactly what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it.  And it was luxurious!

Next weekend, my husband is off hiking with the boys while I look after the kids. And I don’t mind at all.

Dad’s are so important. They teach boys how to be men, and they teach girls how choose men who respect them.

I recently went to see Steve Biddulph, author of Raising Boys, talk about raising boys.  And he made some excellent points:

Boys need positive role models.  Their dads, and other significant men in their lives, teach them how to be good men.

Boys need to be taught how to respect women.  Their dads can teach them how to hold their emotions so a woman feels safe.

Boys need to be taught to do housework.  Their dads can encourage them to be of service to others (e.g. by cooking others a meal) and connect to humanity.

But dads also play a big part in their daughters’ lives.  Dads teach girls to understand boys, and mums teach boys to understand girls.

The modern-day dad is no longer just a breadwinner.

Dads have a significant role to play in raising their kids, loving their kids, and helping them be honourable, giving, and wonderful human beings.  What a privilege.

I also love these 10 Commandements of Successful Fathering by Wayne Parker, About.com’s fatherhood expert.

1. Thou shalt talk with thy children.

2. Thou shalt spend one-on-one time with your children.

3. Thou shalt set rules and live by them.

4. Thou shalt not spoil thy children.

5. Thou shalt show love to thy children in their ‘love language’.

6. Thou shalt read with thy children.

7. Thou shalt love thy children’s mother with whom thou livest.

8. Thou shalt not speak ill of thy children’s mother.

9. Thou shalt know thy chidren’s friends.

10. Thou shalt protect thy children from danger.

Happy Father’s Day dads!  You deserve a celebration.

One benefit of pregnancy is that your body is really, really good at telling you what it needs.

When pregnant, you’re not just hungry, you are absolutely famished.  And you must eat NOW!

And when pregnant, you’re not just tired, you are utterly exhausted.  And you must rest NOW!

Your body tells you what it needs to grow a healthy baby, and you must listen.

When you’re not pregnant, your body is still good at telling you what it needs but you have to listen more carefully.  It doesn’t yell as loud.

It says, hello there I’m hungry.  I’m thirsty.  Can you please feed me, please?  But when you’re busy doing other things you can easily overlook hunger and thirst, and just keep going.

It also says, hello there I’m tired.  Can I please go to bed?  But you can easily ignore the signs and keep going until you get your second wind.

I’m guilty not so much of forgetting to eat(!) but definitely of forgetting to drink lots of water, and get to bed early enough.

Your body can cope with such neglect for awhile but then it gets seriously annoyed.  And you start to feel run down or you get sick.

My naturopath gave me a simple formula for listening to my body, and looking after myself.

It is as simple as:

Eating healthy nutritious food when you are hungry.

Drinking water when you are thirsty.

Going to the toilet when your body tells you to.

And going to bed when you are tired.

Simple.  So simple we can sometimes forget how important it is to heed our body’s call.

How often do you listen to your body?

If you’re in Adelaide on Wednesday 9th of September, join us for breakfast.

The National Institute of Accountants is hosting Jodie Benveniste for a Work Family Wellbeing breakfast.

The 1 hour interactive presentation introduces Work Family Wellbeing, and will inspire you to forget your daily hassles and instead live your best life. The presentation covers:

Work family self-assessment
How well are you currently combining work and family?
You’ll assess your current situation across Work, Family, Partner and ‘Me’.

Work Family Wellbeing
How is Work Family Wellbeing different to work family balance?
You’ll unpack the concept of ‘work family balance’, and instead replace it with the much more effective and much more achievable, Work Family Wellbeing.

Wellbeing
What makes people happy, and what doesn’t?
You’ll learn that changing your circumstances has some impact on wellbeing. But changing the way you think and behave is the single, best way to increase your wellbeing and enjoy a better work and family life.

Wellbeing practices
What can you do to increase your wellbeing?
You’ll learn simple, step-by-step, proven ways to increase wellbeing backed up by sound science.

By the end of the breakfast, you will have:

Gained insight into how well you are currently combining work and family

Been introduced to new ways of thinking about your work family situation

Been introduced to to simple, step by step, proven ways to increase wellbeing backed up by sound science

Work Family Wellbeing breakfast
Wednesday, 9th of September
7.45am - 9.30am
Ayers House, 288 North Tce, Adelaide

For more information, and to book a ticket, contact NIA on (08) 8227 2255 or email sadivn@nia.org.au

If you’re in Sydney from the 18th - 20th of September, then come to The Baby Show.

I will be speaking as part of the seminar series on Friday 18th of September from 1 pm - 1.30pm.  The topic is How to be a happy, healthy parent.

And Parent Wellbeing will be exhibiting all show.  You can find us at stand C1C - just turn right after you enter the building, and we are the third stand on your right.  Come and say hello!

As a show special, we are offering Full Belly and Little Bundle at a show special price.

And when you buy the double pack, you will receive a free magnetic photo frame so you can stick a photo of your precious little bundle on your fridge!

You can also win great prizes in our Baby Show giveaway.

The major prize valud at $297 is a beautiful, luxurious, pampering gift box courtesy of New Mummies Boxes.  It includes:

A dreamy Plush Gown
A gorgeous Pashmina
An exquisite Bebe Bola silver pendant
Natural, organic body products from Mukti
Little Bundle full of all the info you’ll ever need
Celebrity Flatout Bear 100% Australian lambswool

Plus, you could also win SMS affirmations to comfort and inspire.  We’re giving away 5 daily!

Plus, there will be lots more to see and do.

Here’s the speil from the website:

The Baby Show is the essential new event dedicated to pregnancy, baby and toddler and promises an inspiring and stylish day out. Every part of the event is family-friendly, creating a truly valuable and enjoyable experience.

Highlights include experts and guest speakers at the Seminar Theatre, Mummy & Baby fashion shows, personal consultations and advice, live demonstrations and even free childcare and private feeding & changing facilities.

For more info please visit The Baby Show website.

And as an extra special, here’s a Baby Show special offer. Buy one ticket, get one free!

Click here to book your 2 for 1 ticket

See you at The Baby Show!