Growing A Mother

Motherhood, veganism, raising strong girls and much more

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Poetry

Is it just me?

2 Comments November 6, 2018 Being Your Mummy

Is it just me who loves being a Mum
But also wishes I could have more fun?
Is it just me who finds it so tough,
Day in day out, it can be so rough. Read More

A bed time poem

Leave a comment October 24, 2018 Being Your Mummy

Bed time has lost its loveliness

Bed time has lost its loveliness, I’m really sad to say,
I’ve started to dread that time that comes at the end of every day
I used to read books to you, sitting together on your bed
Now that’s been replaced with lots of tears instead. Read More

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Conscious ~ respectful ~ gentle ~ mindful Parenting in this way is an awakening into ourselves. Becoming parents catapults us back into the world of our own childhood and also who we have become as adults. We are given the gift of examining our own triggers (the things that make us tick as parents, usually experienced as a stress response) and we can begin to question why we respond in this way. Perhaps it’s the urge to shout when we feel annoyed? Perhaps it’s a reliance on threats, bribes and rewards? Perhaps it’s the urge to exert our authority as a way of commanding respect when we feel we’re losing control? Sound familiar? This awakening is so powerful, as all awakenings are. We get to know ourselves more deeply than before, through the experience of raising children. We can heal. We can transform. We can carve out a new and kinder future for our children, one in which they are valued, respected and seen. When we begin to recognise our own ego at play, we can act with more kindness and compassion to our children, prioritising their right to fully express themselves over our own desires for them to fit the mould. They will be just fine. Overwhelmingly what I find to be most effective is softness, not to be mistaken with having a lack of boundaries. But instead the softness that allows us to lean in a little closer, to listen longer, to be more patient, to learn from our children and to grow with them, to heal ourselves and acknowledge our own wounds in the process. There is so much to this approach. The techniques, the dialogues, the journey, the science and psychology. But to me it’s also an opportunity to re-parent. To parent my children in the way I’d want to be treated too, then and now. It is endlessly rewarding to see the results. More to come.... #growingamother #jasminehannah #summerjacqueline #respectfulparenting #consciousparenting #gentleparenting #mindfulparenting #mindfulmama #unconditionalparenting #connectionovercorrection #veganfamily #abeautifulchildhood #parentingwithoutfear #gentlemama #gentleparentinguk #gentleparent #motherhoodismagic #everydayamazing #healingparents #joyfulparenting #raisingvegankids #ukmummy #veganmama
I love a giant bowl of salad this time of year. The greens are irresistible to me when the scenery outside the house can match my bowl inside and I really love putting these big salads together. Did you guys know that @bearded.vegan.dad and I used to run a vegan salad delivery service? Yup! That was a short term dream come true! One of the ingredients we often put in our salad boxes was roasted chick peas because they’re packed full of goodness. I never used to like chick peas in my past life as a non-vegan and now we get through several tins a week. Summer loves them and eats them just as they come! For a little added crunch and to warm them through, rinse and drain a tin of chick peas, lay them on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and a good sprinkling of sea salt. Roast in the oven at 180 degrees C for 5-8 minutes. They’re so yummy as a salad topping or just as a snack on their own. I love to eat them with sun-dried tomatoes which are another fave of mine! What’s your favourite way to eat salad? #veganfoodshare #vegansalad #chickpeasnotchicken #friendsnotfood #eatyourveggieskids #chickpeasalad #eatmoreplants #poweredbyplants #veganparenting #vegankids #raisingvegankids #veganmama #veganfortheplanet #veganforthem #veganforthevoiceless #vegains #feedmevegan #hownottodie #stopeatinganimals #areyouveganyet #gonevegan #veganmealideas
Trips to the woods have replaced trampoline parks and eating out for lunch. (I do miss you though, @wagamama_uk). Nature walks and hunting for treasures have replaced coffee shops & trips to the shops. Feeding the ducks and watching the ducklings grow up has replaced play dates and ballet lessons and “what shall we do today?” has been replaced with a knowing that the days will unfold exactly as they’re meant to. Whilst I truly long for the social interactions we are all missing, some of these shifts in our lives have been so positive for us all. Taking the kids out into nature so often has been wildly beneficial and Jasmine, who can often be the more challenging child to get out the door and because of that I know that sometimes I would choose the easier option too. But she has adapted so well that when we don’t go out for a walk, she’ll notice and say, “oh, Mummy, we didn’t go out for our walk today, did we?” She LOVES being outside in the woods or down by the lake and the effort to convince her it’s a good idea is always so worth the reward. It’s so worth the reward. Now it sort of makes me chuckle to think that we would’ve previously chosen a trampoline park over this magical space 🤷🏻‍♀️but then again, there’s room for everything really. It’s easy and delightful to be outside in Spring and Summer, isn’t it? The beauty of it all and the warmth of the sun makes the whole time feel like an escape but also, a return. I can’t get enough! I want to remember that even when all the restrictions are lifted and everywhere is open again, that it will still be nature’s offerings that give us the most joy. Where’s your favourite place to go during lockdown? #coronacalm #forestofmarstonvale #marstonthrift #jasminehannah #growingamother #runwildandfree #1000hoursoutside #treeswing #naturelifestyle #ifyougodowntothewoodstoday #coronadiaries #coviddiaries #veganfamily #ecofamily #veganparenting #connectwithnature #earthmama #noplanetb #abeautifulchildhood #everydayamazing #joyfulmama #veganmother #raisevegan #bedfordshiremums
“The world is waking up,” they say, but I’m not sure that’s true at all. “We can’t let things go back to the way they were,” they say, but I’m pretty sure that’s exactly where we’re headed. In the last week, @mcdonaldsuk (#mcmurder) have reopened several stores and the queues outside were out of this world. The science about climate change is staring us all in the face yet when a Big Mac is on offer, who cares, right?! Why are people so happy to keep funding the companies that take zero action for their impact on the planet and people’s health. Perhaps many peoples experience of lockdown has changed their perceptions about life, about what is really important and that is great. But we need to think so much bigger than working from home, not commuting as often and stopping to appreciate nature. The Earth is not going to save itself if we continue to think that small. Veganism is still considered by many to be extreme, unattainable, just a millennial trend or an unrealistic choice for many. Understanding plant-based eating may be on the rise, but it’s still a new topic for so many. Dairy is still pushed as a vital food group 🤦🏻‍♀️ and raising vegan children is a whole other rabbit hole of concern. So I’m asking you, what do you see the Government doing about the fact that the meat and dairy industries are killing the planet? Are taxes higher for those products? Are their warnings on the labels about the impact buying them has? In all the news coverage about Covid-19 in the last 4 months, how many times has it been examined that another zoonotic disease could emerge from our very own factory farms? Has this risk been widely reported on? Has the link between the current global climate pandemic and the meat industry been stressed as a concern at all? Are people really willing to take action to carve out a new normal if it means changing their food and shopping habits or is it, in fact, business as usual because the old normal is actually better?! Moving towards a plant based lifestyle is not the only thing we need to do to save the planet, but it’s a bloody big one and for many people, it’s one you can start today. Is the world waking up? You tell me....
Is anyone else running out of steam with this whole lockdown-accidental home school-never get a real break from your kids situation? I’m over here searching for any and every opportunity to find the ease in my day, to recharge and retreat and in some ways, escape. When Summer takes a nap I reach for my book and I long for every minute of it. When the girls are playing without me I soak it all up, appreciating the chance to breathe a little deeper or listen to a song of my own choice. When we’re outside on a walk everything feels easier yet getting everyone out for a walk is still a hard task. Our days are slow and relaxed, with no set plans or activities we must do but then when the kids seem frustrated, bored or aggravated I wonder if it’s because of me? Because I’m choosing ease instead of fire? Because setting up exciting activities hasn’t been my priority recently but conserving my energy has? I know I can summon a little more fire when it’s needed. I know I have it within me to find that creative spark again and pretend as if this were week 2 of lockdown and not week 9 but I also know that my girls are still thriving. No matter if I’m having a day in my own head or I’m wanting to soak them all up, they are so loved and they know it. They are doing great and for that I’m so grateful. How are you doing? How is your energy? 📸we borrowed my parents dog yesterday and it was so great #growingamother #vulnerabilityisstrength #parentingishard #coronadiaries #accidentalhomeschooler #lockdownlife #lifeinlockdown #raisinggirls #unitedinmotherhood #tiredmama #tiredasamother #piscesbelike #pisceswomen #piscesmom #ukmummy #honestmothering #respectfulparenting #consciousparenting
The way to my heart is definitely through amazing vegan food! Happy 7th anniversary to my gorgeous hubby @bearded.vegan.dad. Thank you for making this delicious vegan shakshuka we had for brunch today, sat outside in the sunshine with our two girls playing around us in the garden. I’m so happy to be on this journey with you 💗 #happyanniversarymylove #7yearanniversary #vegancouple #veganparenting #veganlove #veganfamily #raisingvegankids #consciousparenting #veganfortheplanet🌎 #veganforthefuture #veganfoodshare #thefeedfeedvegan #vegankidsofig #veganfamilymeals #ukvegans #eatmoreplants #vegangoals #consciousrelationship
My little Pisces child ♓️ Listening to music, resting your eyes, seeking out the comfort of warm sun on your skin, enjoying the peace and quiet you literally created for yourself, thinking, contemplating...or so it seems to me. I recognise myself in you, a little Pisces dreamer...sensitive, emotional, full of wonder. Watching you this morning clutching the speaker as you sat so still and so content, seeking that feeling of relaxation that I also live for more than anything. The solace. Summer was buzzing around all over the garden like the busy little bee that she is and yet you were able to stay in your own world, dreaming, possibly, or not. At least that’s what I’d be doing too. It was beautiful to witness you choose relaxation, comfort and softness, the things that bring you peace, no matter what. You joined me in the shower this morning too, never able to resist the pull of water and I laughed to myself as you threw your wet towel on the floor as another dreamy idea caught your attention. It was a mirror into my soul but yet, I saw it as nothing but beauty and magic, not a flaw to be fixed. Dream on sweet Pisces child, you are utterly brilliant and you have my whole heart 💓 #piscesbelike #pisceschild #piscesgirl #pisceswomen #jasminehannah #consciousparenting #growingamother #motherofgirls #sweetchildofmine #selfcareforkids #respectfulparenting #gentleparenting #gentlemama #preschooler #daydreamers #thinkingfeeling #everydayamazing
But don’t you miss anything? Don’t you miss cheese and eggs and steak? What do you actually eat? In my conversations with non-vegans, there seems to be a sense that without eating animal products, I must somehow be lacking in my enjoyment of food, that somehow, because of my love and respect for animals, I’m unable to enjoy food or at least not as much as I used to, because what is a meal without those things? There’s a sense that vegans must miss out on so much and by default, therefore, so do their children. The truth is I miss absolutely nothing from my pre-vegan days. I look forward to every single meal we eat and I am as much a foodie, if not far more, than I ever was before. Food is a huge part of our daily life and being vegan does not for a second mean compromising on taste. Vegans are not sat at home eating bland, tasteless food just because they’re dedicated to a cause and just because they no longer eat animal products. Vegan eating is a joy! Everyone in our family LOVES their food and the kids have pretty high standards too, so things have to, and do, taste damn good! Being vegan does not have to mean compromising. It has never, ever been easier to enjoy vegan versions of everything and to dive into the world and abundance of plant-based cooking. You can love animals and the planet AND still be a foodie! Try some vegan food and see for yourself... 📸 vegan ramen with tofu enjoyed by us all! #whatveganseat #veganfamily #veganmeals #veganramen #tofurecipes #veganparenting #raisingvegankids #debunkingveganmyths #myvegandinner #whatiatetodayvegan #plantbasedfoodie #onceafoodiealwaysafoodie #veganmother #veganwoman #veganandproud #veganfoodie #veganforeverything #veganforthem #veganfortheanimals #animalrights #stopeatinganimals #eatinganimalsisweird #friendsnotfood
For the love of books! I am finally into the swing of reading again, allll the time and I’m finding so much joy in it. I’ve become that person who reads several books at once, picking up whichever one I fancy depending on my mood and I’m reading every single day. Every day!! This has been a goal of mine for so long because I know how much happiness comes from reading and how much wisdom can be soaked up from the pages, but it’s also something I find difficult to start when I’m not in the flow. I’m reading when Summer naps each day and also sit with my book by the bath each evening as the girls splash around. I’m close enough to swoop in if Summer needs me but I’m relaxed enough to still sink into the pages. I’m reading before bed too and am building book wish lists all the time. I love a female author and I want a book that makes me shout YES or ask questions or make notes in my journal and yearn to learn more. I also love, truly love, that what I choose to read now is a reflection of who I am, what I value and where I want to go. I feel like a sponge that is entirely willing to get soaked. That’s the joy of learning as an adult, isn’t it? What are you reading during lockdown (semi-lockdown)? #coronacalm #whatimreadingnow #joyfulvegan #unorthodox #untamed #feministliterature #adultlearner #growingamother #stackofbooks #bookworm #veganwoman #veganfeminist #feministvegan #veganmama #veganmother #feministmother #strongfemales #selfdiscovery #bookclubsofinstagram

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