Welcome back to the next instalment in my Guest Blogger Series. This week’s guest blog comes from Louise who runs a campaign ‘Tips For Tiny Tots’. Here is a little bit about Louise.
“Louise is 38 and mum to her 2-year-old little girl Boo. She’s lives in Cambridgeshire and works as a part-time Senior Marketing Manager for the NHS. She’s also the founder of a sweet little campaign called ‘Tips for tiny tots’ which share tips and advice to new parents to help them navigate the crazy world of parenting.”
A Craft A Day Keeps The Crazy Away!
You may think this is an odd thing to say but there is definitely method in my madness!
I’ve always been someone that likes to be creative, be it styling the girl’s hair before a night out, doing a bit of baking (although I’m no Mary Berry) or having a stab at painting around the house. It’s something that I didn’t ever think “Am I good at this?” I just did these things because I liked them.
So when I became pregnant and the nesting started you can imagine how quick those cogs were turning, like hamsters in a wheel on Redbull! I was into creative overload!
Looking at paint charts for the nursery, outfits for the baby, what colour the pram should be, can I find the perfect change bag to match… I think you get the picture. I.LOVED.IT!
But when little Boo arrived and after a traumatic birth, I found myself coping with PND as many of you have experienced. Everything became about ‘the baby’. What I was going to do that day, what I was going to wear, when to shower, when to eat. My brain was full of hundreds of different thoughts and it was becoming clear that I was in desperate need of doing something that could give me some headspace but that I could still do whilst looking after Boo.
So I thought back to when my mind was a little less ‘full’ and decided to get my craft on!
I started small, as you do, popping to the local pottery shop to make the obligatory hand print cup or footprint bowl. As little Boo slept next to me, I zoned out to decorate the rest of the pottery and once I’d finished, felt completely calm. Okay, not as calm as having a spa day, but my head was clearer and a little bit of that fog had lifted.
Halloween was just around the corner so at my next play date with my super crafty friend Amanda, we pulled together a mock Halloween backdrop of which we placed our babies in position to make it look like they were riding a broom. It was hilarious and the pictures were so cute!
As we thought this was such a great success, we moved on to inviting the rest of our baby mamas and crafted a Christmas backdrop. We teamed this with a glass of fizz and had an amazing afternoon.
And so the theme continued. Amanda and I tag teamed the babies whilst we dried copious amounts of fruit to make Christmas garlands with and chatted about our families. Laura and I cracked open the Prosecco whilst measuring and cutting the fabric to reupholster an old chair we’d kept from a family member. And all the while, the fog was still lifting and come Christmas time, I was feeling a whole lot better.
So without me even knowing it, getting crafty did keep the crazy away and happened to be the best tonic for me. And I’m still crafting away to this today with no fog in sight.
Louise
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tipsfortinytots
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tipsfortinytots/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tipsfortinytots/
Blog: https://medium.com/@louiselaird23/the-stork-should-leave-a-mummy-manual-110cda627e6c
This is such a wonderfully uplifting story from Louise and I am so pleased she found something to help her with her Postnatal Depression. Thank you for sharing this Louise, with any luck, you may have just inspired many other Mum’s who may be struggling. Don’t forget to take your badge!
If you would like to get involved in the Guest Blogger Series, drop me a message by filling in the form on my Contact Me page. I look forward to hearing from you.
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