http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.familyspaces.co.nz en-us Sat, 03 Oct 2026 20:29:24 +1300 Rocketspark http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/post/170817/why-sleep-matters-at-every-age/ Sleep isn't a luxury, and it isn't a reward for finally getting everything done. It's the quiet, unglamorous work our bodies and brains do to keep us well, at every single age. After a lifetime of poor sleep and a recent diagnosis that stopped me in my tracks, I went looking for the why. Here's a gentle look at why sleep matters so much for babies, kids, teenagers and tired mums, and a nudge to get yourself checked if something feels off.... Wed, 23 Sep 2026 19:20:58 +1200 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/#post170817 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/post/168885/finding-time-for-outdoor-play/ Mud Mates makes NZ-made wet weather gear and messy play gear that turns "not today" into "let's go." Alana is a Hawke's Bay mum who started with one pair of coveralls and built a whole range around one simple idea: the less thinking outdoor play takes, the more of it actually happens. She gets it too, some days the biggest barrier isn't the weather, it's just finding fifteen minutes and the energy to say yes.Play: it doesn't need to be a big event. In fact, treating it like one is probably what'... Wed, 19 Aug 2026 18:11:28 +1200 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/#post168885 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/post/167152/kids-that-contribute-part-2/ In part one I shared how chores actually work in our house: two teenagers, one shared family board, and a lot of learning as we go. This is part two. Here's how we do pocket money for kids, what the research says about whether you should pay kids for chores, and the quieter thing sitting underneath all of it: the invisible mental load that so often lands on Mum. No perfect answers. Just what we do, honestly, and why it matters more than a tidy kitchen.... Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:00:00 +1200 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/#post167152 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/post/167151/kids-that-contribute-part-1/ In our house, a 14 and 16 year old empty every bin, clean the bathrooms, cook a dinner a week and hand wash the pots at night. It didn't start as a parenting plan. It started because I got sick and couldn't hold everything on my own. This is the honest story of how our kids and chores landed where they are, the hard parts nobody photographs, and what the research actually says about children who contribute.... Sat, 11 Jul 2026 20:00:00 +1200 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/#post167151 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/post/167150/coping-with-the-cost-of-living-as-a-family/ Coping with the cost of living as a family is less about cutting harder and more about steadying the home around you. When fuel, food and bills all climb at once, the pressure lands in our routines and on the person carrying the mental load. This post shares gentle, practical ways to keep calm when money is tight: simple rhythms, easier meals, sharing the load, looking after yourself, and focusing on what you can actually control.... Wed, 08 Jul 2026 20:00:00 +1200 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/#post167150 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/post/167147/real-money-saving-tips-for-families-when-the-cost-of-living-is-high/ When money is tight, it is tempting to think you need a big budget overhaul before anything changes. You don't. These are real money-saving tips for families, the small, practical shifts that quietly helped our home stretch a bit further when the cost of living kept climbing. No strict rules. No perfection. No spreadsheet that takes over your life. Just a handful of things that worked for us, so you can pick the one or two that fit yours.... Sat, 04 Jul 2026 15:22:49 +1200 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/#post167147 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/post/166915/school-holidays-on-a-budget-why-connection-beats-cost/ The NZ winter school holidays are nearly here, and with them comes that quiet pressure to make everything special. After years of doing this, first with little kids and now with teenagers, here's what I've learned: the magic was never in the money. These are low-cost school holiday ideas for families that lean on connection over cost, the simple things that actually bring everyone closer at home.... Fri, 26 Jun 2026 21:31:40 +1200 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/#post166915 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/post/163391/when-did-enough-stop-being-enough/ It is birthday season in our house, with my son just turned fourteen and my daughter turning sixteen, and it has me sitting with a question I did not expect: when did "enough" stop feeling like enough? This is an honest look at birthdays, quiet expectations, the cost of living, and learning to notice everything we have already given our kids.It is birthday season in our house. My son has just turned fourteen, and my daughter turns sixteen in a couple of weeks. Two celebrations, close together, i... Thu, 23 Apr 2026 20:00:00 +1200 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/#post163391 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/post/163331/why-we-worry-about-things-that-never-happen/ A cyclone was coming, and our house was full of teenage boys for a sleepover. I lay awake half the night running through every "what if", and by morning I was exhausted, not from anything that happened, but from everything I'd imagined. The boys were fine. The cyclone passed. This is what I've been learning about overthinking, including a simple thoughts, emotions, actions, results cycle that finally helped it make sense.... Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:00:00 +1200 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/#post163331 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/post/155599/family-organiser-boards-nz-a-simple-guide-for-overwhelmed-mums/ A family organiser board can quietly change how your week feels, not by removing the busyness, but by getting it out of your head and onto the wall where everyone can see it. This is a calm, honest guide for the mum who is tired of being the only one holding the map: why a structured wall planner beats a blank whiteboard and the apps, how to choose the right size, and how new habits settle in by month three.... Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.familyspaces.co.nz/blog/#post155599