Mummy blogger Constance Hall has revealed how she manages to keep sane while raising six children, telling other parents to stop stressing so much about what your kids eat and wear.
In a parenting essay penned for Mamamia, Hall says sharing her secrets of survival as a mum of six "has never been a witch hunt I felt like directing at myself".
- Dad explains genius hack for dealing with fussy-eating kids
- New dad Josh Thompson says you're doing parenting wrong
- Why letting your kids play with their food is the best thing you can do
"But f**k it, someone has to say it... the truth is, I probably did more parental work when I had two than I do now.
"If you make the decision to have a big family you need to accept that corners must be cut."
One of these cut corners is in the kitchen, as Hall says mothers place too much stress on themselves trying to cook perfect meals for their brood.
Her family has picnic dinners on the regular, "both in and out of the house".
"You just cut up some carrots and celery, grab a cooked chook, and go to the park or beach. It's cheap and it gets dinner done.
She also advises you get rid of pesky cutlery and plates, as "dishes are the worst part of dinner".
"Feast with your hands," Hall says."In other cultures, everyone eats with their hands off the same plate. I often put a huge pile of vegetables along with another plate of sliced meat or whatever you're making.
"It's like with dogs: give a dog some dog food and he turns his nose up at it. Introduce another dog and he will race back to competitively eat. It doesn't always work but there are fewer dishes."
Hall says it's also key to think of your kids' tantrums as "white noise", which "some might call 'ignoring'".
"I have become so good at blocking out the sound of my kids that once someone had to walk the whole 3m towards me to let me know that my son was crying - screaming in fact. I felt terrible, but that's the level I had to graduate to in order to stay sane.
"I believe I have levitated to a spiritual state where I don't hear them fighting or whinging for me."
The rest of Hall's tips for motherhood can be found on the Mamamia website.
Newshub.
