Mother and Child Companion (Innbundet (stive permer))

Kate Ashton is a qualified nurse and classical homeopath, and a mother. She was born in Scotland, completed her nursing training in Edinburgh and spent several years in London as a writer and features editor for Nursing Times before leaving to live in mainland Europe. She travelled to France, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Greece from her base in The Netherlands, and lived in rural Friesland before returning to live in the highlands of Scotland. She has written several books, both fiction and non-fiction, working from home as a freelance writer, copy editor, and translator. She enjoys the many privileges and pleasures of life in a beautiful place, among them bicycling to the beach on a summer's afternoon to take a dip in a dolphin and seal-swum bay, walking, and reading.

"A mother always has to think twice - once for herself and once for her child." This simple truth hides an amazing world of imagination, fantasy, and inventiveness. Being a mother is an art: it involves far more than the routine tasks of washing, feeding, and tending your little ones. It means that you become an impromptu entertainer; a singer of songs, reciter of poetry; a spell-binding teller of fairy tales; a present-giving genius at birthday and Christmas; a counsellor in times of tiny crises; a tactful diplomat to soothe squabbles; and a wacky inventor of decorative ideas - whether they're for great cookie toppings or dress-up costumes for school. Mother and Child Companion invites you to share all the secrets, wisdom, ideas, and pleasures that mothers have stored up over centuries - ranging from the joys of getting messy with paint, playing finger games; giggling at silly jokes; chanting nursery rhymes; singing gentle lullabies; making toys and decorations, inventing fun snacks or just jumping for joy with the kids. You'll find endless ideas and inspiration in these pages - as well as wonderful extracts from literature that express every aspect of how it feels to be a mother.

This beautifully illustrated volume is a wealth of exciting discoveries. Packed with interesting pieces of history, games, poems, extracts from literature, songs and things to make, these books are quirky, engaging, witty and wise! The companion series explores an array of subjects for all tastes, ranging from the outdoor thrill of the campfire, to the cosy pleasures of bedtime.

Introduction * Home at Last! * Madame Bovary * Cradle and all * Introducing the new baby! * Baby * Mother's milk * Bottle-feeding the baby * Glowing with Health * Soft and white, so eco-right! * Baby on wheels * My little spring lamb * The Light Princess * One step, two step... * I'm from... * Bath time fun * Toothy, toothy tiger * Time for bed * All Through the Night * Lullabies * Please, give me sleep! * Oh those baby blues! * Anne of Green Gables * The Great Mother * The godmother * The Child's Quest * How does it grow? * The Eggheads * I can dress myself * You're a big person now! * Bigger and better every day * Togetherness * Food, glorious food! * Ma's magic chicken noodle soup with vegetables * Mother's trying to talk! * The Chatterbox * Swing high, swing low * Come fly my kite * Flying fish kite * Fun by the sea... * Seaside picnic * American Woman's Home * Pat-a-cake * Mother's baking tips * Mama's magic apple pie * Look after yourself! * Pet loves * Mother Goose * What shall we read? * Reading together * Little Women * With a wave of a wand... * The dress-up box * Making music * Water xylophone * Clap hands and dance * Laundry day * Working mothers * There Was An Old Woman * Playing mother * Snow White * Mother's Day * Homemade lemonade * Hot chocolate * Shy baby! * Safe with mother * Just you and me * Head nurse * Can I get into your bed? * Sad and blue * Prelude * I'll whisper it * Like mother, like daughter * The gentle touch * One at a time... * Pride and Prejudice * A room of one's own * Fat cat doorstop * Run and get... * Shopping savvy * Trick or treat? * Halloween Jack o' Lantern * Halloween pumpkin pie * The A-Team * Wish you were here * See-saw, Margery Daw * Toys, glorious toys * A puppet to play * First snow * Mother Christmas * Gingerbread Christmas cookies * Christmas tree fairy * Party animals * Then there's the sleepover * Watch the birdie! * Alice's Adventures in Wonderland