SUPERMUM'S PORTRAIT - HELEN TAYLOR

Because every mother is a superwoman, we've been getting to know Mums from all over New Zealand and Australia and the one thing we've learned is that no two journeys through motherhood are the same! Here is a series of SuperMums who shared their story with us.

Meet Helen, Solo mum of Teddy living in Whangarei, New Zealand

About you

I’m Helen, a solo mumma of my beautiful 11-month son Teddy. We love to get out and about during the week, we go swimming, playcentre and get out on regular walks. We live in the beautiful Whangarei, full of beaches and bush walks.
Solo parenting is hard, but it is so rewarding too. All the milestones and new things they’ve learnt is all because of you, and remembering that makes the tough times worth it. In some ways it’s easier as all decisions are made by you in how you bring your child up!

Is New Zealand a good country to raise your children?

I would definitely say that New Zealand is a great place to raise children, after growing up in the UK myself, I wouldn’t want to raise teddy there. Here Teddy is open to so many more experiences that he wouldn’t be able to do over there. We can go to the beach in the summer whenever we want, but we can also go to the snow in the winter!

Why do you choose Only Organic?

I choose only organic to give to Teddy when I can’t give him food I make myself, because they only contain the best ingredients I’d choose myself, great healthy flavours and they taste delicious too. The pouches themselves are great when we’re out, as they don’t create mess and he can still feed himself, weather we’re in the car or in the middle of a walk. But they’re also great to have in the house when I’ve run out of food in the freezer, or we’re late home. I discovered it in the supermarket when looking for ideas to create food for Teddy, the flavours caught my eye over the other brands and they’re the only brand we use. 

What's the #1 feeding tip ?

My number one feeding tip would be to not freak out. When they start solids, they gag a lot if something is too big, if you don’t freak out and stay calm they also stay calm and work the stuck food out themselves. So stay calm and follow your gut

Any advise to another solo parent?

My advise to another solo parent would be to accept the help, in whatever form it comes in. I’m lucky to have such a great support system, but I still find it hard to accept help as I feel that I should be able to do it all. But just accept the help. And follow your instincts.  
Listen to yourself. You can read all the books, and be given all the advice in the world, but every child and parent IS different. What may work for one child, may not work for yours. Trust your instincts. Each day is a new day, if you’re having a rough day, just remember that it will end and to start a fresh again tomorrow. I also like to make sure I get in the habit of apologising to Teddy, when things are really rough and I get agitated. It’s not fair on him. But by giving him a cuddle and saying sorry and I love him, I like to think he knows that we’ve moved on from the situation. 

 
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