The glass you keep refilling says you actually enjoy drinking water and don’t see it as a competitive activity that needs accurate measurement for a sense of achievement. The massive bottles are just another box to be tucked in your ‘wellness journey’. 

This is beyond horrific. The friends who told you to forgive are not friends. I would divorce myself from the entire group. 

So much of parenting is challenging. I’ve navigated mental health, physical health and sibling issues, had days when I didn’t know how I could keep putting one foot in front of the other. Like anything in life, it’s a roller coaster. The baby years, the other parents, the school mums and school frenemies, the teen angst and depression. I can honestly say, now my third and final is about to finish school and number one is back at home starting uni, I wouldn’t give them back. I don’t think people who don’t want kids are ‘missing out’ but my decision was right for me. Even with all those difficult moments. Enjoy those gorgeous moments. They are what you will remember.

@laurenella because the implication is that being above an ‘acceptable’ size in the public eye must mean you are miserable. Also, look at the comments Kyle makes when he is clearly way bigger and nobody tells him he’s ‘unrootable’. Standards for men and women are clearly different. Just because some women feel like this, doesn’t mean we all should and seeing this kind of article constantly tells us what matters is size, not well-being.

Hopefully this case shows that a woman can flirt, can invite a man over and even intend to have sex with him and still doesn’t have the right to assault her if she says no.

Generalised anxiety is often a diagnosis given when ADHD is underlying, particularly in women. My husband and I both have ADHD, but present very differently. He is very much like your husband and I am the overthinker. Something to contemplate. 

That gold dress looks stunning! You should try wearing fitted dresses, it really suits you. There are well made fitted dresses and not well made; this one is well made.

Hear, hear. I became a teacher at 45 and thought I had to aim for a full time job. At the time my children were teens and I realised they needed me more than ever. 10 years later I am still casual and can choose my days to fit in with my family and my own needs. I’m lucky I can afford to make the decision. The freedom and lack of admin make it all worthwhile. I don’t need the plaudits that come with full time work, I need peace of mind.

I’m shocked that Mamamia would partner with a country that is in the news for human rights abuses. Football teams from around the world are standing up and speaking out about their treatment of migrant workers. Helping the government gloss over their reputation is pretty distasteful.

It’s interesting because I have the exact same reaction to shopping centres and also exercise. Other people just love these things and tell me I would too if I only tried, but I just don’t get it. It’s a visceral reaction, not just a distaste but a total bewilderment about why others love them. I can think of nothing better than resting with a book whereas my husband can’t stop moving. Both of us have ADHD but different types.

I get the comment about my brain being amazing too. As lovely and kind as it is to say that, it dismisses the fact that you can know you are amazing and still feel the tiredness of overthinking, constant awareness of your impact on others and the work you need to do to feel balanced. Holding those two ideas in your head at the same time is one of the really difficult thing to put across.

@katp my children have anxiety and have suffered from depression but this isn’t because of poor parenting, it’s genetic. They also have ADHD because their parents have ADHD. It stands to reason that if people with mental health issues are reproducing and having more than one child, the incidence of these issues will increase. There are many reasons why people have anxiety etc. and their mothers working is not one of them (unless it is in combination with neglect or abuse).

As enticing as it seems, group dynamics are rarely as simple as they look. Nurture the small friendships and they will grow as you get older and more of your paths interact. If you have children you may have a mothers’ group, kindy, school or sport for the kids, or you could join something yourself that you enjoy. Sport or clubs can help. What I really recommend is mature adult friendships you will find in about 10 or so years, after you have enjoyed the individual friends for a while.

I have recently been assessed for ADHD and ASD and my best friend, when I told her what I was doing said ‘do you ever think that maybe you just overthink things?’ Um…yes… 🙄 ‘Doesn’t everyone do that?’ ‘You’re not hyperactive’ so many statements that minimise your struggles. It is tiring!

Hear, hear. As a parent of kids with ADHD and a teacher, I couldn’t agree more.. compassion costs nothing. I thought Louis looked overwhelmed by the whole thing.

I feel like the whole series is just focused on Julie and I’m absolutely here for it. I think the contestants all love and support her too. This is the joy of MasterChef.

@loz I am 53 and still appreciate the privilege of travel, from my penniless backpacking years to the comfort of middle aged travel, it is something I tell my children all the time. Not everyone gets the chance. Growing up, going on a plane was a dream. 

@elishatraill this is why I became a teacher at 45. I had this experience at school and wanted to help all these amazing kids.

I sat at an awards day at the school where I teach casually and became progressively angrier as I saw 75% of students awarded ‘personal best’ certificates’ and the principal tell the other girls she hoped they would achieve this next year. I went back to the staff room and wrote an article intended for Mamamia but I decided against submitting it because of the anger behind it. Thank you for speaking up for the 25%. As one of those who was always told I ‘wasn’t living up to my potential’, with three boys travelling the same journey, it kills me to see them made to feel less than at school. Two of mine have now left school and are thriving in their chosen pursuits. If they survive the constant knocks of school, people with ADHD can thrive when they follow their passions. I hope your daughter knows that.

I am the mother of three boys, 22, 20 and 15. I have loved raising them and never felt the need for a girl. It is only as they grow up and one has moved out that I got the pang of sadness that they wouldn’t need me any more like a girl. My second said ‘I’ll go out to dinner with you, I still want that trip to Melbourne to shop and eat!’ Boys love their mums fiercely and don’t go through the teen stage of needing to separate from them in quite the same way. You will love your child, of course and they may not even have the gender that has been predicted. Every day is a joyful surprise. Congratulations on your honesty.