Essays

On a child, her reading and dyslexia

My child, aged five, doesn’t like reading. “I guess you don’t do much reading with her at home, do you,” says her teacher, framing a ...
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But isn’t motherhood hard for us all?

An essay by Annie Ridout on the reality of being a mother to three young children, in which she challenges the notion that some mothers ...
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I wasn’t angry until I became a mother

In this essay, Annie Ridout explores her motherhood anger. Some of it stemming from tiredness and some of it, from the fierce protectiveness that arrived ...
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When mothering makes working impossible

Annie Ridout discusses those days when motherhood stands firmly in the way of work. The extra childcare responsibilities, the mental load and the emotions… (Originally ...
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Maybe it’s time to prioritise the children, now?

In this essay, Annie Ridout discusses the impact the pandemic is having on children and wonders when the Government will start to prioritise children’s mental ...
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Maternal rage needs a rebrand

When Annie Ridout’s children kick a ball and knock over the cat food, she shouts at them. And then feels full of guilt. Here, Annie ...
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