Diane Levy

Nov 4, 2024 | kiwifamilies.co.nz | Diane Levy

Picture this: it’s 2 a.m., and you’re wide awake, standing in your living room with a baby monitor in one hand and a half-eaten cookie in the other. Your heart sinks as the familiar wail of your one-year-old echoes down the hall. Sound familiar? As a mom of two daughters, now 5 and 9, I’ve been there more times than I can count.

Nov 4, 2024 | kiwifamilies.co.nz | Diane Levy

Ah, the teenage years! If you think navigating the toddler stage was a rollercoaster, just wait until you experience the wild ride of adolescence.

Nov 4, 2024 | kiwifamilies.co.nz | Diane Levy

If you’ve ever sat back and watched all the changes happening in your pre-teen, you’re not alone! I remember the day my eldest daughter, now nine, came home from school with a new “attitude.” One minute she was my sweet little girl, and the next, she was rolling her eyes at my attempts to engage her in conversation about her day.

Nov 4, 2024 | kiwifamilies.co.nz | Diane Levy

Ever find yourself staring at your kids in disbelief, wondering how they’ve gone from tiny, helpless bundles of joy to full-blown little humans with opinions, preferences, and—dare I say—attitudes? I remember vividly the moment my eldest, then just five, looked me dead in the eyes and declared, “Mom, I can’t wear that shirt! It’s not fabulous!” Fabulous? Where did she even learn that word? It was a hilarious yet alarming sign that she was starting to express her unique personality.

Nov 4, 2024 | kiwifamilies.co.nz | Diane Levy

When we talk about child behaviour, it’s easy to picture a toddler throwing spaghetti on the floor or a teenager rolling their eyes (again!). Just the other day, my 5-year-old transformed our living room into an art studio, and not just with crayons on paper—oh no! She had a full-on paint party, complete with splashes on the walls and her sister’s face as her canvas! It was both a masterpiece and a disaster, reminding me that parenting is a wild mix of chaos, creativity, and a whole lot of love.