Life As A London Mum: April Showers, Surviving Weddings, and Two-Year-Old Birthday Panic

At 30,000 feet, somewhere between the Amalfi Coast and London, I’ve been given something rare: a few uninterrupted hours to myself. I’d been looking forward to it - no notifications, no noise, just a bit of peace. And yet, the WiFi is unexpectedly strong on this flight, and when the option to be connected is there, naturally I’ve taken it.

Being a mother can be a bit like that – the inability to fully log off. We might get some occasional opportunities to step away and be ‘offline’, but if there’s the faintest signal to reconnect, we’ll rarely resist, even when we know a break would do us some good. And yes, I did just compare motherhood to WiFi.

Take this weekend for example. I’d blocked the dates out in my diary months ago for a close friend’s hen do - think full-day boat trips, sea swims, long lunches - the kind of holiday that feels like a distant memory once you have a baby. And yet, I still came home a night earlier than everyone else to be with my daughter. She was absolutely fine without me. More than fine, actually. The handful of times we video called she barely looked up from what she was doing. “I’m playing, Mama!” she’d say, before running off again. Aside from being a little offended, it did at least mean I could relax knowing she was happy.

Still, like so many of us, I’m susceptible to a bit of mum guilt. I wanted to be there on Monday morning ready for her first day back at nursery after the Easter holidays, and so here I am on an early flight home.

I can’t deny how much good the break did me, though. I managed to get more sleep this weekend than I’ve had in the past few weeks combined, despite it being a fairly lively girls’ trip. It's been a busy month back in London. Wedding season is upon us, and I’ve already attended two hen weekends and a wedding, with three - yes, three – more weddings just around the corner. I’ve been leaning on Monsoon for occasion wear for my daughter. By the time you’re reading this, she’ll have worn a sweet Monsoon flower girl dress to my sister’s wedding, paired with very tiny shoes that I hope will stay on her feet for at least the ceremony.

Amid a busy social calendar, I recently joined Jesse’s House in Parsons Green, a family members’ club that’s quickly become my home away from home. There’s a heated pool, gym, restaurant, co-working spaces and, crucially, a creche, meaning I can carve out an hour or two to work or exercise while my daughter is happily occupied. She’s already made herself very at home in the play areas, and we’ve started trying a few of the parent-and-child classes too.

Jesse’s is part of the OurHouse group, with a handful of family clubs across London, and more set to open. One of those will be in Chiswick, my hometown, which I’m particularly excited about.

Earlier in the month, I stopped by a SS26 launch for kids’ shoe brands Bobux and Boatilus. My daughter has since been sporting a bright yellow pair of waterproof Chelsea boots, which felt particularly timely given the return of April showers and her latest obsession with puddles. They’re thoughtfully designed, crafted from 100% recycled material, and sturdy enough to withstand her enthusiastic jumping with an anti-shock heel. They even have a subtle citrus scent – a pleasant detail after a morning outdoors.

In between the rain showers, with sunnier afternoons becoming more frequent, we’ve made a few picnic trips to Hyde Park and Chiswick House and Gardens - two of my go-to spots when the weather behaves. Since becoming a parent, I’ve noticed my picnic setup has become a little more considered. What was once a simple throw-everything-into-one-bag situation now involves a bit more thought, largely in an attempt to avoid yogurt leaks or crushed fruit that my toddler will deem inedible because it’s ‘broken’. I recently switched to using b.box lunch and snack boxes, which have leakproof compartments for dips, removable dividers, and sections designed especially for fruit with soft lids. It’s been somewhat of a picnicking game-changer for us.

And finally, a confession …It’s my daughter’s second birthday next weekend and I have planned… absolutely nothing.

In the midst of travel, weddings and everything in between, her birthday has crept up on me, along with an equal measure of guilt. So, the rest of this flight back to London will be dedicated to present hunting, ironically enabled by the WiFi I had hoped to avoid.

Ciao!