Stay at home mum

From a young age, I learned that sick is comfort; sick is to be cared for. When I stayed home with an earache in second grade, my dad didn’t double-check my homework or make me practice piano exercises twice on each hand. He brought me a bell so I could ring him and gave me three M&M’s for every dose of antibiotics that went down without a fuss. Undoubtedly, my penchant for minor ailments comes from a place of privilege. My physical body is healthy, which is why its occasional maladies have become phenomena that I get to relish. I recognise that chronic illness is another story, of course. But when I feel a cold coming on, I don’t stir Emergen-C and up my citrus intake, I lean in. My taste for illness solidified in high school, when I came down with mono. For two weeks, I lay in bed with a high fever while the kissing disease transformed my reputation. Along with the virus, I had contracted an air of mystery — the possibility that I was locking lips with someone my … [Read more...] about A celebration of the sick day: If you need that MC tomorrow, just take it

Buckingham Palace tonight launched a probe into allegations of bullying by Meghan Markle in the latest explosive twist in the Megxit saga. In an unprecedented move the Palace released a statement saying "we are very concerned" at claims the Duchess bullied staff . The bombshell statement said: "We are clearly very concerned about allegations in The Times following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex . Accordingly our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article. "Members of staff involved at the time, including those who have left the Household, will be invited to participate to see if lessons can be learned. "The Royal Household has had a Dignity at Work policy in place for a number of years and does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace." The statement came amid further claims of rows between the duchess and aides over designer clothes . One source said: "As an actress it was … [Read more...] about Meghan Markle latest – Bullying investigation is RACIST, Duchess’ pal claims, despite ‘humiliated staff left in tears’

ROSA WOODS/STUFF An update and tour of the new Wellington Children's Hospital. First published July 2020. The building is up, but it will be another 12 months before the lights are on in Wellington's new children's hospital in Newtown. Called Te Wao Nui, it will replace the 30-year-old children’s hospital. It will be bigger, more private, and more comfortable for whānau and the 87,000 children who use the hospital every year, says clinical leader Dr Andrew Marshall. “We are coming close to the finish line,” he said. “It is going to be finished in November, then there are three months between the building being finished and it being fully operational. They have got to test everything and train staff.” The new building has been designed to withstand a pandemic and a major earthquake. It has wide corridors, and rooms which only have one or two patients in them, as well as an ensuite. All rooms have a bed for parents to spend the night. READ MORE: Mum takes sick … [Read more...] about Wellington’s new children’s hospital entering final stages