My mum mainly brought me up as a single parent (from the age of 2) so she didn't have the support of a husband or family around her. She went back to work when I was 4 becasue of this which was very unusual back in the early 70's in country Victoria.

In the beginning I was BF but only for the first 6 weeks as at that time my parents moved house and the Dr put mum back on the pill - she blames that and the stress of moving for her milk drying up. She was very supportive of me continuing to BF for as long as possible as she felt that it was something she would have liked to have given me.

Parenting - My DP and I make decisions on how we will raise our children together. This was never discussed between my parents. While my father was around things were done his way but once he left my mother never consulted him and he didn't want to be involved.

Sleeping arrangements - I was always in a seperate room to my parents but with my DD we slept in the same room for the first 5 months. I don't think my father would ever have put up with a baby in the bedroom.

Discipline - my mother used smacking as a last resort or when I was doing something dangerous. She was firm but never unfair. I try to use similar with my DD but probably use the last resort less. She always provided parental boundaries right through to when I left home.

I think one of the things that helped was that she was a primary school teacher and was always reading up on the latest child development theories and practices - which she still does - and I talk about these with her. She looks after my DD one day a week and we discuss what she is doing, how to work through issues and what has/hasn't worked.

I hope that helps.

Naomi, mum to Genevieve aged 2y10m, Melbourne.