Motherhood Archives - Mind of Malaka

Scuba With My Son, And Other Ways We Are Finding Our Way Back to Love

Posted on March 30, 2023
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

"Your son should NEVER ask me to do anything for him EVER again! I'm not taking him to karate, I'm not helping him with school work, I'm not even going to buy deodorant for his funky ass! From now on, YOU raise him!" My eyes…

Busy Parents, Rejoice! Here Are Some Cost-Efficient Ways to Stay Organized

Posted on March 13, 2023
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Written by Elena Stewart Being a parent is one of the most rewarding experiences in life. But it can also be overwhelming and chaotic. There are so many joys to be found in raising a family, but there can also be moments of chaos and…

What I Hope to Teach My Daughters About Desire

Posted on February 14, 2023
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

A journalist sent me a message last week, expressing interest in my work on Adventures From the Bedrooms of African Women. When it comes to this project, I have been the force behind the scenes, rather than the face out front for many myriad reasons.…

18 Years a Mother

Posted on December 16, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

I thought we were going to die. But before we did, I figured I'd get some orange juice to quench my thirst and hopefully quell the raging headache pulsing through the vein in the left side of my face. Orange juice has no cranial healing…

Separation Anxiety: Coming to Terms With Being Out of View From My Children

Posted on August 24, 2022
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

When you are preparing to bring a child into this world for the first time, there is no shortage of advice doled out to new parents. "Don't hold the baby too much, or she'll get spoiled!""Baby won't sleep? Let her cry it out through the…

“New African Mum” Parenting is Taking Your Daughters to a Burlesque Show

Posted on July 29, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Aya, my sweet and surly second born, turned 16 this month. It's difficult to believe considering that I just enrolled her in pre-school a few days ago. Nevertheless that's what the calendar says: My baby is officially in the first phases of young adulthood. Her…

A Father’s Day Lament: When You Need Protection from Your “Protector”

Posted on June 22, 2022
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

A man places his phone on selfie mode and begins to record. The lens is angled from the floor up, so that we are able to see his feet advancing towards a child cowering in the corner. Both come into view. The man is hunched…

My Tween Son Doesn’t Like to Bathe, So I Used the Seuss Method to Explain the Importance of Personal Hygiene

Posted on March 15, 2022
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

My Boy turns 13 this Spring and just as he did during the toddler phase, he is hitting every single benchmark and milestone by the book. He's moody, ill-tempered, keeps a filthy bedroom and only takes instructions from his father. I have been content to…

The “Mommy Wars” Have Made it to Africa, and They Are Uglier Than Ever

Posted on March 8, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

They say fashion and trends recycle themselves every 20 years, so I suppose it should come as no surprise that the Mommy Wars - a dark and desolate time during the early days of social media - have reared its ugly head. In the early…

Aboriginal Australians Send Their Pre-Teen Boys On a ‘Walkabout’. I Wish I Could Send My Son On One Too.

Posted on December 20, 2021
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

The rules of Thunderdome are easy: Two men enter, one man leaves. This is what it's felt like living with my son for the past 18 months - like I'm locked in a cage fight with an adversary bent on bending me to his will…