Mumming

A Year of Trying (and Failing) to Be a Better Parent

By: Victoria Vanstone

Narrated by: Victoria Vanstone

Victoria Vanstone thought she'd be the kind of mum who would spend her days ironing names onto school shirts and who knew the best chocolate-chip cookie recipe off by heart. But as the years have ticked by, she's got the feeling that woman isn't going to show up. Instead, she's the kind of mum who shouts a lot and throws plastic cups at walls.

So Vanstone decides to become the mum she's always wanted to be. She embarks on a year of parental development – enrolling in a parenting course, implementing an exercise regime, awkwardly trying to make friends as an adult, and a holiday away from her family – to reset the dials.

What follows is a year of trying, failing and trying again. But as Vanstone stumbles from one misadventure to the next, she begins to realise that getting things wrong is actually where the fun begins.

Come for the laughs, stay for the reassurance. Mumming is a heartwarming celebration of the messy, wonderful, imperfect reality of raising kids – and yourself.

©2025 Victoria Vanstone (P)2025 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

'Poignant ... honest and atmospheric writing.' (on A Thousand Wasted Sundays) (The Sydney Morning Herald)

'She tells her story with humour, often oversharing her various disasters whilst deep down hoping that her story will strike a chord with anyone in a similar situation. It's raw, it's funny, it's honest ...' (on A Thousand Wasted Sundays) (Child Magazines)

'Vanstone has created a wise and witty guide for anyone on a similar path.' (on A Thousand Wasted Sundays) (Books+Publishing)