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Beck Vass
Beck Vass is a columnist for Lifestyle at The New Zealand Herald.
We are your advocate, Aotearoa. Uncovering stories that matter, asking hard-hitting questions of those in power, live-blogging sport events, monitoring the highs and lows of the NZX and providing Premium expert opinion and analysis. Bringing you distinctive, quality journalism and breaking news from across New Zealand and around the world. With specialists working together to create indepth reads, engaging video, and unmissable podcasts.
Check out Beck’s latest content
The harsh reality of 'mum guilt'
Beck Vass found herself unable to enjoy a day alone while her baby was in daycare.
That empty feeling when your child starts school
"Some kids cry when their parents leave them but our child just did a happy dance."
Beck Vass: Why I'm upset about my son's first day of school
Beck Vass is sending her son off to school. He's fine about it but she's not so thrilled.
I wasted two days making my kid's elaborate birthday cake
Though it makes more financial and emotional sense, Beck Vass wanted to do it herself.
Why NZ's summer school holidays need to be shorter
Are you ready to send your little treasures back to school? Beck Vass definitely is.
My run in with a patronising Tauranga dental nurse
Beck Vass reveals the trials and tribulations of her baby's first dental visit.
Are Kiwi husbands holiday helpers or a hindrance?
From long showers to sporadic lawn mowing, Beck Vass is baffled by her husband's "help".
Kiwi holiday confusion and a Scorched Almond conundrum
Beck Vass has spent her summer holidays identifying some uniquely Kiwi issues.
Top five columns of 2019: Beck Vass
These were the most read columns by parenting writer Beck Vass in 2019.
When Kiwi mums get caught in the nude
When I shared my caught-in-the-nude moment with friends, several had similar stories.
Beck Vass: Inside the hungover Kiwi mums club
Kids are like sharks, they smell the booze on you and make you suffer as much as possible.
Beck Vass: Why I refuse to take my kids to meet Santa
Why do we insist on making our crying kids sit on a creepy looking, old man's lap?
Beck Vass: It's Christmas and I'm failing as a mum
Despite all my efforts, my kids don't listen, they don't respect anyone or anything.
Why Christmas trees and babies don't mix
It's only a matter of time before there's tinsel in his number twos.
Kiwi mum's list of Christmas gifts that aren't total junk
Looking for gifts that stand the test of time - and won't drive you nuts too?
Dirty old parental guilt at its finest
No one should feel guilty about doing this but all of us do, writes Beck Vass.
Beck Vass: My children think empathy is for losers
I worry about the impact my daughter is going to have on this poor innocent world.
A lesson from the homeless man at my local bakery
Was I wrong to listen to the bakery owners when I tried to give a homeless man money?
Beck Vass: My online supermarket shopping meltdown
All her friends were doing it. But Beck Vass only wasted time with this supermarket app.
What happened when my 7yo drew genitals at school
In my entire life as a school mum, l have never been so embarrassed.
Beck Vass: Does every mother get this on their hands?
Everyone suggests a cream that's supposedly cured someone they know.
Measles outbreak: Why are we being given mixed messages?
Are you confused about what your doctor's advised about measles? Beck Vass is.
I broke my kids' hearts over Disney on Ice
"My son cried. I felt bad but not bad enough," writes Beck Vass.
The toy you should not buy your kids
This toy had been in our lives just five minutes and I already hated it.
Beck Vass: Why I've stopped cleaning my house
Every day for the last two weeks I have told myself I will sort it. But I don't.
Unhelpful words in alcohol death of tiny baby girl
Beck Vass on the "gross discrepancy" in comments around recent deaths of Kiwi kids.
Beck Vass: Dirty habits spreading winter bugs
Coughing, sneezing, hacking, snotting - Beck Vass says people are un-necessarily gross.
Parents need to stop doing this outside schools
Your selfish act could result in a serious injury or death, writes Beck Vass.
Tauranga playground closed by 'cotton-wool parents'
Comment: Beck Vass is calling out the "over-protective" parents behind the shut down.
Kiwi mum: The impact of booze after giving birth
Beck Vass shares what happened when she went back to booze after giving birth.
Beck Vass: 'Dad-shaming' is bullsh*t
Lucky dad's - mum's don't have the luxury of bailing out of parenting their child.
Beck Vass: My kids are turning into deviants
My daughter wants to fart on people and my 4-year-old took a "d*** pic" using my phone.
Kiwi mum's guide to having a humongous baby
Within a week or two, tiny newborn nappies start looking like g-strings.
A parent's view on New Zealand's teachers' strikes
What teachers are expected to do for their pay has become untenable, writes Beck Vass.
My dinner disaster: Slippery chicken and a distracted husband
Beck Vass shares her Monday night mealtime meltdown.
Beck Vass: Why Easter was a total let down this year
Beck Vass asks, is it just me or did Easter sell out early this year?
Beck Vass: Are you 'the other parent'?
After lying awake battling mental chatter, Beck Vass turned to her husband.
Beck Vass: The day I accidentally rubbed salt in my son's wounds
Sometimes Mum makes it all better, and sometimes she rubs salt in your wounds - literally.
Re-name the Crusaders? 'Chiefs' and 'Hurricanes' have killed people too
"We were all love, inclusiveness and understanding, until it came to our rugby."
A mum's guide to surviving New Zealand's most hectic sale
Beck Vass reveals her hacks for surviving a Farmers 50 per cent of kids clothes sale.
Beck Vass: My most nerve-racking Plunket interview
He's going to tell her everything. Even some stuff that isn't true but makes me sound bad.
'It smelled like Satan': Nappy change nightmare on NZ flight
I don't know what that kid had eaten but it smelled like Satan made it.
Why is my 3-year-old eating more than me?
Beck Vass is struggling with a "hangry" little monster. And fears it's about to get worse.
The guilty joy of sending kids back to school
Wanting to enjoy some time to yourself doesn't make you a bad mum.
What Kiwi mums need to know about sack races
And the other kids games than can cause serious injuries for adults.
Beck Vass: The things you'll forget about having a baby
Beck Vass has six reminders of the little things you've likely forgotten about your kids.
This family makes me feel better about my parenting
For all her family frustrations this summer, one saga has made Back Vass feel much better.
Beck Vass: Why formula was best for my babies
There's a phrase you're bombarded with before you even start looking for information.
Beck Vass: Why New Zealand's summer school holidays need to be shorter
The struggle is real, and this Kiwi mum just summed it up perfectly — who can relate?
The New Year's resolution all women should make
Why you shouldn't buy undies to smooth out your undies - and other ridiculous products.
My disgraceful doctor's visit at Tauranga Hospital
COMMENT: Beck Vass hoped her appointment would go smoothly. It didn't. Here's why.
Why you should never build kitset furniture in front of your kids
COMMENT: I wanted to be Cool Mum and let the kids help. What a mistake that was.
Beck Vass: I took away the TV, now the kids are happier
Could that thing you think is making raising kids easier actually be making it harder?
My baby nearly fainted from the pain of his vaccinations
Beck Vass: Vaccinating your baby is one of the first times you feel parental guilt.
The truth about c-sections versus natural births
After two natural births, Beck Vass thought she was on easy street with a c-section.
Beck Vass: My daughter's teacher has 10 jobs
Better pay for teachers is an expensive problem to fix. But what will it cost if we don't?
My c-section complication changed my life - for the better
It took being shattered after a c-section birth to upend Beck Vass' outlook on life.
Why I'm concerned my baby will be named 'Slayer'
As Beck Vass gives births, she worries she'll come out with a little "Slayer". Here's why.
Beck Vass: The worst stage of pregnancy
Comment: Think the first trimester is tough? Beck Vass has news for you.
I'm not having a natural birth and I'm terrified
COMMENT: Beck Vass has two choices: Sign the forms or die.
What really goes on inside the mind of a pregnant woman
"Panic. I can't do this." Beck Vass, due to give birth next month, reveals her fears.
Beck Vass: What not to say to a pregnant woman
Comment: Don't be the reason a pregnant woman is left crying into a packet of Tim Tams.
School cross country: Kids shouldn't have a choice
Beck Vass: How is stopping non-athletic kids from participating helping anyone?
The real reason Greg Boyed's death hurts so many Kiwis
COMMENT: I've had a friend stolen like this. In NZ it's rare to find anyone who hasn't.
Should you find out your baby's gender?
My friends are going insane over the gender reveal of our baby. This brings me great joy.
Why we need to stop judging Jacinda for returning to work
"Where are the opinion pieces screaming that men chose their jobs over their children?"
What to say when your kid asks 'the question'
"At the tender age of five-and-a-half, my daughter has just hit me with THE question."
How do you talk to a 5-year-old about death?
COMMENT: Google only gets you so far when it comes to answering kids curly questions.
I left Auckland six years ago - this is what I miss
Beck Vass left Auckland for her kids but there are some things she'll always miss.
Thanks Smiggle, I've already blown my school holidays budget
Comment: I brushed the sequins on a Smiggle notebook up and down. Damn, they're worth it.
Why do Kiwi mums feel like failures over c-sections?
In New Zealand, c-sections are to childbirth as formula is to feeding, writes Beck Vass.
Not everyone gets a macaroni midwife like Jacinda's
Beck Vass can't help wonder if our PM had quite a different experience to the rest of us.
Jacinda's baby: Elation and utter shock of giving birth
Beck Vass, mum-of-two with one on the way, on the shock and elation of giving birth.
Why the hell is my son playing 'night minges'?
Beck Vass was shocked by her son's game. Then she worked out what he was really saying.
Beck Vass: My husband isn't always right
Pregnancy rage at its peak, Beck Vass learns her tech-savvy husband isn't always right.
Beck Vass: The scum outside Tauranga Hospital
Mum left appalled after taking her son to hospital with a broken arm.
How baby brain ruined my dinner date
Beck Vass takes baby brain to the next level when she attempts a romantic night out.
Beck Vass: How $200 saved my life
After sharing her "ugly confessions" Beck Vass says she wishes she'd done this years ago.
Attack of the baby brain
Beck Vass: "Jacinda's running the country as I'm out losing my car. And my mind."