Jen Walshaw | Mum In The Madhouse

2026 Colouring Calendar!

Subscribe and receive our 2026 Kids Colouring Calendar for Free
Get the 13 Page Calendar by subscribing below.

Author name: Jen Walshaw

Mum-in-charge Jen Walshaw runs the UK’s top parenting blog Mum in the Madhouse, and she describes herself as a “fat, feisty and over 50” Northerner. Based in North Yorkshire, she’s mum to young adults and a big believer that family life is messy, creative and fun. In 2009 a double mastectomy gave her the nudge to start blogging; with two boys under three she needed an outlet and a digital scrapbook to capture their chaos.Jen’s posts are a mix of crafts, kid‑friendly recipes and honest parenting, peppered with northern humour. She’s happiest when up to her elbows in tea, fabric and pizza dough – sewing and making homemade gifts – before sneaking off to write about it. As a proud Northerner she warns PRs that a “quick pop down to London” isn’t quick at all. Her blog has earned her a stack of accolades, including the Cision #1 Mummy Blogger title in 2024  and consistently topping Vuelio and Tots100 parenting‑blog charts. Whether she’s advocating for diversity and body neutrality or sharing tales of parenting teens, Jen keeps things chatty, real and refreshingly down‑to‑earth.

The Benefits of Owning Fish for Children: Why a Fish Tank is a Great Addition to Your Home

The benefits for Children of Owning Fish is a paid collaborative post for BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Mars Fishcare and the API brand. Growing up my Grandad had an aquarium and my Granddad never did anything by halves so I remember it was huge. In fact, it was a number of tanks that filled the […]

The Benefits of Owning Fish for Children: Why a Fish Tank is a Great Addition to Your Home Read More »

Pinecone Hedgehogs

Pinecone Hedgehogs – A Fun and Creative Autumn Craft for Kids

How cute are these Pinecone Hedgehogs? Pinecones are just amazing.  Autumn has such beautiful bounty and one of our favourite crafts of the past was our pinecone owls and when we got them out recently Mini commented that pinecones look a little like hedgehogs, which is what inspired our pinecone hedgehogs.

Pinecone Hedgehogs – A Fun and Creative Autumn Craft for Kids Read More »

King Prawn and Spicy Maple Curry – A Delicious Recipe for Cooking with Teens

King Prawn and Spicy Maple Curry – Cooking with Teens is a paid collaborative post with Maple from Canada. People who have been following this blog for a while will know that encouraging children to cook is a passion of mine. I believe it is a life skill that we need to empower in our

King Prawn and Spicy Maple Curry – A Delicious Recipe for Cooking with Teens Read More »