Rachel Betts

17/10/2022

❤️ Important words for any new mums ❤️

Dear newborn mother,
⠀
Please know that this is what productivity looks like.
⠀
It looks like feeding your baby on the couch for an hour, sometimes more.
⠀
It looks like leaving a dent in the cushions when you leave, if you leave, but you don’t have to leave.
⠀
It looks like being constantly relied
upon, and poo’d on and spewed on.
⠀
It looks like burping them, and cleaning them. And then cleaning yourself, but only if you have time.
⠀
It looks like ignoring the mess surrounding you and somehow making more. There’s always more.
⠀
It looks like staring at them for the longest time so that you completely lose track of time.
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It looks like taking lots of photos and videos of them and then cringing at the sound of your own voice on playback.
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It looks like conversing in one-sided baby language and constantly thinking “there’s a smile” with only the slightest of mouth movements.
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It looks like stroking their hair, nuzzling them, and kissing their cheeks because you still can’t believe they’re real.
⠀
It looks like asking your husband to bring you things. And not bring you things. And then him forgetting to bring you things.
⠀
It looks like rocking them, hushing them, and singing to them. Or just anything that works really.
⠀
It looks like letting them fall asleep on you and letting them stay asleep on you.
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It looks like putting them in their bassinet so you can sleep but staring at them again instead.
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It looks like you sleeping, eating and showering when you can. Or at least trying to anyway.
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It looks like doing what you need to survive the days and nights, the weeks and months.
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It looks like you and them, figuring it all out together, one day at a time.
⠀
Productivity comes in many different forms and this is one of them. So if you have done nothing other than some of the above today, know that you have been productive.
Know that you are working hard.
Know that you are doing great things.
⠀
You may not feel alive right now, but you are keeping someone else alive.
That’s productivity at it’s finest.
⠀
Keep up the good work.
⠀
Best (sleep) wishes,
Another newborn mother.
⠀
📚 Words of Emma Heaphy
Art: O Trocatintas

Join WORTHY MOMS for more

25/09/2022

Got a clingy baby? Congratulations! You’ve done a GREAT job!! 💕

My new book 'Beginnings' 🌱 is all about the development of secure attachments in infancy - check it out if you'd like to understand why clinginess is really a good thing! Get a copy here:

https://amzn.to/3fidho1

25/01/2022

Want to work with us? We’re looking for an Associate Artist to become part of our core team. If you’re a Director, Choreographer or Visual Artist with a minimum of 3 yrs experience then find the details here https://theatre-rites.co.uk/opportunities.php
The deadline is 7 March (info webinar held wk of 21 Feb).

We encourage applicants from different backgrounds with different experiences, skills and stories to join us. We’re keen to diversify the range of voices and perspectives influencing our work and our audiences, and we are particularly interested in applicants who are underrepresented in the performing arts and within our core team. This includes, but is not exclusive to, people from working class backgrounds, artists from the Global Majority and people who self-identify as D/deaf and people who self-identify as Disabled.

21/11/2020

This last year I’ve been an Arvon/Jerwood mentee supported by Evan Placey and I’ve written my second play for teenagers and adults ‘Kyla’. We have our showcase this Monday 23rd Nov on Zoom and I’d love to see some friendly faces there.

Kyla, explores teen and teacher mental health and what happens in the aftermath of something unimaginable. How did we get here and who is to blame? The story mixes past and present and is told through the eyes of Kyla's teenage sister Jess.

"Since it happened my Mum’s been on a mission to find someone to blame, someone to officially stand in front of the cameras and take responsibility for Kyla’s death. Someone to write a letter and say it’s my fault, I did it, well I didn’t actually do it but I’m the reason she didn’t not do it, I’m the crack in the network of people trying to help. But I wonder about this idea of blame because it will never bring her back.

I think she feels that if she could just pinpoint that one action, that one word, that one error the pain will stop. Like dropping a pin on that precise location will be a release. But I dunno. I can’t imagine this pain will ever go away and it engulfs her. It totally swallows her up. I don’t see my Mum anymore. She’s a skeleton engulfed by a rage-cloud, a grief-storm. It’s become her life. And Kyla wouldn’t want that."

The Jerwood/ Arvon Mentoring programme is a unique writer development scheme that offers emerging writers a year of one-to-one mentoring with an established writer in the genres of playwriting, fiction and poetry. Now in its ninth iteration, this programme is run by Arvon in partnership with Jerwood...

30/10/2020

Still time to watch some brilliant family shows at the Hullabaloo Children's Arts Festival - including THE INCREDIBLE TALE OF ROBOT BOY by the fantastic Theatre-Rites 🤖🎥 for ages 8+ and families 🎬🍿https://bit.ly/34EEGsv

24/10/2020

Excited for this!!

We're delighted that the short film of The 🤖🧠🤖will be streaming as part of in Ireland at 7pm on Wednesday 28th October. Some perfect brainy half term fun.
https://www.hullabaloofestival.ie/programme

23/10/2020

Lovely work here from the wonderful Second Hand Dance

22/10/2020

Lovely opportunity here for families with children aged 2-7

PLEASE SHARE: Join Our Journey! We're looking for parents and teachers of children aged 2-7 to become part of our Expert Panel. Watch brand new dance pieces, give feedback, help make our work more and . Find out more: https://www.secondhanddance.co.uk/joinourjourney

21/10/2020

Episode 3: Drama Outdoors, Imagination and Non-Verbal Communication with Hazel Darwin-Clements

16/10/2020

TEACHERS - Sign up for free learning resources to accompany our upcoming audio drama "The Girl of Ink and Stars" at https://bit.ly/356z5u3

16/10/2020

Seriously missing projects like this is real life schools today but glad I have a whole weekend of in person drama classes with young people. It feels more important than ever right now and gives me the same new excitement creative connected feeling I had to when it all began. It’s funny how a pandemic awakens that feeling and passion. Arts in schools arts in schools arts in schools

This is "OONIC Trailer 2" by Rachel on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.