GreatAunt.co.uk - ideas for aunts, godmothers and ladies who love children

WELCOME to the UK's first online resource dedicated to the needs of aunts and godmothers.

Like so many other websites, GreatAunt.co.uk was started because the founder (me!) wished that it already existed.

My name is Lucy Pask and I am currently an aunt to 22 nieces, nephews and godchildren.

Although not all of them are related to me by blood, I love them all to bits, visit them whenever I can and love to spoil them rotten.

The idea for Great Aunt came the day after my best friend held out her ten hour old baby and said "Here you go Aunty Lucy". My feelings of utter joy were replaced with sheer panic when I realised that for the first time in my life,
I had no idea what to do!

As soon as I got home, I did what any twenty-first century, twenty-something would do and Googled "how do I hold my best friends baby?"

And for the first time, the internet failed to answer me.

As my list of nieces and nephews grew, so did my list of unanswered questions. What does being a godmother entail? What's a good gift for a three year old princess? What can I feed the toddlers at my wedding? What games can you play at a babyshower? What the hell is a NinkyNonk? Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?!

I found plenty of mum sites, dad sites (even grandparent sites) but the information I wanted was always hidden or for mums. I often felt like an unwelcome trespasser.

Surely it couldn't just be my problem? No, as it happened colleagues and friends confessed that, like me, they were spending a fair amount of time covertly researching what to do, give and play.

Official government figures show that statistically there are hundreds of thousands of British women like us actively seeking inspiration and ideas to help keep the children they love entertained and safe.

So why were there 80+ websites for mums but none for aunts?

I decided enough was enough and that I would make it my mission to create a resource just for us. And you're looking at the result!

Although I often feel more like a giddy aunt than a great aunt, I am learning every day and hope that this site will help you as much as it has helped me.

Contributors

Here are some of the awesome people who have already contributed to our site. Can you help us? Get in touch to share your advice, ideas and inspiration with other British aunts and godmothers!

experts who have given us their advice...