Two years into motherhood I’ve come to realise that my pre-parent days were spent wandering around in a state of ignorant bliss about what being a mummy or daddy actually involved.
I looked at the parents around me and, to put it bluntly, I judged them.
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| Yes, that’s my child in ASDA with no shoes on |
Why did they let their kids act like that? You’d never catch me walking the supermarket aisles without make up! Can’t they just shut that child up?
I wince at a lot of the things that used to cross my mind.
Now, after two years of sleep deprivation, toddler harassment and narrowly avoiding breakdowns in the middle of Asda I can reflect on how naive I was when I thought there were things I’d never do as a mum. Here’s a few of them:
Contents - jump to what you'd like to know
Supermarket snacking
How on earth I thought I could get a toddler round a supermarket without them wanting the chomp on some of the lovely food that they were walking by I’ll never know. However, I always thought it was a bit cheeky when I saw parents feeding their kids food that hadn’t yet been through the till. Yeah well, we do that a lot now!
The zombie mum look
I’ve waved goodbye to the days when I laboured over my makeup and outfit, even if I was just popping to the corner shop. So what if I haven’t washed my hair today and my underwear doesn’t match? I’m lucky if I haven’t got Tin Box Tot’s or my own breakfast dribbled down my front.
Using the telly nanny
This one still makes me die a little inside – especially when I see the blank look on Tin Box Tot’s face as she watches Postman Pat – but putting her in front of the telly box gives me the time I need to get a load in the washing machine and grab everything we need for a morning out. Damn you TV for being so helpful!
Worrying about keeping up with other mums
I can pretend that seeing other kids Tin Box Tot’s age already potty trained, wearing immaculate and coordinated outfits, or reciting the colours of the rainbow doesn’t bother me, but it does. I know its wrong to put pressure on yourself based on what everyone else is doing, but now I am a mum, with all the ‘mummy guilt’ stuff that seems to come with the job, I can’t help it.
Convenience food
When you don’t have kids, trolley watching is almost as good as people watching: ‘Look at that; would you believe what they are eating this week? And they’ve got children. Tisk!’. The fact is convenience food is every parents’ friend. If it’s not for the Tot, it’s for me and Mr Tin Box. Some nights popping a pizza in the oven is as much as we can manage.
Now I am a mum I can see that none of these things are the end of the world – or at least they haven’t resulted in the apocalypse yet! In fact, having a good excuse to leave the house not sporting the ‘just from the salon’ look is a bit of a relief some days.
What did you promise yourself you’d never do when you became a parent?
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Jenny Ripatti-Taylor
Sunday 5th of April 2015
I wouldn't even like to admit out loud what I thought I would never do and what I always do now as a parent. You just don't know until you are one. I think I have done all of these on your list too or I know I have!!! lol We are all in the same boat and only if we knew that back then when we were judging out loud or in our heads and gave more support to those having a different task with a child in public. As we are now on the opposite side trying not to disrupt or offend those that don't have children while we grit our teeth and tell them to be good in the shops. hahahaha Thank you so much for linking up to Share With Me. Happy Easter! #sharewithme
kid GL loves
Saturday 4th of April 2015
The Mother says - I remember when I was pregnant and I had this mental list of things I would never do as a Mother. Within 18 months there wasn't one thing on said list that I hadn't done!!! #sharewithme
susanwilson83
Friday 3rd of April 2015
Being a parent is very different to the idea of being a parent! 'I will make all baby E's meals by hand'...yeah, try holding to that when you are covered in your lovingly prepared puree and baby E is wolfing down Ella's finest pouch. #sharewithme
pixiedusk
Friday 3rd of April 2015
Chocolates and junk foods. I always vowed to be the healthiest mother on earth. I started okay until my son became fussy. So now I gave in just so he can have something in his tummy. #sharewithme
Hannah
Friday 3rd of April 2015
With you all the way through love! Sometimes I also have to eat something as we're walking around the isles too ;) the other thing I swore I would never do is refer to myself in the third person, i.e. as "mummy". I do it aaaaaaaaall the time. "look at mummy" "listen to mum" "give that mummy" "that makes mummy very sad" etc etc!!! Haha!
thanks for linking up to #TheList xx