Describe motherhood in three words
Tiring, really tiring
Does your experience differ from your mother’s? How?
I think our generation has more pressure to parent a certain way, to get it right, when really there isn’t a right. There are so many books on parenting now, TV shows, newspaper and magazine articles, and erm…. even blogs. It creates a lot of anxiety. It’s easy to think you aren’t doing it right. You hear people saying things like “I’m a bad mum because…” I don’t think you’d have said that a few decades ago. You just got on with it. Of course there were bad mums then but they were really bad not just bad because they gave their children chips for tea. I don’t think things always change for the better and this is one of them.
What’s the hardest thing about being a mum?
Having no time to yourself. Ever.
What’s the best thing?
Watching these lovely little people change and grow and develop their own personalities. The best thing is definitely when they learn something new, it’s so exciting.
How has it changed you?
I’m a bit more outgoing and I have a lot less time to worry what people think about me.
What do you hope for your children?
That they will be confident and feel good about themselves. I hope they find life easy. I hope they never have to want for money. I hope they find a career they enjoy and partners who care for them. I hope they grow up to be good friends and not feel they need to compete with each other.
What do you fear for them?
I have lots of immediate fears but don’t spend much time worrying about the distant future. My immediate fears are mainly about the twins as they frankly terrifying at the moment. They have no concept of physical danger, especially Charlotte. She has got her head stuck at least three times, climbed on the table and done a little dance, climbed inside the duvet, got her leg caught in the bars of the cot, climbed out the cot, and that was all before breakfast.
What makes it all worthwhile?
When they are all happy.
When we’ve got through the day without any major catastrophes.
When someone stops me in the street to tell me how lovely they are.
When they say “I love you”, or “pretty mummy” (I may have trained them in that one).
When they give each other a kiss.
When they’ve learned a new skill.
When they actually take a nap.
When they say please and thank you without needing reminders.
When they see you and their eyes light up.
I was tagged by Mari’s World and House With No Name to answer these questions. If anyone wants a tag then let me know and I’ll tag you in.