Category Archives: Parenting

Celebrity Parent Envy

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I have a little bit of a confession to make – I love following celebrity parents (in the online blog sort of way not the freaky stalker sort of way to be clear). It’s a guilty pleasure!

My favourite celebrity couple at the moment are Tom and Giovanna Fletcher. I really enjoy their Instagram and YouTube updates and I kind of wish they would adopt me (ignore the fact that I am a grown woman with a family of my own). Maybe it is because they seem so down to earth. Maybe it is because they have children who are very close in age to mine. Maybe it is because they actually come across as interesting. Or maybe, if I am completely honest, it is because I am the teensiest bit envious of them! They, along with most other celebrity, make parenting look easy! I’m not saying that they actually find it easy. I’m sure they all have those ‘close the kitchen door, let out an ear piercing scream, return to children with a smile on your face’ moments. I’m just saying that they make it look easy.

A few examples:

Celebrity version – walk in the park with toddler and baby whilst managing to drink a cup of coffee along the way.

My version – toddler decides to lay on the floor and refuse to move whilst I try not to bang baby’s head on the ground as I attempt to wrestle aforementioned toddler to a standing position.

Celebrity version – floor area of house is completely clear of toys, fluff and general debris (ok ok I mean that their house is tidy!)

My version – well the complete opposite really.

Celebrity version – children happily splash in the swimming pool or sea and look like they really are having a good time.

My version – baby boy clings to me for dear life, cries at the first splash of water on his face and attempts to climb up my body and out of the water.

Now I know that I may sound extremely jealous but I’m not. I’ve admitted that I am slightly envious but come on, is there anyone who isn’t a bit envious of a celebrity lifestyle. I don’t begrudge them their good fortune at all. Most celebrities are hard working, creative people who have earnt all that they have. Their children are blessed to have parents who work hard and will show them a good example of work ethic. However, sometimes I just really wish that I could see a picture of their toddler throwing a tantrum because they don’t like the Octonauts today, they want a snack but not anything that is actually in the house or they don’t want the baby to sit on your knee.

I think that it would make me feel slightly better as a not so perfect parent to know that the people who make it look so easy, also allow their child to watch peppa pig on repeat just to avoid the hundredth tantrum of the day!

Image credit – http://www.pinterest.com

I wore what?!!

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My mum liked to dress my sisters and me in matching clothes when we were younger. I absolutely hated it! The worst ones had to be blue and white stripy sailor dresses and green, flowery dresses that my mum made for us to wear for a wedding (I later found out that they were made out of curtain material). Don’t get me wrong, my mum was good with a sewing machine so they were well made but I absolutely hated that dress. I was in a horrible mood all day at that wedding because of that dress (sorry Denise).

Now having a boy and a girl, my children won’t have to worry about matching clothes per se but they may have to worry about home made clothes. I have recently inherited my nan’s old sewing machine after she upgraded hers to a fancy digital one, which after seeing I am rather jealous of. It sat in the box for a few weeks but I finally plucked up the courage to have a go on it. I haven’t used a sewing machine since year 9 at school and we won’t say how long ago that was! Most people would probably start with something very simple with straight lines – a cushion cover maybe or even just a practise swatch. Not me! I jumped straight in and made baby girl something to wear!

pattern by Hatchlings Patterns

I’m not one for starting off small and so thought I would just go for it. I have to admit that I am very proud of them. They aren’t perfect but they do the job and look quite cool I think. They were easy enough to make so I did another pair in a different fabric.

  
Now I obviously think that they look cute but what will baby girl think when she looks back in 20 years time at the clothes she was made to wear? Will she cringe and be embarrassed? Oh well, if I had to wear a curtain dress then I reserve all right to put baby girl in my (maybe) dodgy homemade items!

Only thing now is to decide what to make next. Boys can rock leggings, right?!

Image credit – http://www.funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/4611481/Damn+parents/

I kept the kids alive

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I savour the (now very rare) times that both of my children take a daytime nap. The house has a serene stillness and I almost daren’t move for risk of disturbing the peace. I take a second to look around me but then comes the DECISION… do I sit down, enjoy a hot cup of tea and watch one of the 1000s of programmes I have recorded yet never actually get time to watch, or do I tackle the housework?

I honestly believe that it is one of the most difficult decisions in my life at the moment. Housework or me time? Do something to benefit everyone or do something to benefit me? Normally I do the jobs (not that anyone can tell as I openly admit that my house is more often than not on a sliding scale of messiness – bit messy to nuclear disaster). Occasionally though I will think ‘sod it, I’m having a brew’.

Whilst I enjoy those times that I take a moment for myself I have to admit that I often feel guilty doing so. It’s as though every sip of my hot tea is taunting me and telling me that the washing needs doing or the toys need putting away. It’s on those days as well that I often find myself feeling extra paranoid about what other people think. Mr K comes in from work and I straight away jump to defend myself as to why the house is edging towards the nuclear disaster end of the messiness scale. He more than likely wasn’t going to say anything! 

Today however I am taking some time for myself without any guilt whatsoever. The children have been absolute nightmares (I still love them!) and right now the only way that I can guarantee that we will all greet Mr K this evening with our sanity intact is for me to sit in the kitchen dunking biscuits in my brew and not thinking at all about the box of cars and trains that baby boy tipped on the floor!

So today the only accomplishment I may be able to claim is that I kept the children alive but hey it’s still an accomplishment!

Image credit – http://www.someecards.com/

Dummies – my child, my choice!

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The dummy… it amazes me just how much controversy this inocuous piece of plastic causes. 

Both of my children have a dummy. I am not ashamed by this fact nor do I feel like I have made a bad parenting choice in giving my children a dummy. For me the dummy is a necessary piece of equipment!

Baby boy suffered with reflux. He hardly slept, constantly wanted to be held and would scream for hours on end. It took months for any health professional to take me seriously and give him something to help his pain. In those months a dummy was my lifesaver. It soothed my baby and gave me a little bit of peace to do some daily necessities. I could take a shower, which must have been a relief to those around me, I could wash the dishes and I even managed to get dressed on most days! Who would have thought that a piece of plastic would enable all of that! 

However, you would not believe the criticism I received for giving him a dummy. If I listed all of the negative comments I heard then I would probably still be writing this when baby number 4 needs a dummy (only kidding Mum) so I’ll stick to my favourites:

He looks ugly with that thing in his mouth – my child is not ugly and how dare you even insinuate that!

He’ll never speak properly if he has a dummy – ha ha, you were so wrong on that score, his speech is amazing and advanced for his age!

Wouldn’t you rather he suck his thumb? – no I would not. I can take a dummy away and obviously can’t take his thumb away!

Take that dummy out of his mouth, I want to look at him properly – 1. I will not upset my child just so you can look at him and 2. his dummy does not affect your eyes!

Argh, it is so annoying that people react so negatively to my parenting choice. I repeat, my CHOICE.

When baby girl was born someone said to me “she’s not going to have a dummy is she?”. I replied that she would if she needed one. “I bet you’d rather that she didn’t have one really” was the response. Well guess what, she does have one. It soothes her (damn you reflux), comforts her and helps her to sleep. Once again the dummy is a necessary piece of equipment in this household.

So say what you like. Say that my child looks ugly, say that I am a lazy parent, say that my child will have wonky teeth and poor speech. I actually don’t care.

Dummies, what are your thoughts?

Double Trouble

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2 children! I now have 2 children! It is a wonderful thing and yet a huge shock to the system. I feel blessed and yet strangely it still doesn’t feel real sometimes.

So what is it like?

Well at times I could probably say it’s bliss. Like when they are both calm and content and I get to play trains with Baby Boy or have cuddles with Baby Girl. When I get time in the day to tidy up and prepare tea and feel like a real suburban housewife. When I get to the end of the day and feel that I actually spent quality time with my family. I love those days! I really love those days!

Now at other times I could tear my hair out! Like when both children are crying and I have no idea who to sooth first. When all Baby Boy wants to do is try to hit his sister over the head. When I struggle to even get dressed let alone be a domestic goddess. When at the end of the day I am proud that the only thing I managed to do was keep everyone alive.

It might seem that I am ungrateful for what I have. I can assure you that I’m not. Going from being a family of 3 to a family of 4 is a big change. There are ups and downs of course but I just have to look at the two perfect beings that I created to know that despite the bad days, I wouldn’t change it for the world!

Image credit – http://www.amotherfarfromhome.com