Why I won’t be nominated for mother of the year
image via http://www.gossiprocks.com
We are well and truly in the thick of school holidays here, in Australia. I am a mother to Master 6, The Princess, Bieber and Red. I am also studying my bachelor degree in education and have an essay, an Eportfolio and two other assignments due in three weeks. My husband works night shift. It is two weeks before Christmas and we have a guest arriving from overseas on Monday that we haven’t seen in two years. These are the makings of some fairly weird, ill timed and poor choices in parenting at the moment. We have no routine, bare cupboards and children coming and going in all directions. It is complete and utter mayhem.
I am pretty certain I won’t be nominated for mother of the year. Here is why:
- Our Christmas tree has been sitting bare for two weeks and was only assembled because The Princess dragged it out of the garage and put it together. We decorated it yesterday and afterwards decided it looks like a dog’s breakfast. Red arrived home from Rockhampton last night, took a brief look and said “Tree looks good”. I said brief
- There is nothing under the Christmas tree except for three skipping ropes, unwrapped. I have not done any form of Christmas shopping, baking or decorating except for the tree ( and we all know how that turned out)
- Actually, I lie…there is an advent calendar I made for the children. It is missing days 16 – 21 because Red and my husband ate the treats when I was making it. I bought more treats but never got around to make days 16-21 and the children ate the treats this afternoon when all their friends were over.
- We have been staying up watching movies and not taking notice of the time. My husband got home from night shift at 2am and we were still awake. The children were hyped up and we were subjected to animal noises and giggling until 2.30am
- It has been 3.5 days since my children ate vegetables
This looks about right
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- I have not done a proper grocery shop in two weeks
-
Getting like this
...and this
...and almost as bad as this
- I let my children stay in their PJs until the afternoon, sleep in and eat chocolate for breakfast. So did I.
Image via millionlooks.com
Just like this
- The Princess has become a better house keeper than me
- I have not cooked a family meal in 3 days
- Bieber had a friend over this afternoon and I forgot to shut the bathroom door. That was very nearly a horrific moment for all of us.
- We missed our craft activity morning at the library because we stayed up, danced to music and watched movies together
- I have not read a book to Master 6 in 7.5 days
- We ate meals at 8pm 3 days this week
- Bieber actually did a little shuffle on stage at his graduation ceremony after he received his senior award. I believe this is because I did not give him a pep talk beforehand and I don’t bat an eyelid when my children shuffle : in the library, car park, grocery store, hospital waiting room or wherever they feel the beat. Threshhold of acceptance = high. Setting of boundaries=low
- Master 6 wanted to know why his clothes drawers were empty today
- I did not know it was Friday today. All day.
OMG
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Image via fondosdibujosanimos.com
Not me
- I had no clue what day it was!
- I let The Princess talk me into letting her watch a horror movie and then she was so scared she slept in our bed. She has not done that in 3 years.
- We are running out of essentials. We never run out of essentials. I could not run the dishwasher tonight because there were no tablets left.
The funny thing is…I do not feel bad. I do not feel guilty( see my post Mother Guilt). The children are smiling, laughing, enjoying themselves and pitching in with things around the home. They are capable, smart, creative, polite and respectful. My husband is not admonishing me but supporting me. Things are not planned, regimented, ordered or even done around here. I’m OK with that.
Not me
Image via barnados.org.au
Related articles
- Mother Guilt (stayoutofmyhead.wordpress.com)
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