A Mother’s Day meme

Yesterday I was tagged in a meme by Yummy Mummy Really.

That sounds kind of painful, but it’s not some weird sexual practice or anything, it just means that now I have some questions to answer. I get tagged in memes about as often as I get the ball passed to me in netball, (I’m not very good), so it’s rather exciting.

The theme is motherhood, and as I only have a few more hours to wait for my annual cup of tea in bed, and what I can only assume are home-baked treats, as I was barred from the kitchen for several hours yesterday, the timing is just about perfect.

Here goes…

Describe motherhood in three words

Exhausting, amazing, exhausting.

Does your experience differ from your mother’s?  How?

Of course – she didn’t blog unashamedly about her kids did she? My mother didn’t have the luxury of childcare vouchers, or tax credits, or quite such a general acceptance of the idea that although it’s bloody hard work, it IS alright to work full-time and be a mother. We just have to remember to put some of our earnings aside for our kids’ therapy when they grow up.

What’s the hardest thing about being a mum?

For me it’s the relentlessness of it. There isn’t one thing that’s particularly horrendous, but it never stops. Yes you might get the odd day or even week off, but you’re still a parent, even if they aren’t in the same room.

There are always limits or boundaries, things you can’t do, places you can’t go. You can’t just decide to spontaneously go away for the weekend, or go on a drugs binge or anything, not that I would, but sometimes you feel it would be nice to have the option at least.

You have to try to stay in the moment, because if you think to yourself  ‘Oh, it’s OK, I can do that in 18 years’, you might go a bit nuts.

What’s the best thing?

The best thing is seeing them laugh at something, or do well at something, or be really proud of something they have achieved, and knowing that I’ve had a little something to do with that. It makes me feel a bit smug in a way I really like. I like it when they are thoughtful too, and do something kind for me, or each other, or other people. That makes me a bit squidgy inside.

My daughters also both have a fantastic sense of humour. They’re so sharp – too sharp sometimes – but I love that they make me laugh. It’s always nice having a bit of company around the house too. And someone to take the recycling out on a Thursday night.

How has it changed you?

To be honest, I don’t think it has changed me. I was only 16 when I was pregnant first time around and so I’ve never been a grown-up and not been a mother too. I don’t know what I’d be like if I didn’t have children.

What do you hope for your children?

All I want is for them to be happy and content. I hope that they appreciate just how wide their horizons really are, and that they make the most of all the opportunities they are given. I hope they recognise their own unique abilities and skills and aren’t afraid to push themselves.

What do you fear for them?

That they will end up in jobs or relationships that don’t challenge them, and that they get no satisfaction from. I fear them getting bored with life.

What makes it all worthwhile?

The child benefit.

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The next bit is the tricky bit, where I have to pick five people to tag, so they can carry on the fun. Nothing bad will happen if they don’t of course, it’s not like one of those weird chain letters where if you break it your dog dies, but still, if you fancy it, do have a go.

I’m tagging Emma at Me, The Man & The Baby, Kat at 3 Bedroom Bungalow, Claire at Being a Mummy, Luschka at Diary of a First Child and Heather at Young and Younger.

Happy Mother’s Day ladies!