Ah, those heady days, responsible for no one but yourself, spending your mornings lying in bed until Supermarket Sweep was on and then rolling into the uni bar early evening for some much earned rest and relaxation. Oh to be 18 again!
Regular readers may be looking suspicious at this point.
“Hang on a minute,” I hear you muttering, cogs turning, “didn’t you have a baby when you were 17?”
Yes, I did. My 18 year old self did still watched Supermarket Sweep, but in the company of a small yet perfectly formed toddler. At 18 I would have been finishing off my A-levels and looking forward to a year off before university, during which time I would hang out with Bee, (the aforementioned toddler), work part-time looking after the two small, hyperactive children who lived in a pub down the road from me, and take GCSE drama, just for the giggles.
One of the things I would say to myself at 18 would be ‘what the hell do you think you’re doing going swimming on your own with a baby, a three year old and a seven year old with ADHD when you CAN’T EVEN SWIM? Are you mad?!?’ It’s sheer chance that no one drowned, but a good example I think of how at 18 we feel indestructible.
To me at 18 though it was simple, I had all of these children to look after and I didn’t want to spend all day hanging out in a flat above a pub – it never occurred to me not to take them all for a day out on my own to Wookey Hole caves. (Yes, the smallest two were terrified and I did have to carry them both.)
Other than wishing I’d got myself on the property ladder, I try not have regrets about my life. I certainly don’t regret having been a mummy already at 18, far from it, and I’m a firm believer in the idea that events in our past shape us into the people we are now. I’m pretty happy with things right now, so what’s to regret?
Of course it’s nice to imagine sometimes that we could have a second go at things, with the benefit of hindsight, so I asked the good people of Twitter what they wish they’d known when they were 18.
What do you wish you’d known when you were 18?
@mummyblogger that I shouldn’t chose my university purely on the basis it was closest to my boyfriend at the time, doh!
— Fritha Quinn (@Tigerlillyquinn) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger It’s okay! You won’t go blind. Oh, and here are the grand national winners from 1998 onwards….. — Rupert Bares All (@ramblingrupert) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger I wish I’d known to make the most of travelling the World when I was 18, it’s more expensive when you’re older and have kids!
— EvansCrittenMum (@claireyfairey) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger the importance of saving and getting a foot on the housing ladder. — shamus doherty (@shamusdoherty) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that I wasn’t as fat as I thought I was at the time! Love who you are and don’t try to be anything else! X — Katie Albury (@enchantingblog) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that my skin really did warrant being looked after in my teens! — Little Herbs (@LittleHerbs) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger That over-plucked eyebrows will never grow back the same, and that university won’t be as scary (or important) as you think. — SJP (@ShipShapeBF) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger Don’t worry about looking for love, it will find you when you are least interested and happy as you are! #whenIwas18 — Playing Parent (@domsimpson) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger Being myself was ok and to worry less what others thought.
— Catherine Harper (@cathsharper) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that you’re parents don’t always know best. To have courage to follow your instinct rather than what other people expect — Gift Frippery (@GiftFrippery) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that a size 12 is NOT fat (wish I’d worn crop tops & hot pants every day) and to enjoy life without using a credit card! — Fat-Bottomed Girl (@LeanIn2015) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger find your own style. Don’t try to be fashionable, be classic
— Jen (@smilerjfs) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger 18yr old me don’t worry about going up country for 2 weeks training, accept the job, don’t be afraid to be away from home. — Soosie Wales (@soosieboo) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger Live in the present and appreciate what you’ve got now. http://t.co/p256ZlRGMz
— Alittlebitlikeme (@alittlebitlike) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that the sooner you decide what you want, the easier it is — Pretty Star Designs (@PrettySDesigns) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger Live your life as it goes so quickly!!
— Rachel B (@TheRealMrsBash) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger don’t be shy, you only regret thing you never do — Tom of AdzJab.com (@TomEastem) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that I would only have my mum for another 3 years. Sorry to depress everyone
— Tracey Murphy (@traceymurphy05) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger That one day my parents would become best friends! — Sirocco Design (@siroccodesign) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that being in a relationship that doesn’t make you happy isn’t worth your time or energy. xx
— Mel Burt (@raisethewaves) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that I was capable of going to university. — My Two Mums (@MyTwoMums) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger the name of the baddies off the moomins
— John Young (@_John_young) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger I wish I’d known more about depression (my father passed away when I was 22) and I wish I’d known how to spot domestic abuse. — N (@natljam86) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that life won’t turn out as planned, it will be fine and you won’t care that you didn’t plan for it
— Fawkes (@Hornets_Nest13) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that it isn’t all over at 25 — Caroline Welch (@CarolineWelch2) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that the issues I was having was because of autism, not just me being crap :)
— Rachael Taylor (@copperhobnob) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that your metabolism WILL change! — Lily (@lilydoughball) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger everything you thought you knew was a #certainty is likely to have changed by the time you hit 36 :)
— Lee Dalton (@Leedalton1) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that I didn’t have to have it all figured out. Live is a continuous learning curve. X — AJ Wathern (@LoveandOAS) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger That I didn’t have to be bullied by a succession of inept bosses.
— Raul Duke (@Dr_RaulDuke) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger I wish i was more sure of myself, i was worried that i had nothing to talk about so i kind of faded into the background… — Amy (@funbeingmum) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger confidence is a decision you make! And the more you practise it the better you get!
— Sal’s Kitchen (@Sal_Godfrey) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger not to worry as much about what other people think of you, and that you ARE NOT FAT!! — LadyKofBelfast (@LadyKofBelfast) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that life won’t end if you’re not married with a degree, a career and a baby by 25!
— Hannah – hibabyblog (@hibabyblog) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that happiness is a choice & it’s how you deal with situations that dictates how you feel about them! Always be positive <3 — Sheri (@Sheri_Matthews) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger you should have gotten out when your brother did!The repercussions of your parents inaptitude will stay with you a long time!
— silly daddy (@markusj75) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that there are many different routes to go down,it’s not the end of the world if one doesn’t work!pitfalls aren’t lasting #18 — movinginwithaboy (@fluteylucy) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger that passing or failing college wouldn’t be the be all and end all of life.
— Tammy (@Me_andthe_tiny3) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger to love yourself before you love anyone else. — Vibez Adult Boutique (@VibezAdultStore) April 2, 2015
@mummyblogger If you finish a night out with lettuce in your hair, he’s probably not the one for you.
— Vicky (@OwlandAccordion) April 2, 2015
Collaborative post
A great variety of responses there. I’d certainly tell myself that I wasn’t fat and to get help for my mental illness sooner
Very educational post as I didn’t know that I have been in Wookey Hole caves.
Author
You have! You did NOT like it. I had to carry one of you on each hip which was not very convenient.
Not having money shouldnt stop you traveling. I so wanted to do work with tigers & big cats, never went for it as im not from a family who could afford things.. theres all manner of grants etc to help you. Money isnt a boundary in the same way it may have been years ago.
As someone who is currently 18, this post has been eye opening and has given me a new surge of motivation and optimism! Thank you for this post – it has certainly helped in more ways than one! Xx
Thanks for including my response. :) I’d snap someones arm off if they offered me the same opportunity today!
Seems a few of us needed more confidence in who/what we wanted to be.
@Soosieboo
BRILL post! There are SO SO mnay thing sI would tell my 18 year old self, dont worry too much about boys, have a bit more confidence in yourself, try and pay a tiny bit of attention at school, travel LOADS, if you and a boyfriend keep breaking up and making up then just break up don’t waste five years on a rollercoaster relationship, move to london sooner…. ah the joys of hindsight! These tweets definitely made me chuckle! Especially Vicky’s x
you did so fantastically Jo and I agree I think there is something about being that age that makes you feel indestructible! These tweets made me proper LOL especially Vicky’s!! x
Great post!!! Wish I could go back and tell 18 year old me to leave the a-hole I was with!!
Such brilliant list…it’s amazing how much we all worried about life at such a young age. I’d defo add ‘save, save, save money!’ to the list now too! x
Wished I could have stood still and worked out what a really wanted…. yes what “what I really, really want”!
BRILLIANT post – some great bits of advice here and Vicky’s is definitely my fave ;) I’d probably tell my 18-year-old self: work harder at uni. Yes, you know you won’t ever be asked what level of degree you got, but there’s something to be said for working hard and being proud of your achievements.
Great comments from the twittersphere – I wish I knew that a credit card wasn’t free money and that one day, it’ll come back to bite you on the arse!