CHILDBIRTH ISN'T THE MIRACLE - SURVIVING PARENTHOOD IS

Tuesday 14 August 2012

Dear Judgey McJudgeypants

Okay. I want to set a few things straight. I adore my children. Except the thing is, I don't always adore motherhood. There I've said it. I've got a mind that goes crazy and a need to do stuff other than take care of my kids 24/7. Some people don't like this. In fact they dislike it so much that they feel the need to tell me. They are so compelled to say it that it comes out as things like "People like you shouldn't have children." Which is okay because they're allowed to have an opinion but what I don't get is why they voice it - clearly when they know nothing about me or my life or how happy my family unit is or how sometimes I want to bang my head against this table.

These mothers are usually not my type. They're not my cup of tea but that's fine - each to their own innit. What works for them probably wouldn't work for me and vice versa but I don't criticise them, I don't tell them and I certainly don't feel the need to judge them without knowing anything about their lives. If their way of parenting works for them and the kids are healthy, safe and happy then that's brilliant. I'm certainly not going to tell them that I don't agree. In fact it's not that I don't even disagree, it just goes in one ear and out the other. Aren't we all in this together?

Somebody showed concerned that my children would one day read my tweets and blog. I've given this some thought and, you know what, I hope they do. I hope that I can disclose it all to them one day and we can have a right old laugh. Even more, I hope that they turn into adults who understand sarcasm, a sense of humour and tongue in cheek. In fact the best thing ever would be if it prepares them for having a family, gives them support and a few laughs during parenthood. Crikey, if me a few years ago could have read tweets and a blog like mine I would have found so much comfort in them. It took me ages to find friends who felt like I did and finding them was like finding the Holy Fecking Grail because it was such relief that I was, in fact, doing okay.

My stuff has also been called "Anti-Kids". Which, yeah, maybe to some it can come across as that. But I would love those people to spend a day in the company of me and my family. I find having children wonderful, challenging, frustrating, fun, infuriating, hilarious - and the rest. I can't stop being me just because I've got children. If I didn't have all these feelings then I wouldn't be me and my worst fear is to turn into 'just a mummy' because, really, I'm craving my own identity too.

I have never understood why parents judge each other. I'm not guilt free, of course I've judged but these days I'm really trying not to. Nine years as a mother has taught me that everybody has their own stuff going on and we're just mainly trying to do our best. My best is to love my children while still being myself. And I really hope my children do this when they become parents.

Yes some days I find difficult. I can't control my children's behaviour sometimes. They are so spirited which is the best way to be, but also the worst way to be - especially if you're their mother. They can be so funny, inspiring and gorgeous to be around, but they can also be revolting. Sometimes I don't know what the feck I'm doing or how to deal with a situation but does anybody, really? But I'm trying. I'm really fecking trying. Often the trying works, occasionally it fails.

After all ... I'm just a mum, standing in front of her kids, asking that we love each other.





61 comments:

  1. I have never found your blog to be anti-kids, if anything, it has made me feel better for feeling/thinking the same things.

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  2. Sometimes motherhood in itself is shite. Being a mum is hard. We should all respect that, and that we all have ways of letting it out.
    Hell, if I didn't have a blog and Twitter to rant about my baby, my boyfriend, my job and 100 other things I would be in a loony bin by now.
    Oh, and if its any consolation, my dad (with his sarcasm and Irish wit) often tells me the things he and Mum used to say way back before the internet... Its hilarious that even back then, these freaking super parents were pulling their hair out!
    Carry on I say!! Xx

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  3. My kids have twitter accounts, they have guest posted and all content about hubby and kids is either a) posted with permission, b) read and debated prior to posting or c) the most common....'mum, put that on twitter'

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  4. Well said girl! Whats that saying - don't judge me til you walk a mile in my shoes.

    Cuggles and snoggies

    Amanda x

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  5. Thank god for people like you. I thought I was the only one that felt like this and that is why I love your writing as I can hear myself saying and doing all the things that you have said / done. Don't forget we are all people as well and mums who try and live through their kids are only going to live to regret their lost lives for the years that they have given up for the children.

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  6. Anoop Singh-Best14 August 2012 at 15:05

    I love your blog and wish I'd had something like it all the way through my nearly eleven years of parenting.
    We all parent they way it suits us and our children. When I ask my children what my job is, they don't say 'Nurse' They say "To keep us happy, healthy and safe"
    Thank you for your blogs and your posts, they keep me grounded, and remind me that actually I'm not that bad a parent after all... X

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  7. I love all your tweets, as another mother i can totally relate and see the funny/comedic nature of them. Great piece.

    Dis :-)

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  8. You're definitely not on your own!! Loads of us feel the same. Ignore the haters, or invite them round for tea & be annoyingly polite - they hate that! ;-) xx

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  9. I saw all that shiz going on yesterday. Oh dear. The comment about not having kids wasn't fair at all and, IMO, was indicative of a wider trend for Twitter's current sense of humour failure.

    Anyway, I think most people take your blog and tweets in the humorous way in which they're intended, which is good, because you're very funny.

    Live and let live, innit. No need to be nasty :-)

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  10. Once again, well said. Anyone who doesn't sometimes think back to the days before kids with no responsibility or early mornings is a liar!
    Your fab, funny tweets brighten my day.
    Laura

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  11. I don't read many mummy blogs. I make an exception here as I find yours a refreshing change from all the right-on, oh-so-carefully-worded parenting crap you often find all over the internet.

    I also always read your tweets as very much tongue in cheek and relate to a lot of them.

    Ian Hyland tweeted something the other night - it was about the Olympics but I think the sentiment is relevant:

    "By the way, it is possible to be cynical and still enjoy the #Olympics. Don't let the happy clappies grind you down."

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  12. Well said! I used to be a smug know it all nursery nurse, it was going to be easy. 3 children later...the realisation that motherhood is the most headfucky job in the world! Of course I love my children but to hear that others are finding it hard is such a relief. I don't judge anyone* and agree 'we are in this together' doing what we have to do to get through, trying to create happy memories along the way. RESPECT :)
    (*except maybe the white trousered mums)

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  13. People are full of judgements but truth is we blog a portion of our lives. We can't share all of it and some we may choose not too. You write about the difficult bits, the funny bits and the guilty bits but it doesn't mean your life is constantly difficult or funny! Keep doing what you do as we all love reading it!

    x

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  14. Your blog is hilarious. It's a Shame people can't appreciate a sense of humour or tongue in cheek and then you get the mob mentality kicking in with people wanting to make a pointless point. Ignore the parent brigade, i think you bring a breath of fresh air to it all.

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  15. I get the same because I went straight back to work and say I couldn't cope with being a SAHM. Love her dearly, more than I cold have ever imagined possible, but I was only 22, I needed to still be me! We all know being a Mum is bloody hard work and none of us are perfect so we're all going to make mistakes, it's refreshing to read someone admitting to this and making a joke out of it all rather than telling other Mums how they do it this way so everyone else should too!

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  16. Oh dear...somebody out there has a sense of humour fail! I'll stop there, because I, like you, am trying not to judge other parents. It's hard enough being one 24/7 without the added extra of comparing notes all the times.

    I love my daughter, I sometimes gush about her, I sometimes want to bang my head against the wall. She is the only one I have and she is not even 2 and, let me tell you, the novelty is already wearing out! Motherhood, eh? If I had been doing this for 9 years and 3 kids I would possibly have gone mad by now, so, in ALL HONESTY, to me, you are fucking great!

    That's all. x

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  17. Oh piss.
    Claire, unfortunately I am not a mother yet but I can't wait to be. I've helped raise a few kids up along the way though. Anyone who can't see how much you love your children through your writing is a moron and quite likely a fake, flimsy, half hearted bimbo of a parent. You might avoid judging, lest ye be judged, so I'll do it for you. You are hilarious and honest. Children are wonderful and exhausting and your point of view gives me hope for motherhood, that life is not over when you become a family, infact it has actually just begun. I can't wait to have such an outlet for sarcasm and wit.
    I can't wait to have such a marvellous family like yours.
    So everyone who has anything bad to say can DO ONE. xx

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  18. I wish I had your blog to read when my sons were small - I don't think the 'blog' had been invented then ;)
    No-one, but no-one, knows how they will react when they have children. I especially found the comment from the lady above who used to be a Nursery Nurse interesting, how even that didn't prepare her for having three children. That's because it's a genuine 24/7 job. A job with which you can have a love/hate relationship with as much as any other job you might have.
    I lost "myself" for years after having my kids and I clearly remember standing outside my 10 month old baby's room for half an hour while he screamed and wailed himself to sleep, crying almost as loudly as he was.
    You don't make room for kids in your life, they take it OVER. Like you say, we're all just trying to do the best we can. So long as you're not hanging them from the washing line or shutting them under the stairs, who is anyone else to tell you you're doing it wrong?
    (You're not, right?)
    My sons have turned in to great young men of 18 and 15 who I love spending time with. Yours will too xxx

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  19. I love you. Some people don't have a sense of humour. I don't love those people, but I still wish them well. Well away from me mostly...
    Xx

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  20. I love your tweets too, its so refreshing to find someone who is on the same wavelength! I get my sarcasm from my dad and I am sure that at least one of my girls will get it from me too. I adore my children but sometimes they annoy the hell out of me and I am not afraid to tell them that either, being a mum is bloody hard work and if we cant be honest about that then we are just kidding ourselves. Carry on doing what you are doing!!

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  21. I have to say ur blog makes me feel human.i love getting away from my kiddies just so I can be me and remember who I am.for this I thank you x

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  22. Thank god. It's not just me! There is NO such thing as a perfect parent, unless Mary Poppins is hiding out there somewhere, and I'm pretty sure that if she was locked in the house with my 5 kids she wouldn't last a day!
    I love your blog. I can completely relate to it. I am with my kids 24 hours a day. Its hard, and sometimes I just want to be me. Not mum/mummy/mumma/I hate you/leave me alone etc.
    Reading your blog always makes me smile/laugh and makes me feel less guilty for sometimes wishing I could be somewhere else other than in the house with my kids screaming at me.
    I'm glad others feel the same way. We are obviously normal after all.
    Screw the haters, because you, my lovely are wonderful!

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  23. Sometimes being a parent is a bag of wank, just the same as any other job. If you can take those days & broadcast them openly with some bittersweet humour & sarcasm, I think it helps get you through. It allows other parents to see they aren't alone. It shows non-parents the truth about the daily slog of bringing up small humans.

    And that's how I've always taken your posts. With a pinch of salt & a wry smile that we are all in it together & we do all have days when we would gladly sell them to the circus. This doesn't make either of us anti-kids. It makes us good parents who care about how we're raising our children.

    P.S. You shouldn't even have to explain or justify yourself as you have here. I haven't been following you very long but anyone with half a brain can see you love your children.

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  24. I don't have kids...yet. The thought terrified me BUT reading your tweets and blog makes me think I could do it, that the way I think about kids and talk to them is ok and actually completely bloody normal.

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  25. I have always admired your blog and your honesty. Too many people don't tell the truth about the frustrations of being a parent. I waited 15 years to become a parent and when we adopted Katie I spent the first year (and probably more) denying to myself that there are days when I want to curl up with a book for the whole day and just be me again. I felt so guilty that I'd waited so long for something and then had days when I found it so hard that I wondered what on earth I'd done. Your blog and the friends I have who are also brutally honest about parenting have helped me so much to get my head around this parenting stuff and accept that it is a wonderful job but it's also the hardest job I've ever done in my life. I never knew that another person could make me so happy and yet the most furious I've ever been in my life. I'm learning so much about myself and my limits thanks to Katie. Some days that's great and other days I want to run screaming off to a sun-drenched island somewhere where there is no-one else but me. I love your honesty. It's funny and refreshing and reassuring and I'm sure, if your brood ever read this they will recognise the Mummy that they have grown up with - full of humour and life and very much her own person with her own opinions. They will have their own opinion of that as well. Just like women everywhere are whispering about 50 Shades of Grey - there are Mums everywhere who whisper to each other and tell it like it really is - warts and all - good days and bad days. You just do it from a louder platform and thank you for doing that.

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  26. Great blog, as always. I too wish I'd known there were "others" like me when my boys were tiny, I've always felt like a bad mum (still do tbh - hard habit to shake).

    Better get off Twitter now, got to face the horror of back to school uniform shop :-(

    H x

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  27. There will always be someone in your life to judge you. At school, as a teen, your first day of work, in the antinatal class, the toddler group, the school gates, the over 40's club night, whenever. And it is really hard not to take it to heart. But being yourself is what your friends and family love about you. Only little people with little minds judge out loud. So glad you are you x

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  28. As ALWAYS.. A fantastic blog mrs... My kids drive me mad EVERYDAY... I Find it easier dealing with the Autistic, ADD, ADHD & Aspergers children I work with most of the time, then my own. I'm with you... Very day is trial & error with most mums. There is no book given to you when you have your children & these women that look down their noses should be stuck on an island far away from us "Normal" mothers.

    I love your blogs & tweets... Everybody should be as honest as you.... You wait, all the judgers will have their day, their kids will do something that they just cant "cope" with & you then, my lovely, can laugh... Xxxxx

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  29. She's clearly one of those people that would say to a pregnant woman "your life is over". A saying I'm completely against because whilst we are mummys, its SO important that we are still ourselves, that we still have our own life and that we still do things for us. Admittedly once you have children, finding the time and space to do things for yourself becomes much more of a planned event... But its important. And using the blogosphere to rant, cry, laugh, use sarcasm and take the piss is completely the best thing to do. In fact, I wonder if people who don't blog as an outlet... Take it out on their family when they've had a trying day? Motherhood is trial and error. It always will be. For everyone! I think your blog is fantastic and your kids will enjoy reading it when they are grownup. Don't ever let anybody doubt your abilities as a mother... You are doing a fantastic job. Two fingers up to anyone who disagrees... They are probably failing themselves!

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  30. This is brilliant!! I have not read one of your blog posts before but will look out for them from now on.

    Oh joy, how refreshing, more people who feel like I do AND have a sense of humor.

    I dread to think what some people would think about me and my choices - to stick with one son. I truly love and adore him and think being a mummy - and a family - is the best thing. But I am still me. I love my job. Me and my husband love to travel and mutter often about a planned adventure to Sierra Leonne that was cut short by accidentally falling pregnant. So, we decided to stop at the one child so that we - as in the 3 of us - can live the life full of adventure and exploration that we want to AND I can continue to work and be ME. I have been called selfish, I have seen the looks of some fellow mummy-friends when I talk about this, but hey, I am me I love my son and there is nothing wrong with wanting something other than motherhood in your life.

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  31. Excellent post. Well said. Keep on doing what you're doing, please.

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  32. Whoever said you should not have kids needs a good kick up the arse. Are they sitting at home with 1child who they can devote all their time to. You are a real mum of several kids which is bloody hard,tiring & frustrating at times.I love you.. you make me feel normal xxxxxx

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  33. Don't let the buggers grind you down! If we couldn't have a laugh and a grumble about it, we'd all be reliant on Valium like so many were among previous generations of mothers...keep up the good work!! x

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  34. Really, some people just son't have a sense of humour. Anyone with half a brain can see that this is all humorous. If blogger, twitter and Facebook had been around in 1998 when I had my first child it would have been amazing to be able to share the ups and downs of motherhood. It is the most difficult job in the world and there is no training course, no handbook and even if people told you how bad it could be, you would never believe them.
    I have always been honest with people, including my children.
    You keep going girl, and feck them all! (I've never said feck before, look at me all trendy!)
    Jaki62 on twitter

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  35. Well said hon.ALL mums can relate to your blogs.Anyone who says otherwise is either lying to others or themselves. After nearly 14 years of being "mum", enthuiasm to do "mumsy" things does dwindle! I dont glue and glitter (thats what nursery is for!)i rarely do "baking with mum" cos it tastes so bloody awful! and I do get seriously pissed off sometimes!!! thats cos I'm human!!! But like you, wouldnt change a thing! Keep blogging, and leave the "mumsies" to their own little bubble of delusional
    denial! LUV YA! XXX

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  36. Well said hun, there are moments in my life when I dont like my emo's but I didnt say that I do not love them. My emo's read my blog and tweets and stalked me so I protecetd my account, im sure they must have better things to do haha. One day they will have children and will wake up and smell the roses. Keep being honest hun. Frazz xx

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  37. Oh! You know. I find this blog kind of opposite!? I see SO much love. SO much love and care. You do the most beautiful thing, not only for us as readers but also for your children. You're showing them life! You're showing laughter and tears. You're showing what it means to be a parent, and a human being. Go you, beautiful woman!!!

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  38. I've come to the conclusion that I am not good motherhood material. Which is a shame as my eldest is 12.

    Never was quick on the uptake.

    The way I look at it is that I love them, but sometimes I really don't like them. Feral little wolf pack that they are.

    But then they smile at me, at the end of the day when they have reduced me to tears and wine, they ask for a hug and then I forget that they are sometimes quite horrible and my heart swells with love

    Manipulative little buggers

    :-D


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  39. Story of my life as a parent! Actually it started before I even gave birth. I work full time, I went back to work at 16 weeks for reasons that have nothing to do with anyone else other than me, my husband and my son to care about.

    I get continuos shit thrown at me form both complete strangers and close family. It's the main reason I stopped going to baby groups very early on.

    Honesty doesn't mean you love someone even less , I my book it means your at the most comfortable with your decisions and opinions. Being with someone for 24 or 1 hour a day doesn't mean you love them more or less.

    Wish people would just fuck right off sometimes.

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  40. That's why I like you. You tell it like it is! I too hope my kids read my stuff because then they'll know me. I would hate to be the kind of mum who tells her kids that motherhood is one long play in the park and that having a baby only hurts a tiny little bit! Imagine what failures they'd think they were when they were faced with it themselves! People forget we are trying to grow sound adult, not just protect little children!

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  41. Point me at the person who slammed you and I will explain it to them in very short sentences with hand actions! It is obvious to anyone with more than 3 brains cells just how much you love your children! The frustrations of parenting you let out here and we all moan and support each other through it - just as it should be!

    If your children grown up to be anything like you they're do just grand - funny, sarcastic, caring, outgoing and just pretty awesome!!

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  42. Very well said! Story of my life...and I only have one spirited little angel! I like the word 'spirited' aka 'naughty little turd' well that's mine anyway! I agree with all of the above! This is 'normal parenting'...it's honest, it's real, it's life! I love your work, don't stop!

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  43. Amen sister! Mums who are 'just trying' unite! The super-smug, over-perfect, annoyingly patient mums should keep their opinions to themselves. Your blog makes me sigh with relief - it's ok to be annoyed with your kids, feel overwhelmed and a little bit shouty at times. Thank you :)

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  44. You bloody angel, woman. More of us have to say this stuff and stand up to those who are so quick to judge.

    I too have wondered whether my blog - www.thekrakenwakes.org - will upset my daughter when she grows up but, no, I don't think it will. Instead I think it'll provide her with desperately needed honesty about motherhood, the hardships of which appear to be shrouded in secrecy. God forbid we women should speak up and upset anyone.

    Anyway, I've burbled the same message here. It's time we joined our snot and shit covered hands and bit back at the nay saying bastards.

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  45. I love judging people. I judge the mother with the terrifying breast implants who makes her 6yo wear a Mohican hair do. I judge the mother who lets her sons stuff loo rolls down the school lavs. I judge the friend whose son flung my son's shoes into a pond without reprimand and I love judging parents whose kids eating habits are even worse than mine. Nurturing prejudices is one of my great joys; it's just that I confine them to my daily journal or else whisper them maliciously to like-minded friends. I often judge you - your attitudes to motherhood and you gin make you precisely my kind of woman!

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  46. I absolutely love your blog. I've only been a mum for 8 months and can already relate to the things you write and completely look forward to the fun and games I have in store with my little monster. You clearly adore your kids, and I have no idea why people would judge you for what you write as in no way have I ever thought it was 'anti-kids'. Do people not believe you can be a human being with an actual personality (god forbid!) and a mother at the same time?!
    You're a brilliant writer and you help to keep me sane. Thankyou :)

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  47. I bloody hate self-righteous mums who think their way is the only way - they're the ones whose kids I worry about. Needing to be yourself is the sign of a good mum. I love being a mother and mostly adore looking after my girls, but sometimes they drive me mental. If I didn't get a few minutes to myself every now and again, I'd be spending some time in a comfy padded room. Love the blog - ignore the idiots.

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  48. I love your tweets and blog! As a mum to a very spirited 2 (nearly 3) year old and a 9 week old baby they have helped keep me sane in the last manic few weeks of tantrums, sleep deprivation and general new baby madness.
    As the nursery teacher above said, even working with children, I'm a primary school teacher doesn't prepare you for the daily challenges of being a mum!
    Keep going please, I need you!

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  49. I love your tweets and blog! As a mum to a very spirited 2 (nearly 3) year old and a 9 week old baby they have helped keep me sane in the last manic few weeks of tantrums, sleep deprivation and general new baby madness.
    As the nursery teacher above said, even working with children, I'm a primary school teacher doesn't prepare you for the daily challenges of being a mum!
    Keep going please, I need you!

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  50. As the third child of five I fully get where you are coming from. It's only as an adult that I've been able to say to my mum "how the hell did you do it?" and more importantly "how did you keep sane and stay happily married?!?". Since becoming an adult my mum has told me about the times where she would scream at us, leave us to kill each other and generally sit with her head in her hands wondering what she'd let herself into. I have no recollection of any of this (the same goes for my brothers and sisters), we just remember a happy childhood where we fought and made up, we had a mum that yelled at us, but then so did all our friends, that's just what mums did.

    We all knew and know our mum loves us and would do anything for us, but she also left us to our own devices and didn't smother us with that love. She let us fall over, make mistakes, pick ourselves up, but when we needed her she was there with all the love and attention we needed and more.

    That to me is what makes a good mum, and it sounds like it's the kind of mum you are too. So don't change a thing, your kids will love you for it now and in the future.

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  51. That isn't what happened on twitter. What happened was, you said something implying that people who weren't hoping the summer holidays were over soon were people without children. A tweeter - who, BY HER OWN ADMISSION was full of pregnancy horemones and by her own admission over-reacted took offence to what she saw as a massively blanket sweeping statement as no, she has many kids and /isn't/ looking forward to the end of the summer holidays. In fact, I have just one kid and I'm dreading the holiday being over, as I love him being off school, especially as I've managed to get quite a bit of time off work this year. Now, I'm not judging those people who /do/ want the summer hols to end, but saying that /everyone/ feels like that, or /should/, well, it isn't the case.

    What happened next was the tweeter responded nastily. I'm not making excuses; her tweet was harsh and unfair and she knows that and eventually apologised for it. Actually I think it was a (mistake ) attempt at humour. But yes, saying that you shouldn't have had kids wasn't on.

    But next thing she knows, this pregnant tweeter with a small number of followers is set upon by many of your thousands of followers and has some horrific comments made to her. She feels vulnerable and leaves twitter for a few days. She thinks about blogging her apology and explanation but leaves it as she thinks it'll just make matters worse.

    When she finally /does/ return to twitter, she sees this blog post. And all the comments calling her some pretty nasty stuff. She made one ill advised, nasty tweet in response to your sweeping generalisation. You've written a blog post about it and thereby encouraged even more people to think badly of her. Really, who is the bully here? The woman who made one nasty tweet for which she apologised? Or the big name Mummy Blogger with the legions of followers (well, possibly fewer now you've blocked so many) ready to fight your corner?

    I swear this is horrible and cliquey and like being back at school. She apologised. But you can't leave it. That's a real shame.

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  53. My phone won't let me delete my comment. But if possible I'd like it removed, as I don't want any more trouble stirring up for the woman in question. She didn't ask me to come and comment here and I think she has had enough shit about it already. Maybe you have too. Maybe it's time to just leave it. I should have thought of that before commenting. I don't want to stir things up any more - I just wanted to set the record straight. But really, this will just lead to more nastiness. And if there's one thing we could all do without it's that, surely? So. Apologies, for what they are worth. I'd like my comment deleted, but it's your blog… I don't want any more nastiness.

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  54. Another supporter who loves your blog in all it's gritty reality. My children are such a challenge I often want to pull my hair out with frustration and looking at all these comments and Mother who won't admit they've had a day like that is a liar!! xx

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  55. Geez, if I didn't read blogs like yours I would shrivel into a heap and cry without even stopping to eat a cream biscuit! You are both honest and funny. If you have said something that I disagree with my options would be to leave you a rational comment outlining why I disagree with you or ultimately, stop reading what you write. Easy. I cannot understand why someone - pregnant or not - would leave a
    nasty comment. If pregnancy hormones are to blame, then all electronic better be confiscated for the 6 weeks after the birth cos that's when the hormones really go nuts!

    For me, I appreciate you sharing your experiences and I think it's quite clear how much you love your children and are doing the best you can. Just like most of us.

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  56. Claire I just love your blog and tweets. I've 2teen girls who drive me batty probs on a daily basis but I still love them to bits.
    Let these 'perfect' mothers jog on.
    Hugs xxxx

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  57. Well said Claire,We have all been there where our kids drive us crazy. These annoying mothers that think they are bloody Mary Popins and never get stressed are living in their own self serving bubble. I read my blog to my kids and they love being the stars of it.

    We all love our kids to bits but like I said before sometimes you can understand why some animals eat their young.

    Lots of love
    Me xxx

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  58. Oh don't get me started on judgemental parents. I am a single mum and I'll admit it, I put my career before my child on a good few occasions. Partly because I have to - someone has to pay the mortgage - and partly because I want to. But, oh my god, being a working mother you get everything from the disapproving looks to full on "well why did you even have a child if you aren't going to spend anytime with him". The playground tutting as I'm flinging my child through the gate so I can rush to the train to get into london to the office - I'm surprised none of them have rung social services.

    It's not much fun being a working single mum so I was rather hoping that one or two other mums might have found some compassion and realised that when I get back from work at 7pm I'm not always going to be arsed to cook a nice dinner so yes sometimes we have a whole tube of pringles and 2 twixes each. And it's a dead nice tea.

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  59. "Okay. I want to set a few things straight. I adore my children. Except the thing is, I don't always adore motherhood."

    Absolutely agree with this sentiment. I am returning to work in a couple of weeks and when someone at a playgroup asked how I felt about it I said "I'm quite looking forward to it. It'll be really nice not to spend my day just talking about babies". Stunned silence followed by lots of comments about how much everyone else loves being on maternity leave and wished they never had to go back to work.

    They clearly think I'm a rubbish mum.

    I comfort myself be assuming they all have rubbish jobs and it's ok as I like mine!

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