I have started a new series of blog posts. I am FED up of the way parents, and actually mothers, to be honest, are put under so much pressure, to be perfect and to have this parenting thing under control and be able to do it all, and the constant judgement we are under. This parenting job is HARD, we get no training, we don’t get paid, and we do it because we want to aned love our children. Sometimes we don’t get it right, sometimes we get it more than right. We are all mostly just trying to do our best. I am tired of the “how to be a perfect wife, mother, craft provider, cleaning lady, cook…” stuff that gets flung at us every day. We need to take the guilt and throw it away and enjoy parenting, but also be able to admit when it’s not going so well, or might be a bit tough…
I’m under the weather, with a mild version of the large doing the rounds at school/my toddler groups. I have a sore throat, a headache, and a runny nose and I feel a bit grim. Nothing a nights sleep and some medicine won’t cure, I hope, but to be honest, after battling through my work morning, a meeting, then other things I had committed to, when we got home from the school run, I told the children to grab the iPad, pile into my bed, I put lots of snacky things and a drink on trays, and they grazed and then played games and watched TV programmes until LSH came home to take over while I lay on the bed feeling a bit sorry for myself. It worked a treat, they were happy, actually shared the iPad without much of the UN style intervention normally needed from me, and they cracked a whole zone of Candy Crush (and they’re still beating me, in case you read this post!) I probably could have attempted a minimal supervision requiring craft, read them stories, or just soldiered on, but I didn’t and I’m pretty sure many parents have done and would do the same, much to the horror of those who think tablet devices and tv are evil tools only lazy parents use…
The electronic babysitter wins, hands down, today and I’m now off to bed to shake this lugubrious. Mummy has no time for a sick day! No guilt here, I got to rest, and kept two children fed, occupied and safe.
Have you you had a bad parenting moment or felt like you were being judged for one when in fact, you aren’t a bad parent, just doing your best and trying to stay sane? Feel free to comment!
The horror… It’s an electronic babysitting device AND they’re playing Candy Crush!! Call the Parenting Police!!
I think we’ve all used screen time as a babysitter more than once if we’re being honest. This is funny because just yesterday I published a Mommy Fails post where I shared the fails other moms had written on my Facebook page. We all have our moments. It doesn’t mean we’re bad moms; it just means we’re human!
I am so with you Karen. I have been feeling crappy this week and have not got much done and am quite behind. To get a lie in with a two year old I always use the iPad. I know I should be able to give myself a rest and not worry about it, but I do feel like I’m failing. I would really like someone bigger then me to say, “I give you permission to spend an afternoon in bed and don’t worry about making up hours tomorrow evening.” Then I might feel a it better about it.
That sounds completely normal to me – I’ve lost track of the number of Disney days my kids have had when I’ve been feeling under the weather, I don’t think it harms anyone x