Sanity 101; for parents

That's the thing with children I suppose; as much as we love them they drive us crazy in equal measure, and as you climb the rungs on the parenting ladder you lean certain undeniable truths along the way -- one of them being that in order to maintain a little sanity you must have little treats and rewards up your sleeve, and I don't mean for the troops -- I mean for yourself. After-all being 'Mum' isn't an easy task, and there are times when a nice full glass of red and an episode of Castle, (a very important treat for me) sometimes just isn't enough.

It's my Mum friends that can always save the day. Our children run in age right up the scale, and when my child patience and "let's work through your maths homework once more" energy is depleted, (even defibrillator pads aren't bringing this one back - CLEAR!) it's my other Mum's that become my support. A midweek night out at the local Italian, (we're coupon cutters - the waiters love us) always turns the frown upside down. It's about being able to share…

"why wont he just put his shoes on?"

"is bringing home a lunchbox so difficult?"

"what was the desperate need to put a rubber up her nose anyway??"

and the always old favourite; "my phone bill! You've never seen anything like it!"

And we don't feel better because we've sat and moaned about our children -- it's because we've shared the burden, and we're not alone. It's because a couple of hours together always goes to prove that our children are not monsters, and we're not epically failing as parents, (massive parent fear btw) and that really they are just children, all going through the stages and trying to grow up.

We walk to the car park and hug goodbye, knowing that in six weeks or so we'll all be back for a little more therapy -- and next time it might not be the children, it could be the husbands, work or our own parents -- after-all they basically revert back to children….i'm looking forward to that particular stage of parenthood immensely.