Get Real!

So half term was manic! I just couldn’t find the time to write, so I have to apologise for missing a week!

It’s that age old problem of wanting to do too much and then finding yourself doing nothing well -if at all!

I wanted half term to be a real break from school and work, and so was keen to make sure my children enjoyed the full benefit of Mummy 24/7 in a perfectly orchestrated orgy of activities – like real mummies do!

At least that was the plan.......

In my uber-mummy status, I’d organised friends to play, swimming trips, baking activities, soft play, bike riding, family lunches – you name it we were going to do it.

But then, when things are running smoothly, the world throws a cog in the wheels of your life!

Somehow, I managed to pull my shoulder so that even lifting a duvet became a problem, let alone a small child. Out of the window went teaching my daughter to cycle without stabilisers, as I couldn’t hold the bike steady. Swimming was gone, as even changing my youngest’s nappy was proving something of a challenge. Home-cooked family lunches came out of the freezer and soft play went quietly by the wayside.

I felt such a failure! I had had such dreams of a week of real family bliss. You know the one I mean -children laughing merrily, adults looking on indulgently, rosy cheeks all round!

But then  as I was about to be swallowed up by my failure as a mum - it struck me; I was trying to make my life perfect and in no way is life ever remotely as perfect as we are led to believe it should be.

No, we didn’t manage all the exciting activities I had pictured, but you know what – the children all seemed happy with the more mundane activities. They played with their toys, we did colouring and the baking was messier for the lack of parental input, but the results were just as good! Yes, we had the usual tantrums and arguments but that too is part of being a real family.  This was confirmed by my eldest who looked round the table, as we all ate frozen lasagne for tea, and said ‘We look like a real family!’

My idea of a real family had been a picture perfect break packed with exciting activities – hers was sitting down to eat as a family!

I thought to myself ‘Get real!’

Life isn’t picture perfect and rarely runs to plan and if anything, this half term has taught me not to worry about being perfect, but to focus on being a real family – warts and all.