I can do this!

So nothing exciting has happened this week!

 Life is as hectic as usual but without any extra calamities to spice up my days. I’m certainly not complaining, don’t get me wrong, but it does mean I have no pressing topic for this week’s blog!

It’s actually been quite nice to have a week where life has run relatively smoothly. I know that usually I am running from pillar to post trying to juggle school-runs, marking, lesson planning and all the extra-curricular activities the children do as well as being Mum, and I never feel I’m doing any of the jobs properly.

So, I am actually feeling quite smug about this last week.

I know that tomorrow (having written this) all hell will break loose, but at this moment I am reflecting on a week where I managed to be Mum without all the stresses and struggles that a normal week seems to entail.

It probably won’t happen again this year! But for now, I feel a moment of contentment.

As a Working Mum, I can juggle it all – not every day of every week but it is possible - I can do this!

Being a Mum!

So it’s February! I can tell because it’s freezing cold, snow has stopped half the country in its tracks, and the dreaded norovirus is running rife!

If cold weather wasn’t difficult enough to cope with, vomiting children thrown into the mix just adds to the fun and games. Add a dash of man flu and an important parent’s evening and stress levels can rocket, as I discovered this week.

(Actually the man flu also turned out to be more than that – sorry!)

The thing is I’m not good with sick! Not that many people are, but I’m really not! So, a night of looking after my son ‘til he finally slept around 4.30am, was nearly the end of me.

Having to get up and organise my eldest for school nearly proved too much, but I got her out of the door and into a friend’s car complete with correct kit.

But that was all I could do, I returned to my bed, posted sleepy son in next to me and put CBeebies on for my youngest. This was how my husband found us, as he descended from the top floor room (where I had banished him to avoid coming into contact with sick – wishful thinking!)

Luckily, my youngest had sat happily on the bed watching a succession of brightly animated characters dance and sing for her. Heaven knows what would have happened if she had been in an adventurous mood!

I was saved by the appearance of my mother in law who swept in and took all small children away from me enabling me to sleep. She also insisted my husband rest and take the full 48hours off as expected after a bug.

 

I woke 5 hours later feeling almost human and ready to face a three hour parents evening ( I was careful not to shake hands despite using antibacterial gel!)

I returned at the end of a long evening having talked myself hoarse to find normality had returned to the household.

It’s funny how you can lurch form crises to control in a few hours but then from what I can tell that is just being a Mum!

I salute you!

So with my better half away for a week, I have been sampling the joys and pitfalls of the lone mother with an awol partner! 

JOYS

1)      I can watch whatever I like on TV – uninterrupted.

2)      I can read my book in bed without the TV on

3)      I can make meals that I want to eat and incorporate vegetables.

4)      No one steals the duvet

5)      Any mess is my mess so I am happy to tidy it – or not!

PITFALLS

1)      Having to organise three children in to various forms of childcare each day.

2)      Juggling being good cop and bed cop to maintain any standards of behaviour.

3)      Making decisions about my children on my own, (even minor ones like should they wear a coat –yes or should they lose a marble from their jar for saying poo – no)

4)      If one of the children wakes at night there is no one to kick and say ‘Your turn!

5)      There’s no one to talk to over a glass of chilled wine once the children are asleep.

It seems pretty even on the face of it but I‘ve found being a single mum – even for a week is really hard work!!

I knew it wouldn’t be easy but was unprepared for the sheer continuousness (is that even a word?) of being both parents rolled into one.

I have several friends with husbands serving in the forces abroad and know that being a military wife, means long periods of absence where you have to be both parents, you are the one who see the highs and lows and you can’t share them over a glass of wine at the end of the day.

 I have only had a small taster of being a lone Mum whilst my husbands’ away but my respect for the wives of those serving abroad has reached new levels. 

They truly are an inspiration to the rest of us.