Being a parent has taught me many things, from the basics of dressing a newborn to deep and meaningful stuff like the depth of a mother’s love. But it’s the oh-so-useful skills I have gathered over the past seven and a bit years that I want to share with you today.
1. Spot cleaning – I have become a bit of an expert at spot cleaning. Pre-children , before leaving the house, I used to have a quick look in the mirror to make sure I had no lipstick on my teeth. Now it is to check whether there are any dribbles or blobs on my face or clothes. My shoulders seem to be the best place in the house for children to wipe their runny noses on or burps up milk onto. A quick scrub with a facecloth is usually enough to let me pass as clean enough to leave the house.
2. Creating the illusion of being welldressed – I like to be well -dressed but with children, you can’t always do it. With a bit of creativity though, you can pass as well dressed for short trips like the school run or the grocery shopping. The trick is covering up. A blazer, a scarf, stud earrings and knee-high boots over cleanish jeans is my go-to combo. It doesn’t matter how grubby your top is or whether you have got odd socks on. To the passer by, you look like you’ve got a grip on things.
3. Recognising the poo face – and, for that mattter, the wee wee dance. These are two incredibly important things to look out for in your child, especially once they are out of nappies and very especially if you are in the middle of doing the shopping. The staring, concentrated face of a small child who is avoiding eye contact and the jiggly, hoppy kind of movements of a boy who hates to dance send off alarm signals to me. We high tail it to the nearest loo before there are any accidents.
4. Listening and learning – I find that learning a little bit about Star Wars, Lego Ninjago or whatever my children are currently in to makes listening to their endless stories about it a little easier to bear.
5. Accepting – accepting that neither the house nor the car will be clean for another 15 years or so, accepting that children don’t understand being quiet, accepting that meals out are rushed, accepting help, …Accepting things makes life a little easier. Why try to change them?
Good list – especially love the poo face spot ha. I think the one that will make us most happy is accepting nothing will be tidy again 🙂 xx #thelist
Yep, I think you are right about that Alison x
Some good tips here! I will have to try the covering up with a scarf one! I love the poo and wee dance too!
Thanks Cheryl. The poo face and the wee wee dance are two of the most important things I have learnt 🙂
Hahaha…The Poo face and Wee Dance-loved it and so true. I have 2 boys and I am still learning about what they are interested in (which I am totally clueless about)- games, soccer and music, etc. They say men are from Mars and then I look at my two and I sometimes think “Did I give birth to two Martians?” because I have absolutely no clue about what you two are saying. #TheList
“Recognising the poo face and the wee wee dance” haha love this post!!
It can be so hard to follow what they are on about and to remember the names and details of their favourite games, cartoon or whatever.
Thanks for popping over to read.
Thanks! Glad to have made you laugh.
Love this! I need to use those well-dressed tips! I think accepting is so important, I am still figuring it out. Thanks for linking up to #TheList x
Thanks Aby! Yes, acceptance – you have to do it in the end or you'll go mad. With one child, it may be managable, but with three you are fighting against the tide.