Today has been a Bad Mother Day.
I know we all have them so I don't feel too guilty about it. Well maybe just a little bit. Ok then quite a lot really.
It's been one of those days where my reactions have been more than a little over the top.
'Oh my God who helped themselves to a yogurt from the fridge? Right. That. is. IT!'
It started bad and it just got worse. Despite being up at 6am we were somehow late leaving for the school run.
'Just get your shoes on and get into the bloody car!'
'Oh hello Mary from next door, yes, yes lovely day - just getting the little ones off to school'
Car door closes.
'Now in future when I say get in the car blah, blah, blah, blah, and don't ever blah, blah, blah, blah again. Got it?'
When they all got home it wasn't much better.
Fighting, fighting,fighting, then....'Muuuuummmm, Marley hit me'
'Yeah well, I'm busy'
'But Mum' *starts crying* he hit me and then Baxter threw a car at my head and pushed me over'
'Oh do stop sniveling and just go outside and play'
*High pitched wailing* 'But Mum he...'
'Right, I've had enough, go to your room'.
My entire day has been filled with hundreds of these moments. I should know by now that the grumpier I am and the less time I have for them the worse they behave and the more stressed I get, and the grumpier I am....ad infinitum. It really is exhausting.
I do hope the Fairy Good-Mother pays me a visit tomorrow. God knows they deserve it.
Poor you, poor them, poor us! We had a similar day, was there any need for me to get ratty at bathtime when the end was in sight? If I give them paint in the garden shouldn't I expect them to pain their hair??
ReplyDeleteHope you have a better day tomorrow.
Don't we all have days like that! I don't know about you but when it happens to me, it gets to me all day until I go to bed, all the while kicking myself for not being a better mum/wife/friend/person...
ReplyDeleteI was having a bad day recently. And then a wise woman said to me "Wow – if you haven’t been irritated by your child before now you are doing really, really well. My advice – get used to the feeling – because it’ll grow just like your little darling".
ReplyDeleteI decided to take her advice (her name's Kate, by the way) and wrote that day off. The next day it was much better and the child was far less irritating, or I was less-easily-irritated. Wine also helped.
Molly that's too funny - thank you for that I needed it! And may I also say that I am one wise lady! (Wine has also been taken thank you).
ReplyDeleteHad a day like that recently. I like the above comment about "writing the day off". And also a glass of wine at the end.
ReplyDeleteOh god, I needed to read this post. Am sat here with wine in hand feeling that guilty feeling that mums get after bellowing and wondering if I need to apologise to the neighbours!
ReplyDeleteSome days you just want to press 'restart' or even 'shutdown'.
ReplyDeleteOnce after the school run I actually drove home, sat in the driveway and did a mental reboot, then when on to the next activity.
I think we all have days like that:( I tend to put mine in the car and go for a drive. I like them strapped in lol and they are nice and quiet looking out of the windows eating cheesymite scrolls, and I can get a drive through coffee. But you know what? The minute we get home i'm yelling again! Some days are just blah no matter what we do:)
ReplyDeleteMy morning has been just like that. Toddler and baby asleep now, I am hoping that the afternoon is better. It's a bit early here(in Australia) to tuck into the vino, I am tucking into a peppermint tea instead. Will hit the caffeine and chocolate when they wake up! That should neutralise my pain a little.
ReplyDeleteHope tomorrow is better.
Oh Kate I could have written this post myself! Huge dose of bad mummy guilt yesterday and today's not looking much better. Liking the sound of this Fairy Good-mother... send her my way if you see her ;-)
ReplyDeleteOh I feel so much better reading your post – I have been exactly the same yesterday and today... by the evening I am drowning in guilt and yet the next day I find myself being grumpy again! Big, deep, breath I think.
ReplyDeleteI see you wrote this post last night (it's only just arrived in my email inbox!). Having a better day today? Or have the kids got their flak jackets on?
ReplyDeleteWhen I have bad days like this, my loving, caring, supportive, understanding wife says:; 'Time of the month, dear?'
She's a funny f-f-f-female, she is.
So glad to hear it's not just me. And yes thanks RHD, doing a bit better today. *OH JUST SHUT UP OUT THERE WOULD YOU!!* Ahem.
ReplyDeleteOh Kate! It's comforting to know that kids are kids no matter which side of the hemisphere you're on! LOL Mine are EXACTLY the same. What is it with 6 yo girls? Mine is so hormonal at the moment and cranky. OMG! And the fighting! Hope your day was better today. xx
ReplyDeleteAnne
(Domesblissity)
LOL!!! I had a bad mom day yesterday and my 3 year old told me that she didn't want me to be her mommy anymore :(
ReplyDeleteI tried harder today!! lol
Thank you Kate. And here I thought the occasional bad daddy days were just the fault of being male.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I stare at happy- go-lucky moms in the grocery store and wonder "How in the hell....?"
I so LOVE when I hear "Bad Daddy!" ... "Yes, I'm bad because I want you to have an appetite for veggies, not for ice cream."
Ugh...someday they'll understand, right?
I went through a bad patch once suffering with PMT (well we all suffered, but only me with the rage) I have one memory when I was the most evil mother and it will go with me to the grave unfortunatly. I had a mega stressful job at the time and had to work 55/60 hrs a week including traveling and all the paperwork at home. I came in late one evening, my husband was on a late shift, my son a young teenager and my daughter around 6-7. My husband hadn't prepared any meal for the children prior to work so they were hungry, and I just flipped! I threw 6 cartons of Ribena (for the school lunches) all around the kitchen, screeming like a banchee then went upstairs for a shower! When I came back down my son was on his knees mopping up the mess with tissues. I'm crying now telling you this, I hated myself for a long time then. Needless to say I soon changed my job and we all survived. I mentioned it last year to my son and I once again apologised (he is now an adult and a very beautiful level headed young man) he just put his arms around me and gave me a hug and said it's ok mum they were bad times. So the moral to this story is, we all have those really bad days, but with love and the ability to apologise we can survive another day. Oh and I want the badge for the worst mum please.
ReplyDeleteZena
Oh Zena I think we beat ourselves up far too much sometimes. I think every kid has witnessed at least one meltdown like yours and I'm quite sure it doesn't affect them as much as we tell ourselves it does. No way am I giving you the worst mum badge!
ReplyDeleteWell Kate, although I do feel disappointed about not getting the badge, I also feel a strange sense of relief that maybe it wasn't as bad as I have thought all these years. Thanks for that : )
ReplyDeleteI hope today has been better Kate! If its any consolation my days all sound just like yours...
ReplyDeleteI have a fridge full of wine....just joking :-)
After reading this, I feel more like saying "aww, poor you!" than "aww poor them!" They'll get over it pretty quickly, I think. =]
ReplyDeleteOh you make me feel better.
ReplyDeleteSome days I am rotton to mine.
This morning the dog pittled on the floor and then continued to bark like a loon while we all tried to get dressed upstairs. The continuing barking meant my stress levels were peaking and suddenly twin boy fell into twin girl causing much dramatic screaming and shouting and I snapped banning everything I could think of for at least a year!
Once again I feel I will be overlooked for Tesco's Mother of the Year award!
oh its so good to read this post and realise that im not the only one!
ReplyDeletesame here it makes me feel better that I'm not alone. We all do it. And kids forgive and forget very quickly! x
ReplyDelete