The Working Parent

My kids are always making me laugh with things they say. Generally the best bits are when they are speaking to each other unaware that I am listening. These conversations give me such insight into their thinking and usually involve me killing myself laughing in the kitchen hidden from view.Last night I tucked my daughter (aged 3) into bed after picking a book to read. She insisted that she should read the book to me so I let her. It was a small nursery rhyme book that told the story of Little Bo Peep. She made sure I was covered with her quilt asked me if I was comfortable and said she would begin."One ponce at a time the lady lost her sheep" Well that was it - I just could not stifle the uncontrollable urge to laugh out loud which I got told off for. "It's not funny Mummy the lady is very sad" This just made me laugh more!I should add I did correct her, "It is once upon a time darling" I said it my best mummy voice and so she started again. "One ponce at a time ..." Cue me laughing even harder. By now my daughter was starting to get cross and we had caught the attention of my son (aged 6) who had to come and see what was going on.Both of them looked at me as though I was some kind of nutter as I had no explanation as to why I was laughing so much. By this time I was hysterical, it wasn't just what she had said but the way they both reacted to me laughing about something that in their eyes was just not funny.My daughter then said "I think you should go Mummy, I want to read to Daddy because you are being silly". On my way down the stairs I heard her say to her brother "Mummy is silly isn't she? She shouldn't laugh when the lady is sad" to which my son replied "Don't worry Daddy will read properly with us"Well that was me told. Daddy was dispatched upstairs to restore order, he read to our son first and then our daughter with me ear wigging at the door."I am going to read to you Daddy, one ponce at a time....."

I am taking a break form the party planning posts today to have a bit of a rant!The phrase "Yummy Mummy" bugs the hell out of me. Unless you have an army of cooks, cleaners and nannies how on earth are you supposed to achieve the status of yummy mummy?At what point can you class yourself as a yummy mummy? Is there some secret scoreboard somewhere that you measure yourself against?As I work I do have to make a bit of an effort when going into the office but I know there are occasions where I definitely do not look my best. I try to make sure that this does not happen often but it does happen. When I work from home it is usually done in my dressing gown and slippers with unwashed hair tied bag into a scraggy pony tail. Thank God my boss cannot see me; goodness knows what he would make of the sight of me. They have just introduced skype though so I will need to ensure that my web cam is permanently broken (sorry kids but you are likely to get the blame for this!).My weekends normally involve housework, washing and studying so they way I look it not exactly the top of my priorities.Trying to be a yummy mummy just adds to the pressures we all face as parents, as if there isn't enough to worry about. If I am not a yummy mummy what am I? A scummy mummy? Not sure I like that idea at all! As women we all like to look nice, it makes us feel good about ourselves but the thought of society looking at me and deciding if I am indeed a yummy mummy takes away the good feeling and replaces it with self doubt and anxiety.That said I still want to be one!If anyone knows where the secret scoreboard is please let me in on the secret, any inside information is always useful!