I’m late, I know. My mother often shares an anecdote, of how I was born two weeks early, my head crowning as she exited the taxi in the early hours of the morning on New Years Eve, and she ends it with how I’ve never been early for anything since….
She’s right.
I am that mother that calls the school on the first morning of term to “Check that the kids come back to school today”, because I’d lost the newsletter with the term dates at the bottom (Not so much these days thanks to the wonders of the internet –yay!).
I’m also the mother that runs across the school playground moments before the school play starts, rushing into the school hall scanning the kids faces for my child, then annoying the other parents by asking them to “Scooch down” so that I can be in the best position to video my child….
I’m the mother that forgets that there is nothing in the house for dinner and who after being scorned by her children when she tries to pass of breakfast cereal as a suitable evening meal for the second time in the week, gives in and orders a take-out meal – probably also for the second time in the week.
I’m also the mother that tries her best.
I am not perfect, and whilst there is room for improvement, I don’t think that there is any parent that gets everything right all of the time. We are all just ‘winging it’, hoping that one day our children become balanced adults, not too traumatised by their childhoods to live successful, happy lives.
So, if I were to make any new years resolutions this year (because I’m late doing that too), at the top of the list the first one would be something about giving myself a break, or going easy on myself….
Something to serve as a reminder, that I am always doing my best.