“Hey Mum I got the results back from my glandular fever test”

Jess said to me last year.

“The good news is I don’t have it, and do you want to know how they know?”

she asked.

“Because I have already had it!”

“Really, I wonder when that was.”

I said.

“Probably when I was in year 10 and I was tired every day for about three months and you told me that it was normal and that all kids get tired at school.”

Yep, that was probably it. One of the many ‘proud’ parenting moments of my life.

Proud Parenting

I have many other ‘proud’ parenting examples. Like when Alex was complaining for about six months that she couldn’t breathe properly. I eventually took her to the doctors to discover she had polyps and a deviated septum that required nasal surgery. Now that would explain her breathing difficulties!

Or when I reluctantly took her to the doctors five days after she stubbed her toe because she would not stop whinging about how painful it was. Only for the doctor to extract half a sewing needle… again that would explain the pain.

Motherhood – Hard but Rewarding

I think being a Mum is one of the hardest but most rewarding gigs. We are all doing our best and trying to get it right. But let’s face it, we have no idea what we are doing so we have to go with what feels right (or is that just me?!).

As a first-time parent, I always told myself that this is the first time I have parented a two-year-old; a four-year-old; a sixteen-year-old: a twenty-three-year-old. And when another kid comes along, it is the first time you have parented that particular two-, four-, sixteen- and twenty-three-year-old.

Every stage is new and you will not always get it right. But you are not alone, because none of us are getting it right. We are just doing the best we can.

Mother’s Day

On Sunday it was Mother’s Day in many countries including Australia. So I wanted to wish all the mums out there a very happy Mother’s Day. You are doing a great job… and when you stuff up, just know you are creating great dinner party stories.

And in my defence when I was about twelve, I broke my arm and Mum didn’t take me to the doctors until about three days later… so clearly, I learnt off the best!

P.S. If you want to hear a few more of my stories about exceptional mothering then have a listen to last week’s podcast episode of Keeping it Real with Jac and Ral. Jac shares some beauties as well.