Parenting Sins

For no reason in particular, other than to avoid the tidying up i thought i would compile a list of the sort of parent i am, and the sins i commit. We all do it, this could be fun! I aim to be as honest as i can without causing myself embarassment or having my children taken away (hehe).

So here we go.

1. Sometimes i let the TV babysit my children. I lure my youngest with the promise of a Peppa Pig DVD and the two oldest with whatever latest Disney film they are into just so i can have some peace for a while.

2. I have been known to 'rest my eyes' for a little while during dvd/tv time and catch up on a few well needed Zzzz's.

3. I have been known to let my 7 year old make breakfast for herself and her sisters before i am out of bed. I figured its only a bit of cereal and milk.. what could go wrong? Plus i am promoting independence and valuable life lessons!

4. My children go to bed at the same time in the holidays as they do on school nights. This is mostly due to the fact that they get up at the same time each morning regardless of their bedtime the night before, but it is also because by 7pm i am desperately craving peace, quiet and Eastenders. None of which can be achieved when you have 3 girls running around.

5. I bake with the kids when i fancy a cake. Guilty as charged! If i fancy something sweet and sugary, in a cake or fairy cake form, i have this super fun idea to bake lots of chocolate and vanilla sponge fairy cakes! The kids love it and i get my fix.

6. I over indulge at Christmas. I am famous for it and its not a good thing. I look at their lists of presents that i have bought (this has to be done otherwise id forget half of it and find it 6 months later tucked in a corner somewhere) and i panic that they simply dont have enough and will have a rubbish Christmas. This is then compensated by panic buying on Christmas Eve, getting told off by John and then regretting my actions in the New Year when we a) have no room for all this stuff and b) they are already bored with it.

7. Sometimes i see them doing things they shouldnt and just pretend i havent seen it just because i cant be bothered to deal with it at that time. Very bad i know but if it was dangerous it would be a different story. Its the small things like making a mess, getting a biscuit out of the cupboard etc. Sometimes i just dont want to deal with it!

8. We dont always have a nutritious meal. I have been known to whack in the fish fingers, dippers, waffles and chips on a few occasions. Im sure im not alone in this and i do make sure i cook some healthy, nutritious meals to placate my guilt for a while after.

9. I try to be, but just am not an organised mummy. We are always late for everything. Even our own birthday parties. You can guarantee that the other guests will pretty much all arrive at the venue before we do. We also do not have shelves and big tubs and boxes to store games, puzzles and toys in so that they are neatly stacked away at the end of the day and easily accessible. Ours are shoved under the bed, often in broken boxes or spread across the room so that when ever a game or puzzle is dragged out, half the pieces are missing and it cant be played with anyway.

10. I am not a very pro-active kind of mum. I dont take my kids out all day every day, we are known for frequenting the local park most days to burn off some energy and pass the time (or get out of the hopeless task of housework while the kids are off school). I am not a very arty and crafty mummy either. We bake, and sometimes i will buy craft kits for rainy days but we dont do model making out of loo rolls and toothpaste boxes or decide to turn a random delivery box into a house or car or the like. The chaos and mess it causes in my head is enough to put me off before ive even suggested it out loud.

But overall as with all the other mummies out there, i do try to take them on days out where possible, i try to get the right balance between all the food groups, i teach them right from wrong and to have good manners. I can take them anywhere without worrying that they will show me up and for all my parenting sins, i have three, happy, healthy little girls!

Cant be all bad eh? ;-)