Mothering Sunday Meme

A meme, if you haven’t come across the word before, is an idea spread across blog posts.  Typically where you answer questions  and then pass them on to another blogger and ask them to answer the same questions.   It’s an interesting way to get to know other bloggers and for readers to get to know you slightly better <gulp>

I was tagged in a Mother’s Day meme by Kate on Thin Ice (great name for a blog) .  So here goes.  The questions are not mine, but the answers are:

Describe motherhood in three words

Rewarding / Hectic / Lengthy

Does your experience differ from your mothers?  How?

Oh goodness me.  Mine is very different from my mum’s:

Mum was 17 when she had me.   I was 24 when I had C.

Mum only had me.   I have three

Mum and dad had zero money when I was born.   I was slightly better off in comparison as a new mum.

Mum worked when dad got home from work in the early years.  She had to.  I didn’t.

Mum and dad have been married for over 40 years.   I was a single mum for a while.

Mum didn’t have a bathroom (it’s a bit different now).   Not a problem I have ever had

What isn’t different, I don’t think is “how” my mum parented me and how I like to think I parent my children.  My mum was incredibly “hands on”.   Was always there for me.   And my parents constantly told me they loved me and that they were proud of me.   I couldn’t ask for more than that really.   I like to think that my children would say the same of me.

What’s the hardest thing about being a mum?

Seeing my children hurting.  Either physically or emotionally.    I become Tiger Mum very quickly.   Hurt one of my cubs and  I will come after you.  I don’t care if you are another child or an adult in authority I will want to intervene.

But also respecting my children when they say “mum, just leave it” and knowing I don’t want to but I have to let them deal with things on their own, make their own mistakes, find their own way out.   That for me is really hard but part of growing up.

What’s the best thing?

“love you”.   Full stop

How has it changed you?

I am not sure I can answer that.  I think you should probably ask somebody who has known me forever!   How has the last 18 years changed me?  I am not sure I can just put that down to being a mother necessarily.   I am sure it has, of course it has.  I can’t put that into a paragraph though.

One thing it hasn’t done is make me any better at maths.

What do you hope for your children?

I hope they have the confidence to know that they can have a go at anything.   And the confidence to try.   I would hate for them to say “I would love to do / go there / meet them” and be too scared to try.    Confidence to just be themselves and to be happy.   As a parent I don’t think we can ask anymore than that.

What do you fear for them?

Spiders.   And bombs.

What makes it all worthwhile?

Seeing them laugh.   Being with them.   And them wanting to be with me.   If only for dinner for ten minutes.     Seeing them get it wrong but know that it is okay to get it wrong and either knowing to apologise / move on / or have another go.

Over to you SuperAmazingMum