June 30th, 2014

Yesterday, whilst updating my Facebook status for about the third time in 24 hours, I came across yet another link to a parenting article. This well meaning “Supermum” had composed a beautifully written piece entitled, “10 Easy Steps to Stop Yelling at Your Kids.” Being a serial ‘kid yeller’, I clicked the link and hoped for some sort of quick fix, an instant perfect mother making solution. After a beautiful opening paragraph, introducing me to her delightful and impeccably behaved children, I was hooked. This woman had me enthralled. I was imagining her “Country Living” kitchen with its live wild flower posies and matching cushions and throw rugs…….and I had only read the first few lines. Reading on in anticipation I came across Step 1. “Stick blue paper hearts up wherever you are most likely to yell at your children, (e.g. by the front door where you drag your five year old, kicking and screaming every day with Vegemite on his face, no library bag and only one sock on). This is a friendly reminder to stop, stay calm and breathe.” 

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? 
DO PEOPLE REALLY LIVE LIKE THIS?

I needed a blue heart right then and there, because I seriously needed to stop, stay calm and breathe. And then, out of the blue (heart), came my epiphany. 

I had read a pinterest quote months ago (Only one blog post in and you are already getting a glimpse of my social media addiction!). “The reason why we struggle  with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlights reel.” This was exactly what was happening. This woman was no better mother than I am. She was no more perfect and her children were not complete angels. This was her “highlights reel” and I was comparing it to my morning of “behind-the-scenes.” The scene where my five year old had screamed at me because I wouldn’t let him have chocolate milk on his Weet-Bix and my 11 year old had whined for the hundredth time, that I was the only mother on Earth that wouldn’t let their pre-teen daughter have Instagram.

So that is what this blog is. My behind-the-scenes. Designed to make the everyday mother feel better about her own mothering, by comparing her behind-the-scenes to my everyday, and often hilarious parenting failures. I am no Supermum. What I am is a full time working, part time studying, two child raising, husband satisfying, sometimes kid yelling mum. 

But what I do have is two mostly stable children who are the poor guinea pigs that are on the receiving end of my parentings trials, failures and successes and seem to be coming out ok at the other end. I have a husband who has come to accept that he has had to sacrifice the three course meals, including home cooked desserts every night of his childhood for the sometimes meat and veg, but more often than not, oven baked fish and chips with salad, and yet still loves me! I have a career (I know, shock horror!). I am all for those amazing (and I do say that sincerely) mums that have the patience to stay at home full time with their kidlets, but it was not for me. 

And now I am adding blog author to my already crazy number of hats. I am sick of comparing my behind-the-scenes to everybody else’s highlights reel, so am determined to create a place where we can all share our everyday “doh” moments, with a glass of wine in hand and a good old cackle!