Now then, would you look at that - a green pepper! Growing on our windowsill. We have loads! So, we will mainly be eating peppers, potatoes, onions, garlic and leeks for the next few months!!
I'm pleased with myself as I've kept them growing and looking well while Peter has been away and even the tomatoes in the garden look good!
So, Peter is back - hoorah! The kids are beside themselves with excitement. I'm beside myself with tiredness as suddenly I can stop and relax - and guess what, more insomnia! I hate insomnia. But I'm getting better at dealing with it. Anyway, the level of excitement with the kids is quite entertaining - it's like they have forgotten that mummy was looking after them day in, day out for a whole month! Mummy? Who is mummy? I want daddy!
And so I've been really chuckling as I read this book which was recommended to me as a bit of a light read. How true so much of it is:
This won't spin round to be the right way up for some reason so you'll have to bend your head! |
DAD GLAMOUR
You're the primary carer, but as soon as Dad walks in, wow, they're cheering like it's snowing giant party bags stuffed with Gogos and fluffy kittens. Now, to quote my four-year-old, that's not fair.
ALCOHOL
....you forget about the restorative powers of two Anadin, a cup of camomile tea and an early night. Instead, you speed-read your way through The Gruffalo in order to get the Shiraz cracked open by 7.05.....
ENJOYING IT
.....appropriate questions to ask someone recently delivered of a child (as opposed to 'are you enjoying it')....
- Are you tyrannised by parenting books
- Were you terrified of doing your first poo after labour? (ha ha - my husband was unaware of this issue until I laughed at the thought as I remembered the fear!!!)
- Have you rung NHS direct yet?
Anyway, onto more serious matters. One of the things I read in the book sparked my interest in terms of a comment about research which had been undertaken on childcare options and impact on development. It made me think of the guilt section of the book - the guilt trip society places on new mums in particular for not breastfeeding, not sneezing their baby out whilst listening to mozart etc. And this comment made me think of the never ending media coverage about how parents are so bad for sending their kids to nurseries because they will be disfunctional and then the next day, how mothers need to get back to work and stop staying at home, then the next day how we all ought to have a nanny and so on and so on.
I did a quick google search for some stories to illustrate it:
- Nursery care = children turning into yobs - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-446564/Nurseries-turning-children-yobs.html
- Are nurseries bad for our kids - http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2004/jul/08/schools.uk
- Nurseries are better than grandparents - http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/feb/10/grandparents-childcare-pre-schoolhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/feb
- Working mums are happier - http://www.everydayhealth.com/womens-health/1213/working-moms-vs-stay-at-home-moms-whos-happier.aspx
- Stay at home mums are more depressed - http://www.parentdish.co.uk/2012/05/23/stay-at-home-mums-more-angry-depressed-and-laugh-less-than-working-mothers/
- Is childcare bad for children (childcare which you need to go to work to be 'happier' apparently) - http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/insight-therapy/201010/is-non-parental-daycare-bad-children
Best not to read these things I think is the answer!
And I finish on another happy note - I made a fabric tray. I've been meaning to make one for ages but finally managed it, the night before Peter came home. Mainly to stop Peter putting his keys and other 'kipple' down on my newly painted windowsill!
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