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You must accept that once your child can talk they will from then on know more than you - you will become more stupid in inverse proportion to their increasing knowledge!

Toddlers can shop-lift without you knowing it even when you think you haven't taken your eyes off them for one second.

Spod - so true - height of toddler & snot marks!!
My tip - learn to breastfeed standing up & moving around - it's the only way to keep up your other with small children plus manage potty traing at the same time.

Get one of those 'radio' phones that will allow you to walk about the house while you talk. That way you can wipe bottoms, sort out fights, do the ironing while you chat to friends. Fail to do this and you will never chat on the phone again

Colditzmum, you don't have to you know! You are only teaching learned helplessness. My dh is a perfectly normal, working class, northern bloke whose mum did everything in the house, but it certainly isn't that way in our family. As we speak, dh has returned from the supermarket with the children, is emptying the dishwasher and will make dinner tonight. None of it is rocket science. Custardo is particularly eloquent on this point.

That feminism has done me no favours! I now have to cook, clean, wash clothes, look after child PLUS go to work, share living costs, make important decisions and balance the chequebook, speak to the bank manager ...... men are so generous - they are always willing to let you totally organize every aspect of their life.

That DP who in every other aspect, has the sense of smell to rival a bloodhound, can tell me with a straight face that he can't smell the newly deposited man-size poo in his DD's nappy three feet from him.

Our experience of producing a child and being parents has confirmed everything I ever thought about him. He is more patient, more easy going, and more relaxed than I am. And messy!!
I don't think its that men can't multitask, I think they chose not to. He will focus totally on ds whilst I am thinking about tea, putting out the bin, ringing my mother and million and one other things.

I have also learnt that I'm in third place these days - below ds and the dog!

That men who are totally, completely hopeless around pretty well every aspect of pregnancy and childbirth, maintain an infuriatingly ostrich-like position for nine months, are totally unsupportive of plans for home birth, don't even get round to reading about the different stages of labour, and shudder when presented with the opportunity to cut the umbilical cord...can be completely hands-on fathers.

However, I have to add that nothing has changed my conviction that Men Are Very Odd.

I'd forgotten - I learnt that dh could make a damn good midwife! - he delivered dd2 before the ambulance could get to us.

That the two of us together can achieve anything.
That he would be just as good a mum as me. That I have a fight on my hands to be a SAHM as he wants to be a SAHD.

Yes Definately! My dh sounds like yours, Issymum

Oh yes and I can relate to that too bundle

Tee hee hee Moongirl

although dh was a bit unconfident when our dd's arrived, he's now a fully-paid-up Dad, prepared to criticise others' parenting techniques and offer helpful advice (unsolicited, of course )on everything from how to hold a newborn to discipline..

and you only have to reward that once to have them cleaning like mad

that sexy is when i come down from putting the babies to bed to find him washing the floor

watching dh with dd, i've learned that men's 'inability to multitask' is actually the result of a fantastic ability to live in and enjoy the moment. i'm jealous of the way he makes the most of his time with dd. she gets his total concentration. i'm aware that she doesn't often get mine because i'm usually worrying about tedious stuff like laundry and supper and whether we have milk in

When i became a mum to ds i realised i was already a mother to his dad

I meant - baby in one arm

How come I can do most things - run the bath, fill the kettle, load the washing machine and walk the dog with a bay in one arm and dh can't?

I don't know how useful this is for you Justine but the key thing I've learned about dh is that he is a total natural with kids - not just his own - but with any kids. He absolutely adores them and believes passionately in their equality and in their equal capacity to grow into responsible, intelligent citizens. Dh has NEVER met a child he doesn't like. He has a boundless ability to see the good in every child, even the rude, loud teenagers hanging around smoking dope on the corner of the street. And as for babies - never known anyone who can cope with babies like dh - he can take a complete stranger of a baby who's grizzling for England and calm him or her down and get him or her to sleep. He's never in a hurry, he has as much time as it takes, has no desire to go off and do something else - I don't know if kids/babies can tell, but he can calm them down remarkably quickly. Maybe that's the upside to inability to multi-task.

Rule 1: Babies don't really sleep through the night until they're about 1 (if you're lucky!)

Rule 2: never tell that to a new parent!