Things you do for your kids you’d never do otherwise

[SinkGirl]

I’m about to drop my DTs at nursery and then go to a three hour long training session, part 2 of 6, to learn how to play with them.

(I’m not daft - they have disabilities and don’t want to play).

Normally I would rather remove my own eyes with a spoon than spend my precious child-free time anywhere other than lying flat in a dark room, but they are worth it. I wouldn’t be doing it for anyone else!

This week I also need to:

• collect DT2’s pee in cotton wool and then squeeze it into a collection pot (bleugh)
• stay awake as much of the weekend as necessary to get a decent sleep study for DT1 after he managed to sneakily remove the sensor last time
• face my nemesis (filling in forms) to take our LA to tribunal over their education - my worst nightmare (not good at confrontation)

I realised how much of my life I spend doing things I literally wouldn’t ever bother doing for anyone else, even DH and I quite like him.

And that’s even before getting on to cleaning up poo and puke and radioactive nose goo

What less-than-fun things are you doing this week just for your kids?

Another dance mum here - the endless competitions, shows, costumes, doing the bloody hair

God this takes me back! Dd did the festival circuit from age 4. Getting up at the crack of dawn (why were her sections always at 9am??!), driving miles, schlepping in costumes, props etc, doing hair/make up in a crowded dressing room that smelt of hairspray, handing in the music, collecting the music afterwards etc. And all for TWO minutes on stage It was nice when they won a medal though.

Watching a small boy smear vast quantities of mucus, food and saliva all over the walls and furniture, just as his mother did two decades ago.

I also found the snot sucking device quite satisfying. Ds2 was a very snotty baby!
Nowadays - listening to a variety of irritating YouTubers witter on about how bad they are at playing computer games. For goodness sake, we have the actual game so play the game! No, you just want to spend ages watching other people do it. And it has to be the main computer in the lounge just in case anything inappropriate turns up.
So far I've banned videos about Five Nights at Freddie's, Happy Wheels and Fortnite. However, my younger child can now say "animatronic" clearly.
Ice skating. Ds1 loves it. Fine by me, it's getting out of the house and doesn't involve YouTube. I went skating with ds1 quite a bit until I fell over splat on my bum. Couldn't sit properly for six weeks! Now he goes on the ice and I hide in the cafe. It was unpleasant until I realised - nearly two hours of uninterrupted time to read a book? Nice one! However, as far as DH is concerned it's miserable and horrible as I don't want him taking away my reading time!
Fgs. Now they're watching some idiot called Jelly (?!?) playing Minecraft. We have Minecraft! Just play Minecraft!

Standing on the side of a Rugby pitch every other Sunday....freezing cold usually and soaking wet only to watch my daughters team being thrashed.

All the things you mention, OP. The training courses, the endless training courses...

The wee. The poo. The snot. Brushing my own teeth with DD’s toothbrush because she insists it’s “mummy’s turn”.
The soft play.
The 94482948292 viewings of the same Singing Hands DVD.
Family friendly restaurants serving boring food.

Argh Singing Hands! Bless them though, they’ve saved me many times!

Standing on a cold muddy field getting soaked through to the underwear by horizontal rain. Taxiing various kids across the length and breadth of our city, staying sober on numerous Saturday nights so I could pick DS up from his bar job.

He's away at uni now, its funny the things you miss.

Sitting in a cinema watching a pokemon film.
He,s all grown up now and i miss those days

Listen to hours of warhammer/trans rights/pokemon go/minecraft/star wars facts.

Nothing massively selfless yet, but some truly awful kids' TV
Kids' parties

Learn sign language, my son is hearing impaired (although fairly mild and his aids are good).
Softplay.
Drink copious amounts of pretend tea.
Remain sober on a friday/saturday night.

Watch the youtubers he likes who annoy the life out of me.

Play Fortnite with him. I'm awesome at it now. Should probably go pro.

Spend time with in-laws
Eat pasta
Sit on the floor
Talk to the neighbours

Oh yeah. 3 more words.

Little. Baby. Bum.

😱

I literally read that in my head in the same accent and tone they use 😁

Watched endless hours of Paw Patrol.
Do up buttons on their dresses. I have a phobia and can now just about manage up to three without starting to retch. Very few of their clothes have any if I can help it!
Scrub up sick in the middle of the night, shower it off myself when caught in the crossfire, and then dare to sleep with them snuggled right up close because they just want mummy...!

@EyeDrops I am familiar with that last one...

DT2 is a bit different now but until a few months ago he rarely ever looked at me, never made eye contact. One day he climbed into my lap and looked me right in the eyes and I was just thinking “oh how lovely” when he let out the biggest burp I’ve ever heard. Then as I was laughing he projectile vomited right in my face. Anyone else would have been dead to me 😂

DT1 loves videos on YouTube that are like Little Baby Bum but far far worse. Ever seen that Dream English guy? Terrifying.

DD is obsessed with bonkers Korean cartoons on YouTube called Babybus. And some toe-curling Indian ones featuring really, really entitled toddlers.

Dance festivals
Cleaning out numerous pets
Drive through town on a Saturday
Spend my morning off tomorrow at an Understanding Teenagers workshop

Sucking bogies out of my babies nose

My DS was obsessed with trains from the age of 3 till 6. We travelled on steam trains, old diesel trains, visited railway preservations, went on completely pointless short journeys on every Scotrail train known to man but the worst was going to model train fairs!

Listening intently to monologues on whatever was his latest PlayStation/Xbox game without going into a stupor!

Good God, yes, the dance shows with DD

having stick insects in the house and I was always the one who had to find a bramble bush to get cuttings from for said insects to eat. Resorted to have scissors always at hand in the car. I drew the line at cleaning them out though.

Stick insects?!

Sorry boys, I love you but creepy insects are a big fat no.