Things you never ever want to do again

[ThomasinaGallico]

Just for balance, because the thread below is making me feel a bit down…

What are you overjoyed to finally see the back of?

For me: The toddler years. Potty training. The school run and its politics. Ridiculous primary school homework for the parents.

Going further back: boring Sundays with church and bad music. Nothing to do on Sundays because nothing was open. Being bullied at school. Having to ask permission for seemingly absolutely everything.

The past wasn’t all rose tinted.

Having to do exams. I don't miss the revision or the stress or the feeling guilty when not revising for 10 minutes.

Definitely the toddler years. I had a bolter and had to have eyes on her all the time. It was exhausting.

Dinner parties.

Never again.

Pregnancy, birth and the toddler years.

School, didn't like it.

Oh yes. Exams and toddler years.

Parenting teens - I’d live the toddler years a hundred times over before I’d go there again!

wearing a school uniform
living with my parents
sleepless nights with smallies, god how I love my sleep

Get married
Raise small kids
Get divorced
Work long shifts in a hospital
Be in debt
Drive an unreliable car

Sex with a man.

Pregnancy, birth, lack of sleep from babies. Exams and coursework.

Some of the primary school mums at my DC's school.
I've never met such a bunch of overconfident, pushy, materialistic women in my life.
I work with hundreds of children and adults every day and very rarely come across this type of person.
I'm so glad I no longer have to be (politely) part of that.

Give birth.

But that’s unlikely as I’m 55 and have been through the menopause.

Which reminds me -

Have periods.

School
Dating
Being married to my ex
Commuting

Going much further back:
Having to use a phone box to contact anyone when out of the house.
Waiting for friends to turn up at an agreed time with no way of contacting them.
Having to phone up for bus /train times or walk down and read the timetable posters.
A-Z map books
Booking holidays from a brochure only
Having to buy records, cassettes or CDs to listen to music
Having to rent videos to watch films
Having to return the video the next day
Not being able to order clothes from high street shops only awful catalogues (until the next directory revolution arrived that is)
Life with no Pizza delivery (we couldn't believe it when the first pizza delivery shops appeared)
Having to carry around a load of tapes for walkmans or CDs for CD players
Batteries running out on the above...

I could go on...!

Move house
Plan a wedding
Change jobs
Deal with pregnancy/ newborn stage

Run a marathon

Giving birth
Dating
Menstruating
Worry about contraception
Go to meetings at work
Do the month end returns
Flying, I hate it.
Socialise with people I don't know and love

Go to school.
Breastfeed tongue tied babies (would rather give birth again any day)
Sleepless nights (I had the worst sleepers)
Find a partner
Take my viva

I’m lucky had nice births and the toddler years have been kind*

*So far, DC2 is only 22 months

Getting eyebrows threaded. Once and once only!

I forgot about commuting! The joys of the Northern line in the 1990s. And later on, 5.55am starts for the 7.50 to Waterloo. Then likely as not getting held up on the way back home. Oh, the thrills.

Trying to conceive. It took over my life for a decade. Amazingly I have two kids. There was a time when that seemed like an impossible dream.

Breastfeeding. I’m actually still breastfeeding now but I can’t wait to finish. Fed my first for 2.5 years but planning to stop at a year this time. I need my body back and to not feel like I’m the only one who can feed our baby.

Wear high heeled shoes.

Weaning.

Dating

Go Ape.

Pretend I’m enjoying an end of term production,