I am new to Mumsnet - so be gentle with me. My children are all ending primary and even some going off to Uni. But I was watching a poor beleagered mother the other day attempting to do the over populated supermarket with four young children. All were hot and bothered and in varying degrees of melt down. Bless her.
I remember it so clearly - telling one woman to "bog off" because she thought she would tell me that I should have my screaming bunch at home heading for bedtime. I asked her in a v quiet and therefore v angry voice, did she want to a) adopt my four b) tell them that there was no food for dinner (hence my reason for being in Tesco at 6.30pm - pre internet shopping days) c)or did she want to finish the shop for me or watch my screaming lot whilst I did.
She slunk off.
I used also to pretend I was the childminder/nanny when my four ran off in all directions, out of control (sorry I was a far from perfect mother!) I would shout after them, "wait until your parents get home tonight, I will tell them how naughty you were for the nanny today".
So - what, being the lovely season of Christmas with flu, snow and other miseries, have you lot just recently endured in the wonderful ups and downs of mother/fatherhood?