to wonder if putting our children first is always wise?

[KatyTheCleaningLady]

I like to start a discussion I in the morning and then go to work so I have something to pop in on during the day.

Ok, the other day I felt guilty because I was physically exhausted and so blew off sports day in order to rest before a busy evening ferrying kids about.

I felt guilty because I felt like it's wrong not to suffer any inconvenience or discomfort for even the most trivial of my children's pleasure. I "should" suck it up and stand around in the cold watching races just so my kids see me there. But, why? How is it really good for an exhausted mother with aching feet to do this? Isn't it better for mum to be rested and happy at tea time?

Obviously, some things are so important that you carry on, regardless. I didn't cancel a client in order to rest: the money is important to the family. And, if the event had been something truly important, then it would be a different matter. I would stand cold and aching if it was truly important to the child's well being.

I see a lot of threads on here from exhausted, miserable mums who are burnt out and resentful about their lives. Is some of that due to prioritising the family over their own well being?

Processed pre-prepared meals, I meant (fairly obviously, I thought). There is a homogenised quality that does not cheer. Mimi Spencer refers, memorably, to 'an anonymous savoury mush ladled from a steel var by a bloke in a hairnet'. Frankly I'd rather spend 10 minutes knocking up said curry.

Someone made the sauce, though, which is slightly the point.

But you've always admitted that food and cooking are not important at all toy ou and your family.
You don't cook and haven't developed the palate...so of course the M&S stuuf tastes better to you!

I did mean the mush. I would hesitate over the chicken/bacon mainly through quality - I don't like to buy factory farmed meat for a number of reasons.

I daresay my cooking is better than M&S.

I may be wrong.

Dunno.
I can cook.
I can bake.
I fact I am a pretty good cook. And my flapjacks take some beating :)
But when busy/ill/lazy I do love something I can just bung in the oven with no prep.
And afaik m and s and waitrose only use free range chicken and free range eggs?
And, in my family, I can send hours prepping, cooking and serving up a made from scratch dinner (even with some veg from our garden thrown in) and my boys would still eat more if it were pizza/pasta/chicken filets.
So I don't bother much anymore.

I don't like the sneery tone that there must be something wrong with you if you prefer to do your own food prep than pay someone else to do it for you.

But home cooked meals are the complete opporsite of restaurant food, particularly high end restaurants!!!

You can't develop a palate from restuarant food, any more than you can develop one from M&S food.

Home cooked food is about something different altogether.

I don't like the sneery tone that if you can't make meals from dust and hairspray there is something wrong with you.
Each to their own.
As ever.

Absolutely LQ.

There is no sneery comments from people who choose to cook from scratch .

are, not is

No, I think ready meals are a different ball game to pre-chopped veg, I cook from scratch (she says waiting for take away!) and wouldn't want to feed my family on ready meals, but pre-chopped veg? What's not to like?

There is a huge difference between a microwave meal every day and pre chopped veg.

I love pre prepped veg. I love ready grated cheese, any form of M&S potatoes, ready chopped garlic, all that stuff, it saves me loads of time.

It depends whether you would prefer to do it yourself or not, same with a lot of things isn't it?

I don't take my washing to the river and scrub it with rocks, I use a washing machine.
I can't be bothered to chop onions so I buy them ready chopped

Id be more than a little bit concerned if your ready meal had a face MrsD

Pre prepped veg is ace.
As are frozen deserts like roulade that only need defrosting.
Marvellous.

Tbh I can't win with my dc....
Last night ds1 (10) and i were talking about puberty (he is learning about it at school).
He had watched a DVD about a woman giving birth.
We were chatting about it and ds2 (4) piped up
"I didn't like being in your tummy mummy, the snacks weren't very nice"
:)