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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask which mummy must-have skill are you rubbish at?

180 replies

mommabear12 · 15/04/2015 20:56

I can't bake a cake to save my life but every other mum seems to confidently knock up a perfect spongey masterpiece for any occasion!! When did they all learn this?!!!

OP posts:
Samcro · 15/04/2015 22:52

i can't be called "mummy" i break out in a sweat and fail every time.

SandmanSlim · 15/04/2015 22:57

Voices. In stories. I just can't do them or keep up anything but my normal speaking voice when reading.
And anything else that involves me doing drama type things. No making up stories on the spot or pretending.
I can be silly and play with DD in other ways though, honest.

SinisterBunnyMonth · 15/04/2015 23:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Polyethyl · 15/04/2015 23:09

No cooking, nor crafting. And completely failed to persuade my 2yo to stop breastfeeding - she laughs at me and bats away my attempts at distraction.

Original poster
mommabear12 · 15/04/2015 23:11

Going to the park. It's purgatory. I can guarantee all of the following will happen:

  • I will have to reluctantly seek out the swing with the least bird poo on it and wonder why I have yet again forgotten to bring disinfectant and a hose.
  • Dd will insist she wants to go on the big slide then get to the top and freak out with a queue of kids behind her.
  • There will be a weird kid lingering.
  • I will get hit by a ball.
  • We will leave with dd having a tantrum either because she has injured herself or doesn't want to go home.
OP posts:
FrancesNiadova · 15/04/2015 23:12

Mopping up sick.
Once I smell it I'll add to it!
Confused

m0therofdragons · 15/04/2015 23:15

I can't do much with hair. Dd1 is so patient when I try to do French plaits then dd2 and 3 want them to and I try to convince them pony tails are fab!

yummumto3girls · 15/04/2015 23:16

Maths homework!! Never my strongpoint, luckily Carol Vordermans book usually saves the say! (Or dad coming home!)

yummumto3girls · 15/04/2015 23:18

*saves the DAY!

m0therofdragons · 15/04/2015 23:18

I hate playing shops- god it's sooooo boring and I spend the whole time being over enthusiastic while watching the clock wondering how long I have to do this to qualify as a good mummy. Dd1 loved shops... bonus of twins is they have a play mate so now I just set stuff up and let them crack on Grin

Original poster
mommabear12 · 15/04/2015 23:28

Going to soft play. Dd is also rather intimidated by them so unfortunately I am required to go in with her. I have had three near panic attacks - 1) when I got my fat arse stuck between two roller thingies. Like going through a bloody laundry mangle.
2) I got temporarily disorientated while at a particularly large soft play and genuinely didn't know how to get out. Two routes were open to me - one which involved contorting myself around a giant ball, the other involved crossing a net type structure, impaling my feet in all the holes. Luckily a helpful six year old girl helped me find my way out before I started sobbing.

  • When dd got cornered by a particularly feral child and I had to climb up a plastic slide to rescue her. Not cool or attractive.
OP posts:
clary · 15/04/2015 23:29

I am crapola at French plaits. I really can't do them and DD has done ballet for the last 10 years so that's a bit rubbish really.

I am ace at cooking dinner and baking cakes tho Grin also undoing knots - in fact this is my most-used mummy skill!

m0therofdragons · 15/04/2015 23:31

Haha I had to save dd1 in soft play when I was 32w pg with twins. I Must have looked looked hilarious - pil just stood and watched ffs

crassula · 15/04/2015 23:32

I am also ace at undoing knots, and that is one of the main reasons we fly kites with long strings that get tangled

306235388 · 15/04/2015 23:34

Hair braiding beyond a basic plait. I so want to be good at it but I'm not. Hmm

Also playing pointless games with little figures. I feel especially bad because with dc1 I did loads of this but now, not so much!

clary · 15/04/2015 23:37

Wow have rtft now and cannot believe how many of us cannot do the fancy hair.

Can I just say that my knot undoing skills are still needed on a daily basis and my children are 15, 13 and 12

Yay4may · 15/04/2015 23:39

I am so thrilled others gate imaginary play - I feel guilty about it but I'd rather go to the dentist. Oddly I loved it as a kid!

DrFoxtrot · 15/04/2015 23:49

My first thought was patience!! Lots of you beat me to it Grin

I can cook and bake and even do Optimus Prime from lorry to robot and back again. But fancy hair and arty crap is beyond me. I like the idea of it but that's as far as it goes.

The kids once persuaded me to pretend we were doing a 'cooking club' on Thursdays after school. The one and only time it happened we did jam tarts and it nearly finished me off. How on earth do people do this for a job and not have palpitations?!

EstRusMum · 15/04/2015 23:50

Probably gluey painty stuff as well. Although in the beginning I struggled to find anything I cannot do.
I can cook, sew, crochet, knit, speak 3 languages and am great at bleaching stuff. Do you think it's enough to be a good mum?

DrFoxtrot · 15/04/2015 23:52

I should clarify that I bake well on my own Grin but supervising the kids with pastry and jam is like torture

DrFoxtrot · 15/04/2015 23:55

EstRusMum your skills are too good to be on this thread Smile

MoonlightandMusic · 16/04/2015 00:04

There's must have skills? Shock Oh. - I think it might be safe to say I don't have any of them. Sad

Getting places on time? Does that count? [hopeful]

Sgtmajormummy · 16/04/2015 00:05

Jigsaw puzzles. Especially the tiny ones made of 2ply cardboard in Kinder eggs.
Also first aid. A quick wash, a slurp of antiseptic cream and a plaster if you're lucky. Fortunately I've never needed much more...

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 16/04/2015 00:25

I've never baked cakes.
I can't sew. I tried once and ended up sewing the back and the front of the dress together. Grin
I've always been very artistic and chilled out mum though. I guess it's swings and round abouts isn't it

pinksparklynails · 16/04/2015 00:31

mine is opening the bloody Calpol, hate the stupid lidHmm

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