to want my life to be like topsy & tim's mums' life?

[ladyflower23]

I.e. house always tidy, children always do what I say/never have tantrums/I never lose my shit with them? I can also do arts and crafts and make cakes and have perfect make up while I'm doing it?

^^ I always had the sad idea the sub plot with Sophie/ Tiger that the mum & dad were some alcoholic, forgetting to have enough food etc (all of daddy's beer) and this was all Sophie's imagination at play as to why she goes to tea inappropriately late on her dad's whim (bit close to my childhood).

Yes, I too always envied Sophie and her Mum's equanimity during the tiger's prolonged visit. I always attributed it to that very old-fashioned, British politeness that didn't blink an eyelid at an unexpected guest!

Ooh Flora that is a sad idea.

I don't want to be her now...and for you.

I've only read the books and everything is always very nice and calm and everyone is marvellous and happy.

In their world if a gerbil escapes its a marvellous game of hunt the gerbil with everyone finding it highly amusing and then daddy makes a new better cage for the naughty gerbil.

In my world everyone runs about yelling "the fucking gerbil got out" and "check he's not under the fridge eating the cable" while the house gets turned into a shithole. Then we find the gerbil, shove him back in his cage and threaten it with next doors cat if he does it again. Then open the vodka.

My house is like Justin's but with more singing. With the addition of two small people who run from opposite ends of said house to shout "stop" in response to said singing.

Also no robot.

flora I heard a version like that on here once, where mummy is an alcoholic & drinks all the beer & spends the water bill money on booze so the water gets cut off. Someone referred to the daddy's face as he sat in the chair as having heard it all before

spider ha

How does T&T's mum keep her cool when paint water and shit gets spilt on the dining table? She never let's out that death curdling scream that starts at the bottom of your stomach and turns into a kind of whirring in your throat.... Weirdo.

midnight yes how wonderful.

Ha ha to the tiger tea if that was my house and the stripy bastard drank all of mummies wine he would be shot, point blank!

How about Enid Blyghtons mothers though? They send their children off on holiday alone in gypsy caravans! I mean how can we do that legally? Please tell me.

I secretly would like to be like the mother in the Magic Faraway Tree or the famous five. Packing the children off with a lunch of scones, sausage rolls and lashings of ginger beer and not worrying if I don't know where they are or what they are up to until bedtime or beyond.

Sadly, the reason I don't see DD1 for hours on end is not because she's out having romping adventures, but because she's sat in her room writing about romping adventures. (Could be worse though).

x post Soduthen!

Soduthen 'the stripy bastard'

One of the most realistic-looking houses with young children living in it was the one in the Alfie books - umbrellas, boots and shoes all over the hall, washing hanging up in the living room, toys everywhere... The Mum there wore a look of glum resignation a lot of the time, although every adventure turned out to have a happy ending!
I definitely associated with her in my children's pre-school days!

I nearly started this exact thread yesterday!

I have serious TV mum envy

Bettercallsaul, Yes I'd love to be Alfie's mum too. Alfie is lovely. Annie Rose is a bit of a whinge bag though!

Loving this thread.

Oh Alfie yes lovely books and illustrations.

My experiences are just like mrs jumbo unfortunately. The paint on the dress etc!

I want to be elegant and classy and I am rough and grungy.

Do you all know the poem Reading Scheme by Wendy Cope?

"Here is Peter. Here is Jane. They like fun.
Jane has a big doll. Peter has a ball.
Look, Jane, look! Look at the dog! See him run!

Here is Mummy. She has baked a bun.
Here is the milkman. He has come to call.
Here is Peter. Here is Jane. They like fun.

Go Peter! Go Jane! Come, milkman, come!
The milkman likes Mummy. She likes them all.
Look, Jane, look! Look at the dog! See him run!

Here are the curtains. They shut out the sun.
Let us peep! On tiptoe Jane! You are small!
Here is Peter. Here is Jane. They like fun.

I hear a car, Jane. The milkman looks glum.
Here is Daddy in his car. Daddy is tall.
Look, Jane, look! Look at the dog! See him run!

Daddy looks very cross. Has he a gun?
Up milkman! Up milkman! Over the wall!
Here is Peter. Here is Jane. They like fun.
Look, Jane, look! Look at the dog! See him run!"

My parents were like Peter and Jane's parents.
To my older kids I was like Roseanne
To dd i can't think of anyone really. definitely somebody laid back.

I couldn't work out why the Orla Kiely collection for Clarks was so weirdly familiar until I realised I'd spent my childhood looking at the exact same Startrites on the feet of both Peter AND Jane and me. And P&J's mum.

But their dad never stops smoking his pipe, even when he's teaching them how to clean a pair of leather shoes. That must get on Mum's nerves.

Grace Under Fire, could be Topsy and Tims mum a few years later. Just ignore the American accent.

to stripy bastard. We always ad lib "and all Mummy's wine" too.

The tiger that came to tea is actually about Hitler and the nazis during WWII. Judith Kerrwrote it is Jewish and that's how they she viewed them. They came in and took everything they had away, while they were powerless to stop them.

Argh! Must proof read!

It should say judith Kerr is Jewish

I really don't like topsy and tims house. There is far too much furniture in it, and too much clutter. Every space is a child space, toys and craft stuff and easels and dolls houses all over the place. I had high hopes for them when they moved house, but the new house is even worse! Joy really needs to sort it out, maybe she'll get more of a handle on it when the twins start reception? Even though they're about eight already. ..

I agree with a PP about Flop. He's an inspiration. Bing broke his phone and Flop's all, "It's no big thing!" as usual. I'd be fuming!

Personal parenting mantra: What would Flop do?

Happy that's so good I love Wendy cope and never heard that one.

MyIron really? I heard Judith on radio 5 a few months ago and had no idea. She was chatting about the book. I can see the analogy though. Very touching.