to think that there is a larger than average number of perfect mothers with perfect children around on MN these days?

[emkana]

With children who will just admire the view in the car, and who will appreciate the delights of historic sites without the added attraction of a playground, and who can be taken along to dinner where they will join in with adult conversation...

I'm just wondering how the hell they get the little darlings to behave so bloody well. Bribery? medication? can someone let me know please?

Their children aren't real and neither are they, its Children of the Corn, as the OP said (I think, was that this thread? its been a long day).

Do my quiz - I need someone to score less than 12 so I can feel superior to someone, anyone. And my DS is a PFB only 13 months old!!! God knows what things will be like by the time he is 15.....

Goerge.. I haven't scored.. but I can say it would probably be under 12 LOL

...erm, mine are like that. Sometimes.

But they are a bit older now (10, 13, & 14)

Oh, but 2/3 of them routinely eat with their fingers, 3/3 of them routinely criticise their parents' every little move (that back seat speaking speedometer, so useful!! don't know what we did without it... ), 3/3 are messy and untidy as hell, 2/3 have selective request deafness, 1/3 has mother deafness altogether unless discussing his favourite topic, etc, etc...

theres a classic example of this in another thread at the moment. How well kids sit at tables. its all down to the fabulous parents and taking them every week apparently. The rest of us are crap who eat scraps off the floor whilst grunting I think.

riven - would love to take DS to a sign and sign class - but they do tend to be full of 8 month old PFBs, don't they? Have a feeling that Moondog runs a private sing and sign class that does have SN kids attending.

em - you've been on MN longer than I have - so you must know twas always thus!

My children are perfect because I'm the perfect mummy.

Message withdrawn

I was a perfect child. I polished shoes and looked after my siblings and did all sorts of chores and sat still at tables and said please and thank you and did not argue within earshot of my parents.

Mainly because I was terrified all the time of my bullying violent father and ineffectual mother. It's not a good thing to be.

I go by my friend's philosophy 'A mother who watches This Morning is a mother of a child with a great imagination'.

Message withdrawn

Duchesse, I was the same as a child. Everyone thought my parents were perfect as all 6 of us were so well behaved. What they didn't see was that we were all too terrified of our mother not to be!

This is why I don't care if I am not totally perfect. My children are happy and I'd rather that than perfection.

5 of us, Squirdle. And everyone thought my parents had found the winning combination as well. Little did they know about the humiliations, personality repression and mental and physical violence that underpinned it all. Ah me, happy days . My father in particular thinks I am making biiig mistakes with my children, and points it out frequently. Actually my children are really quite balanced... I learned a lot from my parents- about how not to bring up children.

Squirdle- can't help prying, sorry, but I notice from your profile that you had our first child at 20. Did that help you "break away" as it were? Worked for me at 25- turned me instantly from my father's corporate golden hope into a "breeding cow" worthy only of contempt. Never been that bothered by him since!

Mine do most of those things emkana. However they are usually scruffy with long hair and they got to Maccie D's .... how does place me on the perfect mummy leader board then ?

Duchesse, I left home at 17. I was being abused by my grandfather too and had been for 7 yrs (another example of how if you are a well respected pillar of the community, you can apparently not be accused of anyting of the sort)

I couldn't wait to escape. My mother was awful (but then she had my grandfather for a father I suppose) I actually had my first child at 19 but he was sadly stillborn and had DS1 13 months later. It was tough, but I was and have always been determined that my children would never ever go through the smae kind of childhood as I did.

DS1 in particular is fabulous (the other 2 are too, but at 5 and 3 they have a long way to go ) He is the most grounded, well adjusted teenager you could meet. He is sociable, friendly, bright, funny, kind, and everyone just loves him If DH and I have ever had issues with each other, we have made it certain that the children are NOT affected by it.

I do still see my parents, but as they live 2 hrs away it's not often. They love thier grandsons, and are good grandparents, but I would never allow my children to stay with them. I have a fair relationship with them, but not a very special one. Tbh, I consider them lucky (especailly my mother) that we have any kind of relationship.

Sometimes when I read the preening threads I feel like screaming: GET A JOB, LOSE WEIGHT, do whatever it takes to get your self-esteem from something other than your children, whose purpose in life is not to feed your ego.

[Puts feet up, picks up book and helps self to another chocolate digestive] My, it's grand when the children go back to school.

And yes, I do think I have learnt how NOT to bring up children from my own experiences!

Ooh Bridie...isn't it I am savouring the silence this morning!!

I suppose I'll have to get up in a moment to take the washing out of the machine, Squirdle. Bugger. At least no clients have sent in work today.

Pass me another biscuit.

Mmm, yes, I was full of good intentions this mroning, but kind of just hoovered around and then sat down! I have to collect DS3 from nursery in an hour so I figure I don't really have time to do anything else

DH is playing at bike racing today, so I think I am justified in taking the morning off!

So I guess what I am trying to say from all of this is that my children may not be totally perfect and I may not be the perfect mother in that I am fairly realxed with my parenting, BUT my boys are lovely boys, not badly behaved at all, do have their moments, but they are not scared of me...Thank God!

I shout, I have to, boys have selective hearing , but we have many cuddles every day - even my 14 yr old gets a cuddle and always kisses when he goes to school and bed and they KNOW we love them. Thats all they need. They are secure and happy. I honestly thought my mum hated me when I was a child. I only realised she didn't when we lost our first son.

We are all fat liars.