to think it's high time somebody started an "I'm an imperfect mother" thread on here? Jeeez the number of perfectly perfect mums on here atm is quite scary

[emkana]

Okay I'll start

I'm not a perfect mother because

I lose my temper
I let them watch x factor and the cube on a Saturday night, and don't even read them a bedtime story after
I've taken them out of school for holidays

well I Am not perfect as I am a bit

please ignore this one

ah too late

Oh well we'll just let both run

(waves to 2shoes)

I've stopped listening to them when they whitter on because the novelty of having kids is starting to bore me now.

who?? who is so perfect? Examples of perfection please

I know that I am not perfect because:
I get bored playing games and make excuses to wander off and check my phone/ read a bit of the paper/ check out clothing websites
I have not abstained from alcohol during this pregnancy. Nor sushi.
I drove home a few weeks ago having forgotten to buckle my dd's carseat belt (she was asleep)
I lose my temper and raise my voice
I don't always intervene when they are killing each other

My ds said
Fuck it fuck it fuck it fuck it! the other day.
Wonder where that came from?

I once smoked and breastfed (but surely one cancels t'other out?)

I was pissed three night in a row last weeekend and my ds was found asleep in the visiting dog's basket at about 2:00 am (I stayed up until 4)

I don;t know anyone on here who claims to be perfect thoguh.

(Let, I'll have that IO code from you when you are ready please)

Ah, another sin! I waste time looking at nice clothes on t'internet.

oooh, moondog - go back to S&B thread, re Isabella Oliver - will chat to you there

I@m just generally crap. Too much to list but lazy seems to be on there

Oh yes, my ds made his first 'sentence' the other day

"Back Off!"

complete with dismissive arm gesture

strangely, I was instantly transported to the kitchen, struggling to make dinner while the dcs hang around my legs begging for juice ...

"

I'm so imperfect that I'm approaching perfect from the other side - .

I lose my temper, don't make the dses beds for them, forget to ask if they have got homework, sometimes refuse to share nice snacks with them, don't always let them have sleepovers because it's too much effort for me.....

Oh - and two-thirds of them think I am awful because I made them come out with us to the beach to play with the dog - because it was a gorgeous day and I thought they should make the most of it!! Such cruelty.

I have promised ds1 that I won't shout at him tomorrow because it's his birthday . Hope I can keep the promise.

If I think about it I'm sure I can give you lots of other reasons why I am sooo not a perfect mother, but I'll get maudlin so had better not right now!

I'm so imperfect I don't really think I want to admit it!

Qutoe of the week, Stayingsunny

"I'm so imperfect that I'm approaching perfect from the other side"

I like it.

I told my 6 year old I am busy when I am reading thread on here, and he now thinks I am busy when he sees MN on my laptop
I get bored reading the same books over and over again. I try to skip pages to shorten them.
I don't always make sure they have brushed their teeth before bed.
I eat sweets at night but don't let them.
I let them watch tv for hours because I am tired, and at least they are quiet then.
Today I spent the entire day trying to get away from them
I can't wait until Monday.

Also, am already dreading half-term

I wasnt on MN a while as a SAHD I thought I didnt fit and was utterly inadequate.....

I let mine watch hours of Cbeebies.

They eat sweets sometimes.

I get bloody sick of them too.

I like my four hours rest when they are in KG.

But...I can't imagine life without them.

I do rather like being free of the sprogs when they go to my ex- can I join the slummy mummy's club?

the more the merrier

How bad is this - ds (2.4) is watching videos on youtube on 1 half of the laptop while I MN on the other half.

I would, however like to point out that its clips of fans/helicopters etc. Nowt dodgy

Ha Ha- mine is doing exactly the same! Except he's got cement mixers and trains!

Me too bitoffun!

Please can I join in? I've spent 19 years being imperfect and thought I was the only one

My list of imperfections is long but I have never done the crafty, messy stuff, couldn't stand it, used to send them outside with those big chalks from ELC and let them scrawl all over the drive.

Used to use story tapes instead of reading bedtime stories.

Hated listening to them read, so used to send their reading books to their dads at weekends, he didn't do much else with them.

Didn't intervene when they were fighting unless there was blood.

There is so many more, but I think I better stop

does anyone really think they are a perfect parent? truly?

We all think we are right at the time though! We all do what we think is the right thing, because to decide to do something we think at the time is the wrong thing - well, that'd just be weird! It's only later, when we look back, that we think hmmm, that probably wasn't great. Who is going to go, you know what, I'm going to do X because I think it's poor parenting / the wrong thing to do / is not right for my kids.

We all do the best for them, it's just that fairly often, it turns out to have been a mistake . But you don't know that it will, because you don't have a crystal ball!

I'm imperfect because most of our meals are taken in the lounge watching CBeebies or similar. That way I can pause the TV if they're not eating enough. Works better than any other threat! Means I can MN at the same time and ignore cries of 'I hate this', 'it's got peas in', I can see a green bit'