I went to the house of some people who didn't have children yesterday

[Cappuccino]

it was like an oasis of calm

it was all grown up and there were fresh flowers in vases at coffee table height

and there was carpet (we can't have carpet because of dd1's walking frame, no 'shoes at the door' for us because her wheels are unwipeable and covered in crud)

there was a little table with a laptop on and some lovely stationery

it looked like to clean it you would just need to wander around with a feather duster and run a vac round

you wouldn't have to move a load of shite and then pry up squashed raisins

I came home quite depressed

my sister has one teenage and one pre-teen daughter.

her furniture has lovely upholstery, she's got curtains to drop the floor and clean shutters. they have dinner parties and the kids amuse themselves whilst they entertain.

they even go out for an evening and the 14-year-old stays home with the 12-year-old.

you can only eat icecream with the kids in a buggy for another few months

that's only a shortterm thing

in a year or two they will be able to hear chocolate being consumed IN ANOTHER ROOM

my childless friends are the same age as me
they go away for weekends abroad spontaneously
they go to music festivals
they have fast 2 seater cars
they drink Pimms in the garden on a summer's evening and don't worry about bath and bedtime
they have long lie ins
they stay up til 4am and sleep in til lunchtime

I am so !!!
I know at least 2 of these couples are ttc and tbh I'll be glad when they have dcs so I can stop feeling jealous!!

We had frends with a gleaming apartment. It was all white with touches of black, and all co-ordinated, CDs and DVDs were arranged in order, the laptop was all shiny white on a table ready for us, the table was all set nice all the time, everything sparkly and clean.

When we took DD there I was always one de, just in case. They were fine with DD being there, but I was scared she'd leave fingerprints everywhere.

Sadly their relationship didn't last. We still see one half of the couple, who does still have an immaculate apartment, just he is not so OTT with it alll now.

Just imagine...soap without great chunks gouged out of it or without tractor tyre marks through it....luxury!

We stayed with our friends over the bank holiday
They have the most beautiful white flat as though they live in "living etc" magazine
However they are the most lovely insanely beautiful and stylish people you could ever meet
We had to agree Dh and I that even sans children we still wouldn't come close to owning Missoni towels etc etc
I did ponder a sideways life for a while though and then reimmersed myself in Not now Bernard and trying not to watch Happy Feet again

When our children are grown up and moved out and we have immaculate homes again, we'll miss all the noise and mess and chaos. We'll look back fondly.

my friends house is immaculate. She anxiously hoovers round my baby as baby lies on her beautiful (pee and sick free) woollen rug when we visit.

lol @ christmas morning

christmas morning just feels WRONG when there are no children

Like finding yourself at Legoland on your honeymoon

NatalieJane it was the Sunday morning sex that got you into this position in the first place.

I remember someone telling me that her house would never look like mine even when she had children. Ah the naivete! I went round to hers recently. She has one child. He'd give my DTs a run for their (let's make a mess) money!

The kids and hubby went to his parents for lunch today sop I had about 5 hours on m y own. The house was so tidy upto about 10 minutes after they came home!

Cool thread. Echo Mrs Badger's comments.

V V envious of people like that.

Sadly I fear that our house will not be like that even when there are no children. DH is a scruffy hoarder. I will only have a house like that when there is also no DH

'When our children are grown up and moved out and we have immaculate homes again, we'll miss all the noise and mess and chaos. We'll look back fondly. '

so true Lyra. I keep reminding dh of that and he gets all maudlin!

'christmas morning just feels WRONG when there are no children'

No it doesn't when you wake up a sunny, warm blue sky and a champagne breakfast before heading for the beach or golf course or a big fry up before hitting hte slopes.

'When our children are grown up and moved out and we have immaculate homes again, we'll miss all the noise and mess and chaos. We'll look back fondly.'

No, no I won't. I'll treasure it even more.

Message withdrawn

I don't miss all that. I k now I'll have it again one day and I think when the time comes I'll sometimes feel just a tiny bit wistful for the hectic days.

I must say, I'm in the "Christmas Day sounds blardy fantastic without kids" camp here.

I have friends at work who have no kids. And they can stay in bed all weekend watching box sets of Prison Break and Lost in one go.

I work p/t and the other day on my day off I emailed work from home about summat. And my colleague (one of the above) replied incredulous saying: "What are you doing up at this time?" It was 8.10am. She just had no idea why I would not be lying in...

No, no, no....christmas day without kids is crap. As a childless adult you can indulge yourself in champagne and morning sex any day of the year. Where's the big deal?

Hmm. Have never had a house like that. dd just a handy excuse for generally slightly untidy house...

My house was never like that before kids.
And probably won't be after.
Like Orm I have untidy, horder DH. And not exactly a neat freak myself

I often wonder what I did with all my time pre DD. I think I spent a lot of time recovering from hangovers