I haven't baked with dd for over two years, and we never "get out in the fresh air"

[Gogglemint]

I don't really care how neatly/well she does her homework as long as she gets it done. I never tidy her room. I have left myself two weeks to plan her birthday party and she goes to late stay four nights a week. On the other day my husband picks her up. We live on soup, cheese on toast, yoghurts and chocolate. And yet I still hold the believe that I am a good mum, as I do the best I can.

May you all feel slightly better about your own parenting .

Well, I wasn't feeling bad about my parenting, but okay.

And it seems you might or you probably wouldn't have need to post such a defensive post.

I'm confused

Odd post.

I d get out in the fresh air a bit more if I wS you OP

Well done to you then

not much effort there OP. shame on you

goggle I don't know if your post is supposed to be poking fun at your self but it reads very bitter and fed up. You ok?

Sound of penny dropping

It's half term

Everyone parents differently , I understand where you are coming from though OP

MN is full of competitive parenting

Sorry, am a bit fed up, I must admit! If I get one more message from one more smug mum asking what I am doing with dd right now as they are knitting/hill running/baking while knitting and hill running I might die! Dd is in playscheme until 6pm all week, and therefore should be whisked into care, and only enjoys playscheme because I am so tyrannical that I force her to! Oh how I love her but wish I was a better mum .

You are doing the best you can , ignore all the rest

I just read it as a tongue in cheek "I'm really busy and can't do all the things I am "supposed" to but have a happy healthy dc"

I assume you work full time that's why you struggle for time? FWIW my dd1's idea of a fun day is watching Peppa Pig in pj's. And I never knit/bake/paint yet both mine are happy little souls. And I'm on maternity leave so have no excuse

I have learnt to thick skin it normally, but one mum (rather unthinkingly I must admit, she looked a bit embarrassed afterwards) said on Friday "well we didn't have children to pawn them off on other people did we? I mean, you never spend any time with her the rest of the time do you?" and I've been stewing on it ever since.

Google - is your child developing normally ? If so you are doing fine. Helicopter parenting is stressful and bad for parents and child. Kick back and enjoy.

Oh usual and Billy, thank you. My hours have gone up gradually over the past six months from full time to full time and then a few hours more when dd is in bed, so am trying to do all I can but can't make food for the following day in the evening like I used to, and don't have the energy to be bright at the weekends. Hopefully the extra hours should tail off again next year and we can be back to normal!

Sadly I know a lit of mums like this. Life is difficult when you have kids.
I even know of a mum who went I holiday without her kid, who stayed at a child minder

I love you all, thank you. Am going to have a biscuit and a coffee and blast this presentation so that I can be on a high when I pick her up. Thank you all again, I no longer want to sob into my desk!

so, are we competitively non-parenting now then???

Depends what you mean by non-parenting tbh

IMO everyone has time to cook. It's a matter of making it a priority.

Maybe you have no energy because you live off soup, cheese on toast and chocolate, no?

And here they come , the cook from scratchers

My mum never baked/painted/knitted with me and I turned out ok!

Some of my happiest memories from childhood involve driving down the street with my dad pointing people out and saying 'Where do you think they're off to?' and then having a ridiculous silly conversation about their hypothetical lives... no prior planning/equipment but it was fun

It sounds like you have a lot on your plate OP. Try not to worry too much, the fact that you care enough to post implies that you're doing a better job than you think!