To the Mummies who used to work with children before they had their own children.

[Martha200]

Do you mentally beat yourself up that you are better with other people's children than your own?!

There are times when I am at my wits end. Overall I would say my child (preschooler) is generally well behaved etc, but when he has a tizzy, I find myself desparing because I feel like I did a better job when looking after other people's children .

I can appreciate what you are saying, you are often more patient with kids you are paid to teach/look after etc. Yet when I went back to work when dd was 5, I begrudged the amount of time I was spending with these kids and the fact that I was doing all these wonderful activities with thm and then too tired when I got home. I lasted a year and then packed in.

It's easy to be nice to other peoples children as you know you don't have to keep them and they won't follow you to the loo!

When I was a teacher I could silence 300 children just by entering the school hall
I look at my 2 children sometimes and think it is so much harder than managing a classroom full of 9 year olds.

But I don't regret giving it all up and being at home. I resented looking after other people's kids while I paid for somoene else to look after mine

Yes, I suppose the defined break at the end of the day is always helpful
In comparison to working I feel incredibly lazy, though I do do things with him, and finding it really difficult at the moment not to think I am a completely useless mother
(think I need more sleep to recharge batteries, keep getting woken 2-3 times a night at the moment and I'm hopeless with broken sleep.)

ghosty

I'm feeling better already, with the the two responses so far, and that's the thing I know I just can't work with other people's children only to pass my one on to someone else.. so I must be having some fun then after all

I was a nursery and reception teacher before having DS and now sometimes feel guilty that I don't do more planned activities with him like crafty stuff, that I would always do with my pupils. I also feel guilty that I have so much more patience with other people's children!

Having said that, I am still glad that I was a SAHM for his first three years and I got to bring him up rather that paying someone else to do it while I spent all day with other people's children........