What do you do on those occasions where you hate being a parent?

[Alicetheinvisible]

But feel so guilty that you are resenting your children (or the fact you have children) that it makes you feel as if actually they would be better off without you anyway as a parent is supposed to love unconditionally, not just on the good days?

And then you despise yourself because you are pregnant again, and how the hell are you supposed to be a decent parent to the second one when you can't even manage the first?

SAF - thank you

i have actually got a break from her on saturday for a couple of hours. I am swapping her with my 7yr old niece, so niece and i can go to the cinema, so my sis is having DD. Have considered a CM, but the one she has been to and i like is a 15min drive away, so wouldn't be quite as beneficial.

The idea of the ballet was that it was something she could do while i sat and watched, unlike all the musical groups, swimming etc which involve me being as active as DD. Also a good introduction to discipline as a stepping stone to pre-school iyswim?

Like i said, all the ideas i have just go tits up reguardless of how good an idea they seem

I think sometimes I try especially hard because of the guilt of knowing what my feelings were IYSWIM Lizzy, when I met H I was trying to register with the VSO to work abroad....

Lizzy, I hope if nothing else, knowing these feelings are felt by others and that it does not make you a worse mother for having them. You do try to compensate for them with DD and that is the thing that makes you a good Mum, because you recognise it and try to do something about it.

Cheap and cheerful for me..

I cheat and buy £1 packs of plain buns and some squirty icing and a few silver ball things for a cake decorating session.

A big bucket of water on a lawn with a selection of containers/spoons etc. (still keeps 7 yr old DD happy.

Lie on the sofa and let DD cover me in stickers.

Stick her in the bath with her swimming costume on ..

Don't worry about prep for pre-school or socialising. Before 3 they don't tend to be that sociable anyway, more parallel play than playing together. And organised activities can be a recipe for disaster at that age. don't feel obliged to plan grand outings for her development, it's fine for her to lounge around all day at home, all she needs for now is for you (and of course DH) to speak to her and play with her.