Share your tales of going the extra mile for your DC with Mini Milk - you could win a £300 John Lewis voucher NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

At Mini Milk HQ they have been busy reformulating Mini Milk - meaning Mini Milk is a fun treat parents can say yes to! They say "small but perfectly formed, the Mini Milk is a firm favourite within the Wall's range of ice creams. With a choice of three delicious flavours -Vanilla, Strawberry and Chocolate - it's a perfect tasty treat you can feel confident giving to your kids this summer"

They'd love to now hear what you have done to go the extra mile for your kids out of sheer love, to put a smile on their face or - let's face it, to demonstrate your Mother-Superior (or Father-Superior) - parenting skills to the teacher/ other parents . Or even what you let slide so that your DC are happy.

For example: Have you ever found yourself working on a World Book Day costume in the wee small hours of the morning? Or spent days tracking down a toy or piece of clothing you know your child will really, really love? Maybe you've gone slightly OTT on your child's most recent project, or found yourself booking days out just so the class bear can give a good account of his time spent with your family. Have you allowed 'treats' just to make them happy?

If you've gone the extra mile, dug especially deep to pull something amazing out of the bag to be show your self as a great parent, or let your normal standards slip just to make them happy, we want your stories here!

Add your comment to this thread and you'll be entered into a prize draw where on MNer will win a £300 John Lewis voucher.

Please note Mini Milk / Mumsnet may use your comments - anon of course - on their pages on MN, on social media or possibly elsewhere - please only post if you're happy with this. Standard Insight T&Cs apply.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

For my daughter's Easter Parade a couple of years ago I spent about 3 days solid making her a 'Peacock Princess' outfit, which involved a cape (old nightie) with many,many 'feathers' (made from green and blue paper with eyes hand drawn on) stapled to it. It seemed a good idea at the time but I hadn't realised just how long it was going to take! Fortunately she won best costume and got a photo in the local newspaper so it was all worth it, although I have been rather less ambitious since . . !

I home educated my child because he didn't fit in at school - this was an enormous and frightening undertaking. I was a loan parent and we relied entirely on my income which meant the extra work of resourcing materials and ideas, mixing with other home educating families, running a house and garden plus my job was really tough going but it was tougher to see an unhappy child. It worked well for us and he is now at a top university taking his Masters.

Collecting and saving all of the old cereal, egg boxes as well as Empty bottles so that we can take them to my daughter's school so they can build lots of very nice structures which she then brings home to put on display. Such as rocket booster pack.

Selling a new bicycle so as to buy Christmas presents for her

Daughter had been read a story at nursery about a worry doll so when she came home, she asked why she didn't have one for "under her pillow to take the bad dreams away". Pointed out she didn't have bad dreams but she countered with "well....I might have" (can't argue with her logic).

So, spent the next 3 hours hand drawing a pattern, cutting out fabric / felt and hand sewing her very own worry doll in the shape of Angelina Ballerina complete with little pink felt Tutu. At least she slept soundly but my poor fingers ached. Still, worth it for the cuddles and "you're the best EVER Mummy!"

Looking after toddler and baby on my own while having bronchitis.

This sounds like nothing compared with some of the stories i have read - but it was quite traumatic for me! My nephew wanted lego for his birthday and I hadn't bought any since it became all kits instead of sets of pieces for the player to make up their own stuff, so was a bit flummoxed when I saw the shelf in the shop. No £s left on phone so couldn't consult his parents. Ended up asking the opinion of random strangers and assistants in the shop as what a boy aged x with y interests would like, and which kits were flexible, and which went best together. Ended up with a little crowd of 7 people plus occasional passers by all giving their varied opinions (mostly on how it used to be better etc etc!). No doubt this all sounds fun, and I was grateful, but (unaccustomed as I am to public speaking) I was just dying as I had to explain to a growing group of strangers again and again what I needed to know and why. Good news is nephew did get his present and did like it!

Trekked around the shops for hours to get them the toy of their dreams!

Running as fast as I can along a river bank, trying to catch RT's football that rolled in! Unfortunately it was lost to the current :(.

Dressed up as Peppa Pig on world book day! (v embarrassing!)

Stayed up for two days baking cakes for my daughter's bakesale.

Supporting them (not so much financially) through school, university, and, more importantly, romantic problems

My ds loves to dress up and loves his film characters etc. Every year he goes to a Halloween fancy dress competition party - and I let him down with my first attempt at a homemade costume so I kept practising and making bits and bobs, and last year I sent him off as Edward Sissorhands and he won! He was happy and I have some new skills!

My DD's playgroup were auctioning off their teddies, which all the kids loved. There was one of the toys which my DD adored but another parent bid higher than me in the end (they were secret bids) A hasty search on Ebay followed and I ended up paying far too much money for an identical second hand toy, but it made her happy so it was worth it!!

I love to make fancy dress costumes for my great niece as she loves to dress up

Just ten minutes ago I got home from an hour round trip to pick up a blanket that DD left at my DMs. I was exhausted, have to rush back out now and didn't really have time but she was so upset I couldn't stand seeing her so distraught and having the rest of the weekend spoilt.

Leaving early from work to find a shop which sold fur material and working late into the night making a Russian Cossak outfit for a special day at school.

Oh I forgot a fun one - drinking litres of milk in order to get enough tokens for not one but two novelty backpacks when they were tiny ! If I never see another pint it will be fine!

Giving them the last of my chocolate

I have made most of their costumes and had to stay up all night to finish the Joseph coat.

Doing a fun 2 mile run to raise money for my sons football team kit. I dressed as Tweedle Dum & my friend Tweedle Dee. We wore huge PJs with cushions tied round our middles. As soon as we set off the heavens opened and my cushions were getting heavier the wetter they got. My son finished 2nd and I finished last of 147 runners. I only raised about £5 but it was fun & so worth it

Many years ago, my son had a very big, impressive balloon. Whilst we were driving home, the balloon drifted firmly but determinedly out of the window. Cue one very VERY distressed small boy (he was about 3 at the time). I felt awful, because I thought I should probably have guessed that this was possible.

Anyway, when we got home, and he was having a nap, I blew up about twenty balloons and hid them all around the house. (They were much smaller ones than the original so I was going for quantity over quality.) I swore to him that I had no idea how the balloons had happened (and managed convincing surprise and bewilderment... I knew my drama degree would come in useful some day...) and to this day (and he's nearly 10) he still thinks it was Real Magic.

One big balloon would have caused joy for a short while. The balloon fairy has managed it for all of his life since :)

Staying up into the wee small hours attempting to make the ever ambitious birthday cake's that my son selects every year. Or maybe re- arranging our bedroom, so we could sleep at the opposite end of the bed, so I was able to reach and hold my 3 week old babys hand, as thats the only way she would sleep.

A few months ago: Went to the park with 4yo twin boys then went shopping only to suddenly discover, in the middle of Peacocks that (He's a Dinosaur and stones kind of boy - Archetypal boy) Twin1 didn't have his Dinosaur. He's left it back in the park... IN THE PARK I TELL YOU! A FIFTEEN min walk back... if we walk fast enough.
Its Right next to the tree. He's so sure of it now he's thinking about it.
"Please Mam, PLEEASE can we go back and get it" (How can I say no?).
So we start walking back, bags in had, full back pack on whilst I explain that there is a small (Pretty big) chance it may no longer be there, there are other kids are in the park that probably love dinosaurs too but if it isn't I will replace it.
He squeezes his little face and hands together almost like he's praying "Oh please, please be there. Its my FAVOURITE dinosaur. that's why I brought him out". T2 starts to reassure him that we will find his dino.
We got back to the park and there it was under the tree. I swear I have never seen such amazing little faces as they both jumped for joy and he squeezed it close to him.
I actually have a picture of it.
Then as we walked back and he had a chance to think he said " Mam, thank you so much for walking me all the way back to the park to look for my dinosaur. You're an awesome mammy"

It might not have been the extra mile but I cant tell you how much I didn't want to walk back to that park. I really thought it would be gone and it would have been a waste of time and Id have an upset child to sooth then drag round the shops. I had a million things to whine about but I was really glad I went back when I got that picture. Twin2 made no complaints as we rushed back and forth and was just happy for his brother.
Its amazing how much a toy can mean to kids. You'd have thought we were going back for priceless jewels buy no, just a plastic dinosaur.
I have two incredible kids so I'm a winner anyway.

I remember on one particular occasion, I'd just finished clearing away after dinner and my twins (7 at the time) came into the kitchen to 'remind' me that their 'little' school project needed to be in the following day. I said "Don't worry, mummy will sort it out"- little did I know, their 'little' school project turned out to be an Egyptian scene model- complete with paper mâché pyramids, sand dunes and a sphinx, which all had to be sprayed gold and sprinkled with sand. I can remember rummaging through the loft in the early hours of the morning trying to locate our Nativity set so I could stick humps to the backs of a couple of the donkeys and spray them gold in order to transform them into camels. I twisted my ankle stepping down from the loft ladder and finally flopped into bed at 5am but at least the little monkeys got their 'little' project in on time!! X x x