46 simple things you did this week that make you a wonderful mum (or dad!)
A few weeks ago, I wrote on my blog that I was having a bad day despite nothing bad actually happening. Last week, I wrote that I was struggling to keep on top of the housework. So many of you told me you felt the same; that being a parent can be overwhelming sometimes, especially when you are the primary carer.
But then someone reminded me that even though I may have times when I feel like I am winging it at best or failing miserably at worst, every day I manage to keep three little people safe and happy and feeling well-loved. Every. Single. Day. That’s one heck of a responsibility and a massive achievement, if you think about it. I am responsible for my children’s care and well-being 24-7. Okay, so Little Miss E is at school full-time now and Little Man O attends pre-school, but the rest of the time it’s down to me – and Cardiff Daddy, of course – to feed them, clothe them, nurture them, love them and do any one of a million little things that may seem small and insignificant, but would greatly impact on their lives if they weren’t done.
I am so grateful to that friend for reminding me that while I may not be perfect, I do a wonderful job of so many other things. Maybe some of you reading this forget about the dozens of things you do every day without even noticing it. I bet you’ve done most of these things in the last week or so, so have a read and remind yourself what a wonderful mum (or dad – I know there are a handful of you reading this blog too) you are. Yay for all the brilliant parents out there who sometimes need reminding what an important job they are doing.
- You got up in the middle of night to give your baby milk/take your toddler to the toilet/help your child find a favourite toy that had slipped under their covers.
- You made sure your child was appropriately dressed for the weather.
- You managed to get your child to school/nursery/baby class on time.
- You remembered the change bag/rain cover for the buggy/their school book bag/their packed lunch/permission slips/a change of clothing.
- You stood outside the school gates for 10 minutes in the cold and the rain waiting for your child to finish for the day.
- You read them a book or played a game with them.
- You made them up to 21 meals this week, and provided them with snacks and drinks.
- You changed dozens of nappies and/or wiped a lot of bottoms.
- You let them have the last piece of cake even though you really wanted it.
- You sat on a freezing cold, hard wooden floor at toddler music group because you know how much they love the class.
- Your child had clean clothes to wear every day because you managed to do all the washing.
- You remained patient when your child asked you 50 ‘why’ questions in the space of half an hour.
- You spent Saturday or Sunday morning watching your child’s swimming lesson/rugby class/ballet class or at softplay.
- You sang Dingle Dangle Scarecrow 18 times in a row because your child kept saying ‘again, again!’
- You did or said something that made your child really belly laugh.
- You did the weekly grocery shop with one or more children in tow.
- You taught them something new that made them really excited.
- They made a random old lady in the supermarket smile with their cuteness.
- They knew to say please or thank you without you reminding them.
- Your child was clean because you bathed or showered them.
- You helped them brush their teeth twice a day, every day.
- You helped them work their way through a tantrum.
- You went to work to earn money to provide for your family. Or you put your own career on hold to spend time raising your family.
- You happily put a bunch of withered dandelions in a cup of water on your windowsill because your child picked them for you.
- You turned down something you wanted to do because it clashed with your baby’s nap time/meal time/your child’s favourite activity.
- You gave them a plaster, Calpol and a magic kiss when they hurt themselves.
- You encouraged your child to do something they were scared or unsure of – they did it and enjoyed it.
- You helped them safely cross a road.
- You gave them a cuddle when they were upset and it stopped them crying.
- You wiped their nose.
- You didn’t say a word when you were dribbled on/puked on/a nose was accidentally wiped on your sleeve.
- You looked after them when they were poorly, administering medication and cuddles, holding their hand while they were sick, cleaning up and washing bedding.
- You cut their fingernails and toenails so they didn’t scratch themselves.
- As well as watching where you were walking, you were constantly watching their every footstep too, making sure they didn’t walk into a lamppost, a big puddle, dog mess or anything else.
- You put new batteries in their favourite toy even though the tune really annoys you.
- You cooked with them despite knowing the kitchen would end up in a state and cleaned up all the mess while they licked the spoon.
- You spent ages trying to find the one book or toy they desperately wanted to read/play with.
- You read them their favourite bedtime story every night for two weeks.
- You picked them up for a cuddle despite your achy back.
- You played with them in soft play rather than just chatting to the other parents on the side.
- You explained something complex to them using language they could understand.
- You took them to the park and carried their scooter/bike when they decided they wanted to walk.
- You patiently practised something new they were learning with them hundreds of times.
- You kissed them goodnight and told them that you love them before bed.
- You checked on them before you went to bed, tucked in their covers, made sure their favourite toy was next to them, and gave them an extra kiss good night.
- You did all this without even thinking about it and without anyone acknowledging it or thanking you for it because you are a wonderful parent.
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Such a great post, thanks for reminding us parents what we do without realising and how amazing that is xx
Ah, glad you liked it. Sometimes we get so caught up in the things we are not doing, or not doing well, we forget about all the wonderful things that we do all the time. Yay for fab parents! x
Yes I have definitely done at least ONE of these things in the last week. 😉 Obviously I’m being glib…i’ve done lots of these and not just for my own kids. Posts like this are great for re-affirming when we’re feeling crappy so thank you! 😀 #brilliantblogposts
Glad you liked it and could relate. It’s all too easy to concentrate on the things we have been rubbish at and to forget all the wonderful things we do all the time without even thinking about it. Yay to all the fab parents out there x
Oh what a lovely list. That’s cheered me right up! Ok now off to calm a very awake baby…. #brilliantblogposts
Hope your very awake baby was okay and went back to sleep – number one thing on the list, keep up the wonderful mummy work xx
Ah fab post huni. Yes we are amazing aren’t we! 🙂 x
Thanks for linking up to #TheList x
I love love love this! It is so true and a really great reminder. We ARE doing a good job even when we think we are not. Thank you xx #brillblogposts
Yep, exactly. We are all guilty of focussing on the negatives and not remembering what a brilliant job we do every single day x
Beautiful post and such a great reminder of the wonderful parents we all really are 🙂 <3 #brilliantblogposts
Exactly! We often forget all the fab things we do x
Thank you for showing a positive side to being a mum x
Sometimes we forget all the brilliant thing we do, day in, day out xx
one of the list that I love the most =P #mmwbh
Glad you like it. Just a little reminder of what a fab job we all do, even if we sometimes forget it x
Love this post! Really makes you see what you do for your little ones without even taking it on board at the time! Mummies and daddies too- all in it together!
Absolutely! Like a lot of parents, I am guilty of focusing on the things I struggle to do and not on the millions things I do every day. I hope this list reminds parents what an amazing job they do.
Great post and I totally agree with you on the one about singing the same song over and over again!! #MMWBH commenting obo Wicked World of Lucas
Haha, yep, the things we do for our little ones, hey?! Glad you liked it x
Grace says – Thank you for this list coz sometimes us Little Big People do need reminding why you mums are so awesome xx #MMWBH
Awww, yep, you little people are very lucky! x
Such a lovely post! You have highlighted so many lovely yet ordinary things that we all do without thinking, and certainly don’t give ourselves any credit for! We all need to be reminded of this sometimes, thank you! Xx #brilliantblogposts
Glad you liked it. Writing it definitely made me feel better about my parenting abilities and reminded me not to just concentrate on the things I do wrong! x
What a lovely post! It’s easy to forget the amount of stuff we parents do even if we do have to work as well 🙂 thanks for reminding me 🙂 #brillblogposts
We mummies (and daddies) do a wonderful job, we just don’t always give ourselves credit for it. x
This is a wonderful post! Sometimes we don´t have idea of how much we do without noticing…!:)
#brilliantblogposts
Exactly! It’s all too easy to focus on the things we do wrong, and not remember all the millions of fab things we do on a daily basis. x
Yeh, I kinda needed that pep talk just now. I’ve been having serious doubts about my parenting abilities this evening, after a pretty taxing few days (including being puked on by both of my children on separate nights – which is actually surprisingly easy when compared to putting them to bed). We’ve had a pretty difficult and fraught bedtime with lots of shouting and telling off of my 3-year old, and I’m feeling a bit rubbish about it. Thanks for this sweet post. xx
#BrilliantBlogPosts
Awww, I’m so sorry to hear you had a bad few days. Being puked on is never nice. Glad the post helped you remember all the wonderful things you do though. Sometimes we parents forget what we do day-in, day-out and focus on the things we do wrong. x
Fantastic post! I have to remind myself of all the ways I am succeeding at parenting sometimes, especially when we are having a ‘do nothing’ day and I feel like I should be crafting or off out on a day trip. I must admit I haven’t cut her nails this week though because she won’t let me!
Ha ha, yes, not always the easiest task to cut those nails! Glad you liked the post. It’s amazing when you think of everything we do every day without realising. x
Wow! When you put it like that, we are actually doing an amazing job aren’t we??! I really need to stop being hard on myself. When my kids smile and laugh and play I should take that as a pat on the back! Thanks so much for sharing, this is a fab post x x
What a wonderful post! Thanks so much for making me smile and feel better about being a Mum 🙂 x
Aw, so glad you liked it and thanks for commenting. It’s so easy to focus on all the rubbish things, we forget just how much we do every day without thinking about it x
Such a beautiful list – these little things are easy to brush off and forget about – so good to be reminded of them especially when we are having days where we feel like we are not being a “good enough” parent. Thank you for sharing 🙂