Scribbler in Seville

I have a blogger friend called Bibsey Mama, whom I have mentioned before, as she always makes me laugh, and has a rather fine turn of phrase about being a mum, and stuff like that.

A few days ago, she did a post for Mother’s Day, which was on Sunday if you happen to be as clueless about these things as I am. She tagged me for something called a meme, whereby you answer some questions and then pass the idea onto other bloggers.

Needless to say, I didn’t manage to do this in time for Mother’s Day, largely because I was out and about, but also because I, er, forgot. To be fair, Bibsey did acknowledge that there wasn’t much time left before Mother’s Day to write the post. So I’m sure she won’t mind that I’m a couple of days late.

I don’t tend to write much about being a mum, as I’m not sure I’d know where to start, so I don’t know many mummy bloggers. Which is why I haven’t tagged that many other mums below. Anyway, now that the big day has passed, the post is just a general one about parent/motherhood, which is always a good subject for what it tells us about people and their attitudes.

Describe motherhood in three words
Exhausting, challenging, rewarding.

Does your experience differ from your mother’s – how?
It does and it doesn’t. My mum was a SAHM (called a housewife in those days), who didn’t much like cooking and hating being bombarded with questions about anything and everything.  Her mother lived in Scotland and my other grandmother had died, so she didn’t have any family around. I’m a journalist and I work from home, often with the kids around, with ample help from my mother-in-law when I need peace. I sometimes enjoy cooking, but always love my kids asking me questions. Explaining things to them is a joy. That’s the journalist in me – being  careful to choose the right words in order to get my point across to the audience, even if they are three years old.

What’s the hardest thing about being a mum?
Trying not to lose my rag, which I usually fail at. I’ve got a short temper which I know I need to control better, and my tongue tends to run away with me. And I don’t have a good handle on the work/life balance – too much of me glued to the computer in the afternoon while the kids are glued to the TV, when we should be doing artsy crafty stuff or baking cookies.

What’s the best thing?
Seeing my children hug each other, and play their complicated, imaginative role-playing games together, and hearing their involved, surreal conversations. And lots and lots of hugs.

How has it changed you?
It has made me suffer fools less gladly and be more protective, though less able to switch off. My liver is thanking me; I used to like my drinkies.

What do you hope for your children?
Happiness, good health and a realistic sense of what life is about. I fear I had it much easier than they’re going to.

What do you fear for them?
Anything bad, from illness to relationships (I’ve had a few of the latter).

What makes it all worthwhile?
Laughter and hugs. Drawings and off-the-wall comments. Reading stories and singing songs together. Family rambles in the countryside. More things than I could name. And there’s so much more to come. How incredibly bloody lucky we mums are (see – that foul mouth).

Here are the fellow mummy bloggers to whom I am passing the baton – run with it, chicas!

Digamama

Victoria Wallop

Quiero milk