5 every-day things you take for granted when you don’t have kids

Last updated: 08/06/2015 12:10 by JillianGlancy to JillianGlancy's Blog
Filed under: MummyBloggers
As I was using the bathroom the other day, and trying to get five minutes peace (which didn’t happen) I suddenly realised that there are so many simple everyday things that I used to take for granted before I became a mum. They’re not a big deal, because you soon adjust to your new life as a parent, but every once in a while, I get slightly nostalgic for the life I had before I was a mum.
 
1. Going to the bathroom alone
 
This is a big one. You wouldn’t think going to the bathroom alone is a big luxury but it actually is. Even if you lock the door, they can’t be stopped! Kids will happily talk to you through the door for ages. They think it’s a hilarious game.
 
When my daughter was small, grabbing a shower was tricky. She used to scream any time I put her down or left the room, so I’d have to put her in her bouncer chair while I showered. Even then, if your baby is crying, it’s pretty hard to ‘enjoy’ a shower. You can always try having a shower at night, but then the damn hairdryer might wake the baby up. As your kids grow into toddlers, you just get used to a little person staring at you while you perform your ablutions. It somehow becomes normal.
 
2. Having ‘me’ time
 
Simple indulgences like reading the Sunday paper from cover to cover with your feet up on the sofa, with a mug of tea become a thing of the past. The same can be said for leisurely baths. I have always loved the relaxing powers of a bath, but when my daughter was a nipper, she’d either talk incessantly to me through the door during my bath (see above) or else try in get into the bath with me. Hmmm, not such a good idea, especially since I like my bath scalding hot!
 
3. Having a lie in at the weekend, or ever for that matter
 
There are two camps. Those who have kids and those who don’t. My brother doesn’t have children and when I go to stay with him, I’m amazed that he is able to enjoy a nice, long, lie-in until 11 am. Oh the envy! Sleep is like gold. Rare and precious. If you’re someone who loves sleep, and can’t function without it, you may want to think again about having children. Seriously. I nearly fell asleep driving my car one day, I was so sleep deprived in the early days of night feeds. I have heard of couples having arguments about one person getting more sleep than the other. Yes. This happens.
 
4. Have a telephone conversation with someone without sounding like you have Tourette’s
 
Before I was a mum, I’d get frustrated talking on the phone to friends who had small children. They wouldn’t be able to have a proper phone conversation or give you their full attention. Now I’m that person. If you listen in to my phone call you can expect to hear sentences interspersed with colourful outbursts like “I said NO!” or “stop it!” “I told you I’m on the PHONE!!” You get the idea. Hey, we’re excellent multitaskers. Of course, we can have two totally different conversations at the same time right?
 
 
5. Feeling guilty
 
If I go anywhere or do anything without my daughter I feel guilty. Rare night out with the girls? I feel guilty. Going away for a night? I feel guilty. Everything seems to make me feel guilty. Before baby, I would walk around the shops all day, meet friends, and feel fine about it. I don’t know if the mammy guilt will ever go away! Maybe when they reach 18? I can only live in hope!
 
Jillian Glancy is a freelance journalist and expert tea drinker. When she's not playing Princesses with her four-year-old, she can be found running around like a headless chicken, trying to figure out how to do it all and realising it's not quite possible.
 
Image via Pinterest
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