Have I pushed too far?

There's the mum who juggles it all with a smile on her face, the mum who looks glamorous whilst dropping four or five kids to school and there's the mum who refuses to allow their child back out of their commitments. I'm the latter. The mum who would rather drag (not literally!) their child out of bed and into the cold for fear they miss one football session or one swimming lesson.

 

Now I'm certainly not a 'tiger mum' or even a 'helicopter parent' (well, maybe just a little...), I just have the idea that if you’ve signed up to do something then you are going to stick with it.

 

And come hail, rain or shine - unless there is a valid reason - my little girl is out there every Saturday hitting the sliotar or kicking the ball. When there are protests of 'I don't want to go to music', I usually ignore them or prepare for the argument which is sure to unfold. 

 

I think this is something that resonates from my own past, if I’m being honest.

 

I actually remember what I was like as a child and how I would grump and moan about doing something, only to enjoy it as soon as it was done. With a little push from the 'ole parents, I actually managed to learn a musical instrument and play a little hockey. But over time, no doubt tired of my whines and protests, my poor mum and dad reigned in their pushing and shoving and let me get on with things, which meant I let things slide... 

 

And I suppose a little bit of this is still with me. My little girl is bright and adventurous but, like most kids, if given half the chance she would do what she liked when she liked, and I'm pretty sure that wouldn't involve heading to music lessons or training.

 

I’ll admit it's tough getting out the door sometimes - a fact I'm sure many can relate to - but I know that she has the potential and I know that she is good at it. And I know that when all is said and done and all the tears have been cried, she absolutely loves what she does - I just need to keep up my motivation. 

 

Mary Byrne is a staff writer at MummyPages and mum to a horse-crazy, sports-mad, seven-year-old girl.