Tuesday 25 August 2009

Parental Hierarchy

Before - in our past life (i.e. pre-July 31st) - FH and I were smug 1-child parents who looked at child-free couples and wondered, a little snobbily: but what on earth do they DO with all that free time??
Now, we have progressed up the scale (and believe me, the parental hierarchy scale DOES exist) to frazzled 2-child parents, who stare in disbelief at 1-child parents and wonder: what on earth do they DO with all that free time??
Actually, the above sentence is usually what we mutter to each other grumpily at 3 am, during the night shift switch-over, when one of us passes the baton (er, baby) to the other and scuttles off deliriously to grab an hour's sleep.

I shudder to think what the 3-child parents say to each other.

My Nan, who raised a brood of seven (give the woman a medal and a peerage), swears that you never realise how easy it was "before" until the next kid comes along.
I think I'll take her word for it on that one.

I love all my boys, of course I do.
But, if you happen to be one of those glossy haired, sick-stain free couples lounging around drinking a beer in the sun and looking insultingly carefree... beware. As I huff and puff past you with my juggernaut pram, I am probably looking at you crazily and muttering something that sounds a bit like: what on earth are you DOING with all that free time??

3 comments:

Pascale said...

lol - Next February, I'll let you know if the three child parents are even capabale of stringing words together!

And I think when you see those child-free couples, you should tell yourself that they don't get those little hands holding theirs, those little voices saying goodnight, I love you mummy, or the chance to see siblings learning to play with one another. They don't know what they're missing. And we can all sleep when they're teenagers. That's my plan anyway.

Shirl said...

Oh, Pasc, does this mean what I think it means??
Fantastic news!
I was wondering if you were going to "risk" a third (or, third and fourth, if you pull off the "twin thing" yet again!).
Of course you're completely right.
I wouldn't change my life for the world.
I'd just like a break from it now and then ;-)

Shirl said...

OK, I just read your blog Pascale and now I'm up to date ;-)
Brilliant news!