If you haven’t read my post Dear Other Mum…What I Wish I’d Said then do read it as it will provide a little bit of context to the post I’m about to write.
Normally when I write a post I will spend a little time thinking about exactly what I want to say. This time, I’m just going to throw all of that out of the window as I’ve had a bad day. I’m feeling like the world’s worst parent (again) so I just want to waffle!
Remember in my Dear Other Mum post I said that one day I might need the help of a stranger? Well, today that day came and I could kiss those lovely people for stepping in and helping me!
Monday is Little One’s swimming class and I decided to set off early as I’m notorious for being late. Once getting to the pool car park, which is on a school site, I realised that it was extra busy due to an event. This meant I struggled to find a car parking space. I decided to do a few more laps, avoiding cars parked here, there and everywhere and swerving away from idiotic drivers, who had suddenly forgotten the rules of the road. During this time, Little One had started to make grunting noises. I knew instantly that he was working on a poo.
By the time I managed to find a parking space, I was flustered and had realised that Little One had indeed had a poo but had failed to contain it in his nappy. I also realised that as I had switched bags, I had forgotten to pack any spare clothes. Just great!
So into the building I go. I’m trying my best not to smear the poo which is now seeping through his leggings. By this point, I’m no longer early. I now have 5 minutes to clean up the mess, get us both ready for swimming and join the class. I lay Little One down and start to remove his extremely pooey leggings. However, he has other ideas and begins to roll over and crawl away. Argh!!
By now, I want to actually burst out crying; I’m stressed out from the parking situation, I have poo on my hands and now people are watching as my little one kicks up a fuss and I struggle to stop him leaving a trail of poo.
Just as I was about to come unglued, a girl and her mother stepped in to help. Despite the girl having her own baby to deal with, she offered words of support and told me that it’s happened to us all. Her mother distracted my little one for long enough for me to clean him up. Neither of them hesitated to help and I have no idea how I would have managed without them!
This is a perfect example of somebody who is struggling but doesn’t want to ask for help.
Although I did not feel judged by them nor did I feel like they were questioning my parenting, I did feel judged by onlookers and I definitely judged myself.
I didn’t pack any spare clothes and so he left swimming in a hoodie and my coat wrapped around him in the freezing cold. This makes me feel like the world’s worst parent!
13 comments
I enjoyed reading this, as it made me chuckle, we all have bad days every so often, It’s great that those lovely strangers came to rescue you there are some thoughtful people out there#tuesdaytreasures
Definitely are some lovely people out there. It would have been a very pooey situation if they hadn’t come to the rescue ????
Oh lovely, you survived in the end and it’ll be a funny story to tell your little one when they’re bigger, my kids are all teens now and I failed at most days of mumming as they love to remind me but at 13, 14 and 20 no one needs therapy…just yet!
Yes, definitely funnier in hindsight ???? I’m glad it’s not just me then!
We all certainly have been there many many times and it certainly doesn’t make you a bad parent at all. Disasters always strike when we’ve taken the wrong bag or forgotten it all together. I’m glad there were some lovely people to step in and help. Thanks for linking up with #TuesdayTreasures
Oh my goodness I can so relate to this. How about forgetting to actually pack spare nappies in a rush? I’ve done that once when my LO had a poo and I was mortified as I couldn’t change her! I had to drop everything and rush home. That was lovely of those ladies and I’m sure there are more people out there who would do the same x
Oh no! I haven’t done that one yet but I’m so unorganised that it’s only a matter of time.
Haha !! Oh bless you, I could feel the stress just reading that.
But purely to make you feel better….
1) I dropped child one off the end of the bed aged 3 months whilst feeding half asleep.
2) I threw (yes, threw) child 2 off the bed around the same age when I thought I was throwing a blanket on the floor but it was actually his sleeping bag…. that he was inside.
3) closed child 1 fingers in front door.
4) banged a week old child 1’s head off a door frame as I walked past.
5) showed child 1 a funny video aged 2 of a man with bubbles on his face which terrified her to the point I had to take her own and calm her down.
6) forget to fasten first stage car seat in the car and only realised when child 2 rolled across the back seat securely in his car seat as I went round a corner.
Probably more.
Disclaimer: both my children are fine and loved very much.
Take her home!! Not own (typing one handed whilst under a sleeping child)
And probably wise to add that my senses did click in with throwing of child 2 which resulted in controlled descent to the floor.
Ahh I was super stressed! I was almost at the point of letting him smear himself in poo!
Oh I’ve bashed T off a few walls! I love the car seat one though. I’m just imagining J doing roly polys!
It was one of those heart stopping moments. I think it was because I had carried him then put him in the car seat so after I’d strapped him in my mind ticked that off as usually he would have already been in the seat.
I couldn’t believe I’d done it! You know how particular I am about car seats!!! Thankfully he was secured into the seat correctly so he was well protected and he didn’t even seem to notice. Haha
I can imagine! Atleast he lived to tell the tale!
That’s a nice thing to come of a bit of a nightmare sequence of events! I hate realising that I’ve forgotten something very simple, it makes me feel really vulnerable. It’s so good when people are compassionate when you’re feeling that way. Thanks for a lovely article :).