A smug mum once told me…

“I’ll have to wait 11 years before I have a kid free New Year’s Eve again” I overheard a wistful sounding mother say the other day. I felt one of those sentimental pangs you get when your child is no longer a toddler and you’ve embraced that smug “older and wiser” satisfaction you probably don’t deserve.

“Hang on to it while you can” I wanted to say to her which would have been very odd and possibly a bit creepy because (I hope) she wasn’t even aware I was eavesdropping on her conversation. It would also have been awful because I am not a fan of the smug, know-it-all kind who tell you how to nurture/care for/raise your kids. My worst is people telling you how you should feel. Especially about your own kids. [Read more…]

Adolescence the second time around

You know what’s really hard? Adolescence the second time around.

I know what you’re thinking, you didn’t even know that you could go through adolescence a second time, mainly because it only happens to a damaged unique and particularly neurotic type of person. The type of person who still has issues around their own teenage years, the person who hasn’t yet slaughtered all their demons and come out triumphantly on the other side with the word ‘adult’ stamped on their soul.

My very amateur psychology around this field that I am sure I am making up, says that when you have issues with your own teenage years and then your child becomes a teenager you are faced with all your demons again. And you relive them without the aid of Passion Pop, $2 bankies* and other cheap and nasty stimulants that got you through the first time.

I’ve been dealing with this for about a year now and making very little progress. But yesterday I heard something and today I put it into place and I think I am making some headway.
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