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Article A day in the life of a mother

By Julie-Anne England
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45 Comments

Today was an important step in the history of my daughter’s schooling. It was the day we met with the principal of the private school that I had chosen to send my first born.

As a mother I wanted to make a good impression and show the principal just how lovely my kids were and how we would be a great fit for the school.

What I got however was more like a bad dream.

In my mind’s eye, I saw the perfect interview lined up in front of us… my children who are two and four, dressed sweetly, hair neatly done with smiles on their faces. They smile sweetly when the receptionist introduces herself and while making perfect eye contact, tell her their names. The principle waltzes out of her office and upon locking eyes on my adorable children decides then and there that she couldn’t possibly go past having such lovely children in her school.

During the interview my four year old answers the questions posed to her and writes her name carefully with the poise of a calligrapher. With a highly impressed look on her face the school principal embraces me and tells me how perfect my children are and explains how her school could benefit with such amazing tiny humans…ahhhh I can dream.

Then along comes the reality… (Cue the theme song to Jaws….)

After a short introduction from the receptionist we sit down in the waiting room waiting for our appointment.

I try to look professional and like the perfect mother while my kids fight over which chair they are going to sit on.

A few minutes later we are escorted to the principal’s office by the principal herself, one of the sweetest people you have ever met, with a warm smile and kind eyes. She motions for us to sit down in one of four chairs arranged neatly in a circle. We sit quietly and the principal warmly asks us a bit about ourselves and says hi to Caitlin. She avoids eye contact and looks at me, where I prompt her to say “hi” back. The principal and I begin to chat, getting to know each other a bit while I try to make myself feel a little more relaxed.

My children, instead of sitting nicely in the two armchairs to my left decide that smacking each other in the face was a much better idea.

As the brawl gets worse, I quickly intervene and tell the girls in a stern voice to be nice to each other. Then come the tears. My two year old who doesn’t like being told “no” (regardless of how often she hears it) begins wailing at the top of her lungs. I apologise quickly to the principal and explain that we just arrived back from overseas and that my kids are a bit jetlagged.

As the screaming intensifies regardless of what I say to her, the principal suggests she gets some toys to get them busy. I agree with a simple piece of paper and some crayons. Within moments the kids are quiet (for a blissful minute and a half) while they use the brand new pencils handed to them. As the lovely lady and I chat she asks my daughter to write her name. I smile, knowing how easily she can do this but much to my surprise I am completely flawed when she proceeds to write her name completely backwards, as if in a mirror. I cannot believe my eyes. I ask her to write it again but this time the correct way. This time she writes it the right way but this time adds an extra “t”! What the??! I consider hiding under the desk.

The blissful minute and a half dissolve just as quickly as it started, with my toddler going back to her loud wailing. I have no idea what is wrong with her and cannot believe this is the time for her to try this. Eventually a lady comes in from another office with an iPad and tries to pacify my child’s loud sobs.

With nothing working I hit my last thread and carry my child to the back of the room and put her on the floor.

I tell her sternly that she will stand there on her own until she stops crying, then I walk back to the chair I was sitting in and pretend that things are completely normal…. They could not be less so.

At the end of the interview I pick up my child from the back of the room (who has finally stopped crying) and follow the principal out of the office towards the reception. She suggests another time might be more appropriate for a tour of the school. I nearly start crying myself.

As I get back to my car and carefully buckle the kids in, my two year old asks for a treat. A treat! After that behaviour!

A thought goes through my mind of selling her on eBay but I push it away and take a few deep breaths as I drive out of the parking lot…well they say kids are unpredictable!

Have you ever had a day like this? SHARE with us in the comments below.

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Comments

  • This is just too funny.
    Dont hate me but honestly my kids were always really well behaved if I told them that this was a meeting and they needed to be good. I have no idea how or why they behaved so well but im glad they did.

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  • Yes!! I think sometimes they just gave bad days, or they are tired. But I literally had a day out with her and she had tantrum after tantrum, I even offered her doughnuts which she loved and she threw it on the ground!!

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  • I can so relate, hilarious

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  • Aw so funny yet true

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  • This made me laugh!

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  • a day in the life of mother

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  • Yes thanks for sharing! Very interesting!

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  • Mum’s life is always reality vs what we hope is reality

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  • Oh yes, motherhood, one crazy ride.

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  • Oh no, so glad these days don’t come round very often

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  • Life is never predictable when you’re a mother

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  • This is the story I needed today. Thankyou. Yesterday, I had 3 children in the doctors waiting room. Feeling unwell, there were unusual tantrums and tears for which child sat on my knee and which was to sit and lean on either side of me. The 2 year old in particular was quite vocal in not wanting the others touching her or me, or even looking in her direction. Then there was the wait at the chemist, attracting more and more attention and sympathetic looks. Tonight, child four has succumbed, but at least we don’t have a crowd to entertain.

    • They love to choose the perfect (not) moment to act up, don’t they?

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  • lol most days when i go out i take the kids out to playcafes etc so they go play (so i dont want to sell them on Ebay) and i get some adult time with whomever is also out acting perfect, anyway cue my two insecure i wont leave mummys side girls 18 months and 3 (4 in 8 weeks) and i spend the whole time trying to convince them to bugger off, i take them and play with them connect with them, then try to go back to my coffee and both run after me shouting Dont leave me Mummy, I roll my eyes, scream inside and tell my kids that if i wanted them glued to me we could have just stayed home, all the while they are fighting over my lap, pulling my top down for milk ( yes miss 18 months refuses to give up the boob)and trying to keep my cool and my Modesty all the while trying to act like the Perfect Parent. i fail miserably coz i end up snapping at my children and complaining to my pals so im less than perfect and my kids are less than perfect. except to me they are perfect, my perfect nightmare, my perfect loves and they give the best headaches. plus ive decided to keep them as if i sell them i want to spend the money not supply a refund the next day lol

    • I love it! Every parent feels like this at times and it’s nice to identify with others and know you are not alone. My children were also very clingy and I found myself in this situation many a time. I think God made them cute just so we remember why we want them ;)

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  • lol why oh why do kids do this! i was in the supermarket and my eldest was upset because i would not let her get some toy and when i went to grab her hand so that we could cross the road, she says “ow” really loudly when i had barely touched her. Oh my gosh! I told her that i understood that she wanted her toy but she would not be any closer to getting it if she behaved like that lol. As soon as you are outside, they are all happy again…They love to push boundaries in public so i pre-face trips by telling them that i expect good behaviour out of them and if they don’t co-operate they will have such and such punishment.

    Don’t feel bad, we have all been there!

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  • Thanks for sharing was a great story can totally relate

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  • Please don’t tell me that you gave her a treat! I find that when I am on the phone they want my attention and as soon as I hang up, they no longer want my attention. When I am videoing them or taking a photo, but they want to see it before I am done. As parents, we all feel your pain and I hope it is a happy ending for you regarding enrolment.

    • No, I most certainly did not give her a treat! I said “Are you kidding? I’m very unhappy with your behaviour!” As for the enrolment, they accepted as and said that they were really impressed with how I handled the kids and the principal now wants to follow my website!

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  • Thanks for sharing your story.. but personally after reading it all I would have loved to have know what response you gave to your daughter when she asked for a treat, or did you actually reply with ‘”A treat! After that behaviour ” I do hope not.

    • I simply told my daughter how unimpressed I was with her behaviour. The main reason I was so embarrassed is that I am a parenting expert with almost 20 years of experience and training working with children and behaviour. It was typical that my children picked this moment to test the boundaries. Fortunately the principal loved the way I dealt with the children’s behaviour and not only accepted us but wanted to start following my website!

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  • We will have our good days and our bad days. Thanks for sharing.

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  • Being a stay at home life can be very lonely. Thank you so much for sharing.

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  • I call it show off syndrome. Whenever I want to ‘show off’ my amazing boy he doesn’t play ball! Even at 4 months, I took him to meet my work friends and he cried the whole time… It had never happene before. But I would cry to if my mother showed me off to a handle full of strangers I guess :) thanks for your story, it is nice to know I’m not alone

    • No you are definitely not alone. I think honestly it is the perfect place for a child to act up as they want to see if the boundaries remain the same or if you give in much more quickly. If you give them want they want, they will learn to use these situations for their advantage. As my youngest was only 2 at the time I should have expected as much :b Oh well, live and learn lol

    Reply
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