Fair weather Mum

I have to admit that when the girls are screaming, or simply whining, I envy my child-free friends. I imagine myself with some kind of career, skipping along the street ecstatic with freedom. Of course, I wouldn't really be without them. But does that make me a fair-weather Mum? I love them, but on the condition they are well-behaved and smiling ALL the time?

It sometimes feels that they scream and shout all day long. Obviously they don't, but I'm sure they do much more shouting and screaming than their fair share of normal.

Yes, I've been getting the toddler/pre-school books out. Is it ADHD, Autism, or some other condition? I can convince myself that something is 'wrong' without much effort, but then remind myself that they are both perfectly well-behaved when they are with other people. So it's us, mum and dad who are a problem. Oh God, they hate us. But then we wouldn't be doing our job if our children didn't hate us most of the time.

Thank God for the occasional 'I like you mummy' to save my sanity.