A very real game of Mummies and Daddies
So last night I mentioned on social media that I often feel I’m just playing Mummies and Daddies, that I look at my cute kids then question whose they are-you see deep down I still feel 16. OK make that 18. Thankfully from the response I got online, it seems I’m not alone…
You see I’m still the girl I always was, just now I’m 33 with better eyebrows and more manageable hair, oh and with two very sweet, highly dependant little people I’m in charge of keeping alive each day. A bit like Cabbage Patch Kids but real. Shiiiiit!
The inner 16 year old can’t help itself though and comes out to play most days- take yesterday, I was literally queuing for a go on the swings at the local park. Nothing can stop me having a good ol’ swing whiles the kids hit the roundabout, I don’t care how many 5 year old’s want a go. WHAT?!
I also love a good sing song and let’s not forget, booty dance, usually when driving- the equivalent of clubbing in my late teens- I’m more ‘grateful’ now of course when it comes to music these days (anything for a faux night out) so I end up doing the school run with ‘sets’ ranging from Frozen to Jay Z and Cbeebies CD’s. Take that Ibiza.
I do still love ACTUAL partying and only wish I could do it more. Don’t worry, I do get my fair share, Cannes was one big party recently and girly nights out keep me sane. Even if everyone else in the bar is actually 16…
Most of all though, motherhood is the best excuse to become a child a kid again-hello marathon viewings of Up, Bugsy Malone and Brave all in one day. With living room picnics and popcorn of course. Holà disco time at kid’s parties and jelly and ice cream for dessert.
Photo by Kirsty Mattsson
Concerned I might be bordering on immaturity, I quickly remembered my Dad above, ( a 60- something Peter Pan) who only last week dived into the gym’s pool directly under the ‘No Diving’ sign spraying two elderly ladies with coiffed hair and sets of pearls (really) swimming breaststroke determined not to wet their hair… and it hit me, he too is still 16 so there’s really no hope for me!
Maybe it runs in the family, perhaps it keeps us young and well that bit more fun! I did apologise to the ladies at the pool by the way and for the record I’m never EVER going swimming with my Dad again. Maybe I’ll take him to the park instead…
So are you still 16 too?
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Excellent, I couldn’t agree more. I sometimes step away from and look at myself with these 2 beautiful children and think how on earth did I make these? how on earth have I managed to keep them alive all this time? because nobody tells you what to do and like you say, I still feel so young! It’s when I hear myself say the things that my mother used to say, that reality hits! Ali x
Ha yes, but those kids keep us young huh x
Oh my god I’m so with you! I often feel like a total fraud playing at parenting – LOL! xx
@Richmond Mummy haha, same, thanks x
Love this post! This is exactly why I called my Blog Playing Parent as this how I feel most of the time!
@Dominique great blog name!
I am 33 next week and still think how on earth could I be this old! Since when do I have an 8 year old daughter time does just creep up on you before you know it doesn’t it!
tracey bowden recently posted…The Dreaded TMI Tag
@Tracey ha feel the same with my 4 year old! Time certainly flies!
Ha ha brilliant Vicki – couldn’t have put it better myself! I feel like a terrible fraud as an adult – you just need to flick through my music collection to find me out 😉
Hurrah For Gin recently posted…7 top tips for a child free holiday
Ha would love to know what’s in your collection!
great post, i cant relate to it as yet, but i do feel slightly younger than i am, hope it will remain the same for many years)
Thanks and sure it will Victoria, kids keep you young!
I love this Vikki,
I feel younger than I am and that’s ok with me. now that I have turned 30 I am going to keep feeling as young as I can for as long as I can 😉 As long as I can get my body to keep up then that should be fine 😉 xx
Good plan Kate, we’re as old as we feel! x
I love this post so much! I don’t have children (yet) but reading things like this make it seem so much more … doable (for lack of better word). Its super inspirational for me to see moms that are still themselves. Thanks for sharing!
Heather recently posted…WIAW #11: Home Alone
Thanks Heather what a lovely comment, motherhood is full on but it’s also full of fun and it’s pretty amazing! x
Totally with you here. Except I think I’m 17 and I’m actually 38. I just refuse to grow up. Ever. Glad to hear from your dad’s example that I don’t have to either. Yay 🙂
Sophie at Franglaise Cooking recently posted…Anyone for posh fish n chips?
Yay what Papa G says, goes and we can be young always x
Ooh this did make me chuckle. Love the swings and your dad! Apart from the lack of sleep, our beautiful babies do help to keep us young don’t they! x
Mummy Hargreaves (Kerri-Ann) recently posted…Football Widow
They really do Mummy Hargreaves! Thanks for your lovely comment x
Fab post. Couldn’t agree more! I often feel like I am role-playing! I feel like I am a kid too and sometimes even stoop to A’s level of childishness and stropiness! Not something I should admit, but hey it’s true.
Ebabee recently posted…Baby shoes with a pop of colour
@Ebabee oh wow me too, exactly, I’m blaming them on my tantrums! Haha!
I love this blog post, it’s sooo true. Then, I look in the mirror and see a stray grey hair (shock!), but thankfully I’ve had it done in time for #Britmumslive.
Julie’s Family Kitchen recently posted…Spelt Spaghetti with Petit Pois and Prawns
Haha me too Julie, me too was in the hairdressers just today x
Oh yes, maybe sometimes not even 16. You spend so much of your early life thinking about “when I grow up” but then one day you realise that actually you may be older, but you are still you. Hopefully wiser (and with better hair etc!) but underneath the vestiges of adulthood is the one true original you and nothing will ever change that. Funny old business!
Luci McQ recently posted…Shades of pink tissue paper pompoms
Love it Luci and your comment raised the hairs on my arms, so wise and we are just us aren’t we. Simple yet profound x
Oh this is me, I still feel, well maybe in my early 20’s and feel constantly surprised that I am someone’s mum! x
You Baby Me Mummy recently posted…Gratitude List #1
Haha glad I’m not alone!
Yep, totally get that. I felt the same when I was teaching – never quite managed to square the position of responsibility I was in with the fact that I identified more with the people in my classroom than in the staffroom a lot of the time! I wonder if growing up for some people is acting how they think other people think they should. And I’ve never been too good at that so I guess I’ll just carry on doing my own thing! I’m definitely happier and more confident now than I was when I was 16. Way more fun being a kid now without all that teenage angst… x
Sophie Lovett recently posted…Making a toddler activity board
Totally agree with you Sophie and I remember teaching Media at a Sixth Form aged just 22 feeling so young and I suppose I was when the classes were 16-18! It’s great not to grow up or feel you have to be a certain person with age-forever young I say! x
Such a great post, I can totally relate. I still feel very immature and silly but have two lovely children?! #brilliantblogposts
Rebecca U recently posted…Visiting The Shard | Aqua Shard
Silly rocks Rebecca x
Vicky you couldn’t have described it better. I feel like this day in and day out! Like it’s playing house when we were small kids just now I have more to dos and more responsibilities. It’s crawy how life goes so fast and we get married have kids but somewhere I still don’t feel like I am a grown up. I still feel like my old siblings and parents treat me like I am 10, well they probably do, but it keeps me feeling like I am pretending to be a grown up and a parent. I often do the same look at the kids and think these are mine! WOW! How grown up am I acting now! lol Brilliant blog post indeed! Thanks for hosting. i hope to be a regular. Sorry it’s taken me so long. lol #brilliantblogposts
jenny recently posted…Missy Moo’s Milestones: 11 months
Thanks Jenny, lovely to have you and totally agree, feeling that way is the best way to be in my opinion x
LOL! I used to feel like that, but then 35 hit me like a truck 😉
Adria P recently posted…Writing for The Huffington Post
That’s still so young Adria x
Haha, love your dad’s unruliness! Bet the kids love to have a granddad that does that kind of things. Enjoy them not being embarrassed by their mummy at the disco… in a few years’ time, they will be running away from us pretending they do not know us if we start dancing around their friends! x Mel
Mel recently posted…Due date
Thanks Mel he is so much fun and I’m sure they will feel as embarrassed of me one day I sometimes do with my Dad x
What do you think. I am absolutely still 18 in my head just with not as good boobs! Singing, dancing, playing on swings, walking around with my face painted all well within my remit. I don’t care how stupid I look if I’m having fun. Not only is it good for your soul to enjoy yourself and laugh it makes you an awesome mum too I think. Who wants a mum who won’t play in the mud or have their face painted at the fair, or have carpet picnics etc. My dad is a massive kid too so hopefully it’s genetic and I’ll always be this way. I wouldn’t want it to change. Xx
Franki | Little Luca & Me recently posted…Living Arrows – There’s no such thing as a Gruffalo
Such a lovely comment Franki, you are totally right, here’s to all us Mum’s loving being 16 in our heads x
This really made me laugh. I feel like this a lot. I love that you queued for the swing ha ha.
And who doesn’t love a booty shake!
Gorgeous pic too xxx #brilliantblogposts
PottyMouthedMummy recently posted…My Constant Fear
Thanks darling, so glad I’m not alone in my booty-shaking, swing queuing madness, mwah x
Hahaha I love your dad! I know we definitely giggle like 16 year olds when we hook up and I can just imagine you knocking poor little bubbas out of the swing queue (only jesting, I know you learned to wait your turn)! Actually inside I range from around 15 to way down to about 8. I realised that especially a couple of years ago when I literally looked exactly like my school pic at that age, 30 years later! Never grow old x
Uju @Babesabouttown recently posted…Where to Watch the World Cup in London (with Kids)!
Aw Mama you look so young too, and you are so right, we do laugh like 16 year old’s don’t we-key to happiness: never grow up! x
YES!! I feel like such a fraud at this grown up malarky. I’m always sniggering at toilet humour jokes, singing loudly to Frozen songs and sitting on the back seat of the bus! I wrote a post on The Motherhood about this a couple of months back – I’ll tweet you a link.
Alison Perry recently posted…Work.Life.Mum: Mr & Mrs Smith’s Juliet Kinsman
Oh yay, great minds, so glad we’re not alone x
I spent my twenties trying to seem like a grown up, like I had it all together and knew what I was doing; then I realised my parents are still faking it. Now I’m 30 and I’m thoroughly enjoying acting my age; which means as many haribo as I can eat, playing on the swings (WHAT IS IT WITH THE SWINGS?! Best fun EVER) and overdosing on cartoons. If my kids don’t want to watch X Men cartoons from the 80s that’s their loss – they can go and read a book and practice their maths, I’m all about the cartoons.
Eliza_Do_Lots recently posted…Self sabotage
Love you Eliza, see this is why we click-so true, we were in such a hurry to grow up yet are more youthful than ever now. Marathon cartoon sesh soon?
(The maths on this one was HARD – I had to use my fingers!) Hells yes to the cartoons – should we blow off Britmums and camp in the hotel with Netflix?!
Eliza_Do_Lots recently posted…Early Theme Adopters: Gridiculous Pro
I’m up for that girlfriend! I know the maths is ridiculous-blog had too many attempted hacks though so need it. *weeps x
Love this – full of zest! I miss dancing too – am a real steering wheel dancer like you! Hola to many nights out to come – #BritMumsLive only 8 days away! x
Jess Paterson recently posted…How To Win The Mums’ Race At Sports Day
@Jess thanks darling, another dancing driver-see you soon x
No I’m not, thank goodness! Although my 16-yr old figure wouldn’t go amiss. I think I’m more fun now than I was at 16. But give me 23, or 33 (they were good years) and I’d love to be that carefree, energetic person again!
Eleanor (thebristolparent) recently posted…On Father’s Day – for the original Bristol Parents
Hey Eleanor haha, yes I wouldn’t mind my 16 year old body too! 23 was a great year for me too and now at 33 I’m happy as Larry! Thanks for your comment!
I definitely don’t feel my age. I think I’m still about 16ish too or maybe 18. I think my soul just stopped ageing after that and I’m now trapped in a 30 something body. I do love reliving my entire childhood all over again though 🙂 that bit is really lovely!
I love that ‘soul stopped aging)-yes, kids are the best excuse to get silly!
Sounds like you vome from a great family full of fun Vicki! I often think I became really uptight after having kids… must work on my sense of adventure! Great post 🙂
mummytries recently posted…A Set Back & A Step Back
Ha I do, Dad is a lot of fun! x
I love this! I constantly feel like I have no idea what I’m doing and I’m going to get caught out at just pretending! Wish there were more parties though! x
Mummy Says recently posted…Girls play football too
Yes, we are not alone, I wish there were more parties too, we’ll have to party together one day x
You are not alone! Although, I’ve aged a bit recently (maybe it was turning 40 in real life…) and I’m now 24 in my head. For a long, long time I was 18 🙂 They do say you’re as old as you feel, so I’ll take 24!
Sara (@mumturnedmom) recently posted…What’s my name?
Hi Sara, how you celebrating?! Huge party I hope! I agree and 24 was such a great age!
I’m forty this Sunday and it just seems to creep up – yet I still feel 21 some days – still sing into a hairbrush, never eat my greens and drool over One Direction…did I just say that out loud?
#BrilliantBlogposts
fashion-mommy recently posted…La Fille Mal Gardee at the Birmingham Hippodrome
Oh you and I would get on in real life-although One D never did it for me but we could def have a sing song into hairbrushes (then style each other’s hair)-told you I’m really 16! x