Bad Parenting 101

Well hello again. How have you been?

I've been OK. NO, STOP THE PRESSES .... that's a lie (yeah I lie a lot).

Apparently someone switched my chilled, laid-back little bubba with a stubborn devil child who doesn't like to sleep during the day, who then morphs into an evil gremlin baby when it comes to bedtime. 
Now admitting this probably makes me a "bad parent", and you know what? It probably does. But I'm not perfect and I don't pretend to be. 

Me a devil baby, HA! A likely story Mum....

 What classifies someone as a bad parent varies greatly on who is at the judges table with their score card critiquing every move you make. After last weeks post "Let The Judging Begin" I got to thinking about all the things I do as a mum that others probably judge me for and I compiled a short list (including a few things I'm most likely to do in the future):

1. I bottle feed my daughter
2. Kali is allowed to sniff and lick Addi (except for the face, for obvious reasons, and not her hands because her fist is the current flavour of the month)
3. I often rely on battery-operated (get your mind out of the gutter!) swings, play mats and toys to entertain Addi so I can have 5 minutes to enjoy a cuppa while it's still moderately warm, instead of my usual cup of cold misery
4. I give Addi a dummy
5. Sometimes I let her tilt her head towards the TV while I feed her a bottle so she'll actually concentrate and drink, instead of just giving the teat a series of tongue lashings
6. I love dressing Addi up in adorable things (and yes I am aware she's not a doll)
7. We let Kali sleep with us sometimes and I won't mind if she wants to jump into bed with Addi once she's older
8. Occasionally I've accidentally nicked some of Addi's skin while trying to trim her talons because she wriggles like a worm trying to escape the claws of a ravenous magpie
9.  Addi doesn't always get a bath everyday
10. I will feed Addi jar/pouch foods from time to time when I can't bothered to make my own puree food 
11. And when I can be bothered, it won't be pureed from organic fruit & veg, that shit is expensive. I didn't grow up on organic foods and I turned out OK, right...? 
12. I may occasionally employ the services of the TV to occupy Addi while preparing dinner, etc
13. I swear - in the house and in the car (I've worked on my physical gestural road rage since having Addi, but my verbal still needs some improvement)
14. When Addi was born I didn't have that instant "OMG I love you feeling". It took a few days... but blimey it's there now!

Sisters from different misters

So there you have it, I'm a terrible mother blah-blah-blah. Well you know what, my kid is effing amazing and I couldn't love anything else more if I tried so bite me. Sure a little more sleep and "me time" during the day would be amaze-balls, but every smile and every little giggle is worth it all a million times over.

L xx

PS. My mum (aka Nonny) is coming to babysit the girls tomorrow night when Dean and I have our first ever date night since having Addi - details next week!
PPS. The anxiety of leaving Addi hasn't set in yet.