Parents - what do you miss most about being childless?

seven-day-weekend

clearing_out_my_pockets wrote: »

Ditto. And drinking tea when it has just been made rather than after the third blast in the microwave.

More seriously I miss being me rather than my daughter's mother. I find that people have started asking only about the baby. My mother-in-law wants to see me once a week now I've given her a granddaughter - she wasn't fussed before and that irks me a lot.

This was what I missed most of all, being myself rather than B's mum. I found the first few years very de-personalising.

So my advice is make ME time, whatever that may be to you

flutterby_lil

pukkamum wrote: »

Having a S H I T in peace, I know it may be tmi but oh for the days of reading 2 chapters of a book whilst on the loo.
Instead I have had 12 years on and off of being watched and questioned by a toddler.
Whats that mum?
Wheres your willy mum, is it hiding under your beard?
Eww your pooh smells!

Ha ha ha that made me genuinely laugh out loud!! My 5 year old son also asks where my willy is and is it inside me?!?

Prothet_of_Doom

I miss being alone for 9 hours at the weekend. Wife was a nurse on shift work, so I pretty much had 6:30 am to 4:30 pm or 1pm to 10pm free to myself for 3 out of 4 weekends.

Obviously there has been 20 years of having to think about and put the needs of children before mine, but my son has got me into climbing, and I'd never have done that without his encouragement.

Kayalana99

I miss having free time when I want it, sometimes I wish i could just freeze them so I wouldn't miss a single moment but same time I could do what ever I wanted for a few hours...

I hate being ill or when their ill, I could handle it before but you can't spend the day in bed when you've got kids.

Not being able to leave the room when I want (both under 2 atm lol)

Wouldn't change it for world.

Chakani

This...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFQfylQ2Jgg


And showering. Alone...

Spendless

I'm smiling at reading many of these, remembering. I'd forgotten eating with one hand - my most memorable experience of doing this was eating a cooked breakfast like this at an airport. Some of them do pass after a few years admittedly to be replaced by other things.

Time to be you without taking them into account has probably been my biggest one. Eg you can't just make a dental appt for yourself, you've got to make one at a time that fits in with how you're going to manage having the baby/child at the same time.

Something I never realised until I returned to work though, was how many life-skills you pick up that become 'honed', attention to detail, juggling, prioritishin, thinking on your feet, the ability to hold a telephone conversation and still be able to tell what someone in the same room as you is saying. I once got praise for being able to do that from an Ops Manager - yeah trained by a corded landline and a child old enough to talk.:rotfl:

Adrenalina

Gillyx wrote: »

That feeling where you have done everything that needs done, I don't think I ever have that feeling anymore.

^^^This! Totally this, I didn't even realise until I read this post. Where HAS that feeling gone? Even sitting down with a coffee and a forum my head is buzzing with to-do lists!

Lucyadams184

Good question. I miss lay ins and being able to just get up and do something. I wouldn't be without my kids though, they really make you appreciate life.

WestonDave

You do adapt to most things so although for the early years I missed lie ins, it was replaced by daft breakfast times full of laughing (now they are old I miss the times when they'd laugh at my jokes..)

I guess the one thing I did miss was peaceful showers. All too often, just as I though I'd managed to get in the shower with them still asleep, a little voice would chirp from beyond the shower curtain and the morning ritual would commence......

"Dad can I come in the shower"
"Do you have to"
"Yes - I like showers"
"OK if you must"
pause
"Dad you're hogging it - let me have some more"
"No because I'm freezing and trying to wash so I need at least some water"
"Dad stop dripping soap/shampoo on me"
"Dad can you pass the Octopod"
"Dad, why do you have to shave every day"
"Right - its time to get out now"
"Aw Dad, just a bit longer"

etc etc.

Most things need to be better planned - going out requires a load of stuff for a while, and meal times need to be more regimented as kids simply won't last 3 hours past normal meal times where adults can at a push.

seven-day-weekend

I never let my son come in the toilet or shower with me. Some things are private .