*sigh* this may take a while

ohdearhowdidthathappen

Thanks Cranky, Tiger and Crunchy
I've cheered up a bit later in the day today.... I'm sure there's a saying about not looking for happiness in other peoples' opinions of you and suchlike.  I was just feeling sorry for myself.  A lot of the pressure I put on myself - I try to work, be a good mum and wife and daughter, keep a tidy house etc etc and I think I'm my own worst enemy sometimes. 
One of these days, they'll all get a shock... I'll just say 'f@ck it' and go on strike for a few days  
One of the advantages of having a few kids is the youngest couple still think I'm fab and will give me lovely cuddles, the eldest will say they've just not had time to see how rubbish I am, but I hold out hope it's only her that really dislikes me  

ohdearhowdidthathappen

Work isn't helping... they're piling on the pressure.  The waiting list for one part of my role is circa 1500 patients and they're 'asking' that we all do some Saturdays to pick up the slack.  None of us are at all keen and are holding out, but the powers that be are saying that if we don't do it willingly, they'll 'look at our contracts' as currently our department is weekday only.
They need to watch it though as several colleagues could retire if they want to and the rest of us are teetering towards leaving NHS completely and locuming.  These 'requested' Saturday lists are already booked for May with patients already invited and currently no staff to work them

savingholmes

A lot in there.

Sorry entitled teen made your mother's Day experience worse. I spent years making Mother's Day special for ex MIL but now she refuses to even speak to me. I vote do something different just for you next year.

Sorry the NHS aren't supporting you more.

Moneywhizz

Sorry to hear that your eldest daughter has been so hurtful towards you. It seemed that she had turned corner a little while ago, but obviously not. She clearly doesn't have a clue about how fortunate she is to have good parents who provide such a good home for her. I would be tempted to stop being so generous and kind towards her until she shows you some respect and kindness in return. Hope things improve at work, it must be hard working for the NHS right now. 

EssexHebridean

If eldest doesn't want to acknowledge mother's day well fair enough - but if she then wants to go out of her way to try to be hurtful, that's something rather different. She really does sound like a pretty unpleasant person I'm sad to say - and feel free to pass that on - I know she won't care, but it's fine, I don't give a flying doodah about her pointless opinion either! I'm sorry you had a bit of a rubbish day, and glad that the other kids do at least still appreciate you and - quite rightly - tell you you're fab! (And this is the obvious reflection that it's clearly nothing you've done which has lead to Entitled behaving the way she does - it can only be circumstance around the people she mixes with now.)

We don't "do" Mother's day at all. Oddly enough both of us grew up in households where it wasn't a thing. My Mum said from when I was absolutely tiny that she didn't want to be appreciated on one day a year because someone had told me to, she'd rather I randomly appreciated her when it was more unexpected. Even now I occasionally buy her a bunch of flowers or something "just because" and she's always really chuffed. I'm not sure of the background with MrEH's family but they also never celebrate it. 

Suffolksue

Retell her to’shape up or ship out ‘
and definitely don’t fund a Gap Year 

mark55man

children are like pancakes - the first one always turns out a bit different from the others

ladyholly

mark55man said:

children are like pancakes - the first one always turns out a bit different from the others

I love that thought. I only have one child but both my sister and I and my 2 granddaughters are chalk and cheese. I have one friend with 3 and her 3rd is very different but she has a different Father to the other 2 so difficult to tell.

mark55man

I was being polite!!!!  - the greeting card I stole it from was "the first one always turns out a bit wonky" but there is a very good chance that many readers may fall into that caetgory- I mean everyone who has children has an oldest child right?? 

Honeysucklelou2

Sympathies on the Mothers Day experiences. Like you I have younger children who delight in making cards and most of my older children saw me at some point, which I really appreciated as they have work at the weekends...except DS1 who drove  past my house to go to the allotment and made no contact at all.