'Quote of the Week' # 5

For this weeks theme for 'Quote of the Week' I have chosen... Judgement.

Image found on Pinterest, originally from Piccsy

 I'm fed up this week. I'm fed up with people judging me without even knowing who I really am. 

Let me explain, I look quite young for my age, I still get asked for ID so I'm persuming people think I'm about 17 when the truth is you actually need to add about 10 years onto that. 

Now you might be thinking well what the hell is she complaining about, isn't it ever womens dream to look younger than they are? Well that's all very well but because I have two children people just see me as a teenage mum. 

I'm so fed up with comments like 'but you don't look old enough to have two children' I mean REALLY! If you want to get technical about it i've been 'able' to have children since the age of 9, something I'm hoping my daughter doesn't follow suit with. It's no fun having periods at that age.

The other thing that really grates on me is whenever we go into a shop and don't buy anything the security guards look the buggy up and down as we go out the door like I might have stashed something in my childs nappy or something. Again just because I look young I must have no money and therefore I must need to steal. 

Apparently when meeting someone for the first time it takes us humans just 3 seconds to judge that person and from then on in it's very hard to get them to change their minds about you. I suppose what I'm saying here is that first impressions aren't always right and maybe we should try to take a bit more time to get to know people before judging them.

Judgement is a horrible thing and I know we are all guilty of it at some point in our lives but I just about had enough of it now. 

Anyway rant over now. I hope you all enjoy your weekend and the weather brightens up a bit and as always If you'd like to join in with 'Quote of the Week' just add your quote to the linky below.

A Mother's Intuition

'The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  She never existed before.  The woman existed, but the mother, never.  A mother is something absolutely new.'  ~Rajneesh

Today while I was doing the ironing I got a sudden feeling that I had to go into the garden where H was playing. I didn't know why I was going into the garden I just knew that I should, so I did.
When I got out there I saw that I hadn't locked the gate after I had put out the rubbish earlier that morning and H was no where to be seen! Now I don't know if you have ever lost your child for a moment but it is the worst feeling in the world. The panic sets in immediately and all of the worst possible scenarios flash through your mind.

Photo by sasastro

I flew threw the gate and luckly he was only on the other side so I got him back in and locked the gate. It took me ages to calm down and then the relief set in. After that I didn't let him out of my sight for the rest of the day. 

Later on I thought about it again and wondered what had made me go into the garden in the first place? He quite often plays out there while I'm inside, ironing, washing or cleaning. So why today did I just know that I had to get out there?

I say it's Mother's Intuition - ('The ability to acquire knowledge without inference or the use of reason'). 

I had a similar experience when H was younger, he was playing in him room while I was tidying in our bedroom next door. Again I had a sudden urge to go into his room because something felt wrong. 

I flew into his room to find that he had climbed on top of his shelving unit and was leaning out of the OPEN window!

Photo by Amanda Tipton

  I have never been so scared in all my life. He was so young at the time and could barely walk let alone climb on top of something, therefore I hadn't worried about the open window, I just persumed he'd never get up there. Bad judgement on my part, lesson one in parenting... never underestimate your child.

So again what had made me go into his room?

Either I have a guardian angel sitting on my shoulder helping me to protect my children or I have learnt to listen to my inner voice and in doing that I have become a proper mummy.

The First Five Years

 The first five years of a little ones life are by far the most important in terms of their development and also for setting a good foundation of morals and values.

 'The experiences of the child during such sensitive periods may shape his or her future course of development in a manner that will be difficult to change later'. (Introduction to Psychology)

Research has also shown that the first five years are particulary important for the development of the childs brain. These early experiences will have a direct impact on how the child will develop social and emotional skills which will have an effect on them for the rest of their lives. 

'Children learn more quickly during their early years than at any other time in life. They need love and nurturing to develop a sense of trust and security that turns into confidence as they grow'. (Facts for Life)

 Image by Christina Welsh

'New research shows the critical impact of a child's "environment of relationships" on developing brain architecture during the first months and years of life. ' (Harvard University)

Now I don't know about you but this kind of thing really freaks me out. I have two children under 5 and I am constantly worried about everything I do with them and how that will effect them later on in life. Whether it be letting them watch a bit too much TV, sometimes forgetting to brush their teeth or losing my temper with them because they have just pushed me too far that day and then spending the entire evening feeling like the worst Mother in the world.

Image by Nichole

 They say the first five years are the most crucial for the childs development but what they don'y say is that it's also the hardest years for the Mother. 

There will never again be a time where they will be so demanding of you, totally rely on you for everything from wiping their bums, feeding and clothing them to seeing to them when they wake in the night. 

So my question is, that if a Mother is already under so much pressure just to get through a day with everyone in one piece, how can any of this so called 'breakthrough research' really help us?

We already know that our children look to us for guidance and reassurance in this big scary world. We already know that to much TV is bad for them. We already know they need to eat fruit and veg everyday and we already know that we must teach them right from wrong. 
So how about trusting us Mothers to bring up our children the best we can and just letting us get on with it. They don't call it Mother's Intuition for nothing you know.

Image by Chirastar