Appo Shae Production. Welcome back to another episode of Am I A Bad Mom?
Podcast?
Twenty twenty five. I'm actually a little bit sad that that whole Christmas New Year's period is over.
It always for me is like a climax, climax, climax, and then after Christmas, I just sort of goo done done because I don't ever make New Years Let's be honest, It's just not my thing. I think I'm much more like This has been a constant reply of mine to people that were in us out or doing or asking me what are you doing for New Years?
I was like, guys, I'm a mom.
Like I'm home with my kids.
Yeah, I'm also a mom. On New Year's Day at two am, sitting on the steps outside of an apartment building in the city because I couldn't get it uper home.
See exactly what I didn't want to be doing, exactly what I did want to be doing. And this year I was just like, no, I just need to wake up a little bit, okay. I just was like, no, you know what, I'm much more fun on an impromptu night out, Like if I'm not planned, I'm so much more fun if I have to plan it. And you're telling me I have to stay awake until midnight. I'm
asleep by ten at least, I think. Yeah, I literally climbac that that Christmas Day, like Christmas Day is so big for most families, like where you just everyone's up early. Then there's lots to do, especially if you're hosting. I don't know, I feel like hosting is just takes it out of you. And by Christmas Day in the afternoon, Katie, I had a nap?
Good?
I know? Who am I? I waits?
Used to have a nap on Christmas Day because my kids would get up so early. And we've talked about this before. Yeah, my kids would go to bed so late because they were so excited. Yeah, and we would just get get so drunk because we had to be up until the early hours of the morning before they went to sleep. Sometimes even go to bed, sat and alarm to then do the whole center thing later. And then I would wake up Christmas morning so early because
they were so excited. Again that I would often spend Christmas Morning.
Still just well if you think of you, Katie. And this is just like the lead into I guess our topic. But the lead into this was I told you, I didn't have the availability on the twenty fourth this year to be wrapping presents, right, so I had done it all on the twenty third. No, i'd done it a few days leading up to the twenty third, and the twenty third was like my last cut off, Like I ain't wrapping anything else. If it's not wrapped, you'll get
something that's unwrapped. So that on Christmas Eve, all I would have had to do is just put everything in the stockings and voila.
Yep.
We went over in the afternoon to a friend's place who doesn't have children, like, just come for a bubbles and we'll have some nibbles and then Katie, it was like an impromptu night. I was like, let's just carry on, forgetting that the next day was Christmas Day. So I wake up on Christmas Day just feeling a little bit on the edge, and I was like, oh my gosh, what is wrong with you? Like it's rough, it's so rough. And so by Christmas afternoon, I'd done everything carried over,
carried over. I'd had a few champagnes during the day, but nothing was doing anything, and I ate so much food. So then I thought, perfect place to go for a n app is in my child's bedroom because they're definitely not going to sleep today. So I just took myself up to Elsie's room, found a little corner on her bed, and went to sleep for like, I think it was like forty five minutes. So bad but so.
Needed, so good.
Am I a bad mom for just kicking off a new year?
Kicking off a new year?
I just feel like I'm just keep topping myself, Like these kids on holidays, bullshit is killing me right now. Like these girls of mine are just sort of huge expectations. What are we doing today, where are we going? How much more money could you spend on us? And you're like, what is wrong with you? Like I've asked to do the dishwasher today and you moaned about how hard your life is. Why do I want to then take you out into public? Honestly, Katie, you think, oh my gosh,
New Year knew me. How many times have you heard that in the last few days.
Well, what makes me laugh the most is just going back to the whole New Year's Eve thing. So we start a new year going, Okay, I'm going to have goals I'm going to do on board and get fit and healthy and I'm going to eat good food and all the rest of it. But the first day we are usually so hungover. Yeah I had right New Year's Day, I had macas. Oh yeah, I was waiting for that maccas for I reckon at least a year, maybe longer longer. Yeah, New Year's Day. I think they will start the new
year with a bang. It's a fucking burg kind of fucking bang. Is that?
That's just like a big mac dhl. You're like, but was your daughter's working when you were going through the drive through?
They were, But yeah, that's how we start the New Year's They're like.
Oh, there's mum in the drive through. She's hung today New Year's Day. I didn't want to be in that state for New Year's Day. I know it sounds like I sound fuddy duddy, and yes, guess what, guys, I'm turning forty this year. It makes me feel ill just saying it, but I am turning forty. I just had that moment of going, I think I need to just get up. And I don't get me wrong, I didn't
not drink or anything like that. I just didn't go crazy because I was just sort of like, I don't know how much more my liver can take.
Oh my god, I know.
And you're saying that, I'm like, oh. But at the same time, don't get me wrong, I can get caught up in the moment and then all of a sudden, I'm a hot mess at two am in the morning, just the same.
I have my kids with me too. Yeah, trying to get an uber at two am this New Years They said, Mum, last night you told us how much you disliked us, because I said, do you know why? Because you were blaming me for not being able to get an uber. I remember sitting on those steps outside the apartment building, going, what do I do. I've got my kids out here, it's two ams, people everywhere. I can't get a car.
Oh my gosh. I would absolutely dread that. But your girls, at the same time are just like they will be in no time have their license and you won't have this problem again because they'll be driving, because they'll be driving.
New Year's Eve.
Yeah, next New Year's Eve, they'll be driving. Oh my god, you won't even have to worry about that. It's like no uber. But carrying forward into kicking off the year with a bang where now obviously another week into almost
being closer to high school for Gracie. So I feel like, Katie, each day we are I don't know if everyone that has a that is starting high school this year, if it's the same for them, but oh my gosh, emotions are high, and they seem to just like notch a little bit higher every single day that we get a little bit closer. Yeah, anxiety to the point that I was like, oh my gosh, I've never wished time away as in to move fast, so because I don't like that stuff. But I just sort of go like, this.
Can't be lingering this long.
And I try and talk her off the edge and say, enjoy every day, take for the holidays, will fly, you know, just let's just But at the same time, Katie, I'm trying to quietly in the background tickboxes like new shoes, whole uniform, do haven't got a uniform? Ye? Book lists like but it's all for a brand new school now, and you're also then as a parent, learning the ropes of the new school for the child to then feel comfortable for the first day.
Lockers you can act to so much. I don't have time for that, you have to read the newsletter. Do you know how many newsletters I've read of high school?
No?
None? Okay, but there's an app and you can just tick the information for that year group. Yeah, so you don't have to have read the whole thing. The newsletter is really redundant. I don't know why they even still do it.
Yeah, I think that someone should really take upon themselves to create the bullet point, like we've always talked about. Yeah, And I've been talking to a few different parents over the holidays and they feel the same way. They say the same thing about the newsletter. Don't read it. I haven't got time to that. I just need bullet points.
It's like, I know, I've been.
Saying this for years, yeah, years, But I'm not a big person about like the whole New year, new meat. Like I just we should be trying to execute this every day, you know. That's the space that I sit in. We need to execute this every day. But when it comes to parenting, like it's a different ballgame and we say it stages and ages, right. I feel like my too.
Even over these holidays, we've just ramped it up a notch and we've just really like gotten a hold of those hormones and just gone bam, and what are we going to do? We'll just take it out on them. And sometimes I literally like leave them in their bedroom at night, going why am I doing this? Please tell me why I'm doing this, Please refresh my memory, Please make me wake up tomorrow and make me feel better about why I'm doing this. Yeah, because it's really tough
at the moment with these preteen hormones. And I know that I'm only at the start of it, Katie, because your girls are well and truly into it. But honestly, the squabbling and the fighting and now all of a sudden, my two are okay with being like physical towards each other.
Yeah, it's because they've forgot too much time off. One of these is too long.
I don't know what to do. But my whole New Year it knew me. I was like, Okay, how am I going to change this up? How am I going to like find some more patience within myself to be able to stop and listen to them differently and hear them differently so that I can respond a little.
Bit better than I am at the moment.
Because I feel like I'm explosive, and then I try and calm it out, then explosive, then I calm it that it's not going to work. It's youl really.
Good at doing that whole Like said, it's not a New Year, New Me, like we should be doing that every day kind of thing, Whereas I'm like a bit the opposite in that I'm very much like Friday, we can eat that food for lunch on a Friday. I'm not putting KFC in my body on a Monday. I'm not an idiot.
I honestly I understand that we all have those days, but when it comes back to parenting, I feel like it's just one particular area for me, Like, yeah, I'm really good at that, right, New Year, New Meat, Nah, it's an everyday thing. You don't need to be setting goals for like twenty twenty five. How about set it for the first three months of twenty twenty five.
And see what you cannot right when you're the person that's sitting outside an apartment block at two in the morning on New Yearesday, Like, well, there you go. What do you always re al? We're starting it on the second of January, and I'll tell you what dry January isn't going very well.