Sometimes in a world full of parenting blogs teaching us how to be simply delightful and how to perfect parenting we need to take a stand!  We need to turn around and say ‘I’m a Pinterest fail!’ I’ve tried your way and it doesn’t work. My kids don’t listen to me, they have no interest in all your wonderful, unique ways of storing their toys, or your cunning ways to hide all those veggies. To be frank, they’re a little bit feral.

Last week I thought I’d try my hand at family baking again. We’re not a family of bakers!  I love to bake the odd cake when I have time but when it’s me and the three kids in the kitchen, it’s usually a complete disaster. So anyway, I put my expectations aside, put on my Stepford wife persona, donned the apron, took a deep breath in and reminded myself to stay calm. This WAS GOING TO BE FUN!

Of course, it wasn’t. There were tears, tantrums, mess and stress!  But we got our cakes in the end. They were ok. Not spectacular, but at least they were, in the most part, edible.

While juggling kids, work and baking may not be my forte, I’m quickly realizing that juggling anything else with the kids and work is not the easiest of tasks, so I make the most of the time we have together distraction-free (such as school runs and bedtime) and when I remember, we might plant some plants or bake some bread. For the large part however we try to fit in fun and games around school, activities, homework and bedtimes and it generally works. Sometimes we even manage to play a whole board game without someone crying.

Don’t strive for perfection as you’ll never be happy!  Stop comparing yourself to other mums and take time to appreciate what you have and learn to be content. Life’s not a competition and the grass will often be greener…. but it can also be pretty green on your side of the fence!  It’s not so bad over here with me in the Pinterest fail-ures

Don’t get me wrong… I’d love to be a Pinterest success story, but I have neither the time nor the patience. So for now, the best thing I can be is happy. And for any mum struggling with perfection at the minute (or the perception of it) don’t waste your energy. It honestly doesn’t exist – apart from in your little home with your little people.

***For more wonderful mum blogs – covering every single topic imaginable – and for tips on how to not actually be a Pinterest fail, visit: https://blog.feedspot.com/mom_lifestyle_blogs/