An empty purse on the floor.
The best toy a kid could have.
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Hello lovelies,
I should probably start off by saying the “empty purse on the floor” isn’t in reference to the current state of our bank accounts and the cost of living crisis. Phew! Although it does seem quite symbolic of the chaos of our country, doesn’t it? My purse is indeed empty.
No, when I say “empty purse”, I mean the purse that has been EMPTIED by your baby or toddler. Yes, they do that. They love it. But why, when they have enough toys to launch their own small business selling plastic tat that sings and randomly lights up in the middle of the night? Boss babies.
As I scrolled Instagram the other day, I saw an author I follow sharing a raw “this is parenthood” type post. She is a first time mum and her baby is just at that stage where they don’t stay in one place when you put them down. Reality starts to hit. This is going to get somewhat tiring and they have just started sleeping through the night but cutting nap times. Ahh!
That stage where your step count goes up while your energy levels come down. Your home is suddenly the most dangerous place for a crawling baby to be and none of the toys seem good enough.
I loved her honesty and nodded along in a *half smug kind of way. You see we are past that stage now, although my nearly three year old is still prone to emptying my purse however it is now part of an actual game of shops. (Toddlers know how to tap a bank card to pay for shopping.) So sweet.
The image she shared of her messy sitting room did indeed show it was a mess. But so was mine so it made me feel a bit better. I didn’t clear up until the kids were finally tucked up in bed and I could launch Barbie and her friends into the conservatory and close the door quickly before they decided to stay up and play. After disposing of any evidence that kids even entered the sitting room, I sat down and looked around. It was tidier for sure but now it lacked character. Perhaps I should invite the Barbie crew back in, just fill those spaces a bit better.
You see, when I was a little girl, I imaged having a full house. Full of people, full of fun, full of those small bits and pieces that shape a family home and inject into it some personality. I never liked the pristine houses anyway because they seemed intimidating and boring. So why on earth do I now constantly feel the need to tidy and hide all of these things?
This is our home and this is us. Yes my purse may have been emptied for the tenth time within an hour but goodness me, I got to drink my coffee and watch the enjoyment on my daughters face.
We can’t keep on top of absolutely everything and whatever it takes to keep your little one entertained then so be it. I would love to hear about the most random things your kids loved/love!
Now, if she could just learn how to fit those credit cards back into their rightful slots, that would be ace. Nothing would get lost.
*I would never be fully smug because believe me, new challenges come along just when you think you have the hang of parenting. Challenges like my son being allowed to play out on his own WITHOUT ME WATCHING HIS EVERY MOVE 😱 and, as it turns out, sharing a whole bag of Pinball sweets with his friend at the park and then not eating his tea. Have I not taught him anything about rotting teeth, eating healthy foods and sharing sweets with his dear mum???