{"id":404,"date":"2019-06-22T14:02:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-22T13:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/?p=404"},"modified":"2025-02-27T14:06:04","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T14:06:04","slug":"parenting-problems-with-a-sense-of-humour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/?p=404","title":{"rendered":"Parenting problems with a sense of humour"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I know, I\u2019m sorry it\u2019s yet another post about the boy\u2026.but he\u2019s just such a joy to be round I want to talk about him all the time (you really cannot do sarcasm in text) to be fair I am slightly hysterical and after spending a day yesterday with a friend with a little boy the same age it\u2019s both reassuring (as well as entertaining) that it\u2019s not just us that goes through this sh**. We all need a sense of humour with the parental problems we face daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"giphy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are many classic tell tale signs that your adorable once small baby sleeping in your arms are changing into a toddler (seriously wtf are we supposed to do when they\u2019re teenagers?!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are my particular favourites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mealtime<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

His lunch is his most important meal of the day at the moment. I\u2019ve no idea why, because he seems to constantly eat and I know I\u2019m soft when it comes to letting him \u2018choose\u2019 but I seriously cannot be doing with these daily struggles over what he does and doesn\u2019t like that day because at least I know that there are the regular things that he will eat every day\u2026but mummy I want the green plate!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh but of course you want the green one, the only one that is dirty in the dishwasher?!  We have that rainbow pack of plates from Ikea, which, Ikea thanks for that. I do not find it helpful that you\u2019re giving our children a choice. Why did you not do them all white like the rest of the stuff you make??  I want to fling his lunch out the window, instead I calmly take the plate away and pour on to the table, he looks at me like I\u2019m mad and I leave the room.  Within minutes the food has been eaten, surprise surprise!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lady<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Picture this scene; I have done all the washing and ironing (doesn\u2019t happen often) and the house is looking pretty spectacular considering there\u2019s a toddler in the house so I decide to sit down and have a cup of tea\u2026..now can you tell me how long I\u2019m sat down for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minutes???  Hours??? It is actually only a matter of seconds, because the minute I sit down he comes to me saying \u201cmummy put your cup of tea down and come with William.\u201d  Actually, I don\u2019t want to go anywhere, I would just like to drink my hot tea and stare into space, but he pulls at my hand.  Ok I convince myself that I can take my tea with me, I\u2019ll sit where he wants me to go and stare at the carpet.  \u201cNo mummy put tea down, it\u2019s important.\u201d  He then drags me to show me all his cars that he has lined up in colour order yes that\u2019s great William<\/em> and I\u2019m trying oh so hard to sound impressed because we all know how men love praise! So I finally manage to escape to the kitchen where there is a chair and a gate to keep him out, but now he can open the gate and bring his toys to me\u2026or better still lob them over at me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"William<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This picture was actually at a friends house yesterday, we stupidly thought that because there was two of them they would entertain each other so we could chat (aka procrastinate about being a mother of a little person that throws bigger tantrums than Kanye West), but they were in and out of the kitchen before we could get to the end of any sentence.  Seriously boys, you are cute but only when you\u2019re happy or sleeping<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m quite lucky to have a good sleeper with him most of the time (not bragging here I promise!), he will sleep when he\u2019s tired but only on his own terms.  He will be red and puffy under the eyes and yawning is little head off and when I even suggest bed time, all of a sudden he\u2019s not tired!  Well actually William I am and you can stay here and pretend you\u2019re not tired while I go to bed<\/em>, but apparently I\u2019m not allowed to sleep because whenever I do he stands in my face and says \u201cwake up mummy\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This<\/em> is why you have a gate on your bedroom!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Killing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For his second birthday his god mum got him a car track set<\/a>, he absolutely loved this set and spent hours on end just watching it go round and round (even better when the lights were out and the curtains shut because it lights up!). However eventually the novelty wore off and cars were flung across the room because they wouldn\u2019t stay on the track, or go up the steep hill that he had put together.  Then the track got pulled apart and thrown around as well as at both mummy and daddy, well that toy went to toy heaven for when he\u2019s a bit older and can control his anger\u2026..when he\u2019s 23!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before I had William I had previously blogged about what a judgemental mother I used to be, I would sit in a coffee shop or restaurant shocked to the teeth that there would be a family on the next table and the child would be watching tv on a phone or tablet.  Well now, we are that family because it\u2019s the one thing that calms him down when he\u2019s having a meltdown or the only thing that will stop him from running around (he now refuses the high chair<\/a> which was the one thing that kept him in one place!!). The go-to programme is Paw Patrol and who wouldn\u2019t want to sit watching a bunch of pups rescuing people in danger!  I was actually browsing through facebook the other day and came across this video<\/a> of a mum having a hilarious discussion about these pups they call Paw Patrol\u2026you\u2019ll only enjoy it if you know about Paw Patrol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It blew my theory out the window but this was totally funnier!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Image<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I love cuddles with my little boy\u2026who doesn\u2019t?\u00a0 He gives the best cuddles ever, when he sits still!\u00a0 He knows I love my cuddles, and he knows that he can get around me with whatever he wants now.\u00a0 However, I\u2019ve got wise to this, I still get my cuddles but he doesn\u2019t always get what he wants.\u00a0 Cruel, some may say, but I say I don\u2019t want a spoilt son who thinks he can get away with anything.\u00a0 I only say this, because I was that child, and I have lots of sympathy for my parents!\u00a0 Sorry mum and dad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So last but no means least is my favourite of Williams ways of showing me how much of a toddler he is\u2026.The whining, the constant whining about everything, and even when something isn\u2019t going wrong he\u2019s still whining!  On and on all the time, and yes, thanks for making my tinnitus a whole lot worse with this awful noise you make bud.  I started to make the noise back at him, actually that made it worse because he got louder.  One particular day he was so loud and so annoying that I screamed shut up at him, obviously that backfired because for weeks after that he would shout \u201cshut up\u201d to me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m sorry who said that?  I have finally found the right approach which is to ignore him, it\u2019s beginning to work and I\u2019m managing to block his constant noise out and either I\u2019ve gone deaf or this toddler is finally giving up the goat!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, every morning when he comes straight to me and gives me a hug and tells me he loves me, it\u2019s like it all forgotten about\u2026.well for about half an hour till the first tantrum of the day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"boy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I know, I\u2019m sorry it\u2019s yet another post about the boy\u2026.but he\u2019s just such a joy to be round I want to talk about him all the time (you really cannot do sarcasm in text) to be fair I am slightly hysterical and after spending a day yesterday with a friend with a little boy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53221594,"featured_media":406,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5309],"tags":[406,124,3785,9277,349],"class_list":["post-404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-parenting","tag-family","tag-life","tag-love","tag-pets","tag-writing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgmcKn-6w","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":329,"url":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/?p=329","url_meta":{"origin":404,"position":0},"title":"How to Parent with a Sense of Humour","author":"Annabel","date":"13\/02\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Nothing prepares you for parenting which is a shame, how has no one written a book about the truths of parenting? How children can drive you insanely angry one minute and in tears the next. Well actually many have written books, blogs and recorded podcasts. But the one thing you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Parenting"","block_context":{"text":"Parenting","link":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/?cat=5309"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/danilo-batista-skqz_wvdp5k-unsplash.jpg?fit=960%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/danilo-batista-skqz_wvdp5k-unsplash.jpg?fit=960%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/danilo-batista-skqz_wvdp5k-unsplash.jpg?fit=960%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/danilo-batista-skqz_wvdp5k-unsplash.jpg?fit=960%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":258,"url":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/?p=258","url_meta":{"origin":404,"position":1},"title":"How to Cope with Parenting Boys","author":"Annabel","date":"07\/05\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Being a parent of a boy does not make me an expert, but I\u2019ve learnt a few things along the way. Recently for some reason I\u2019ve had other parents with younger boys ask me if I have any tips. There are actually a few things I wish we\u2019d known before\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Parenting"","block_context":{"text":"Parenting","link":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/?cat=5309"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/japheth-mast-jx4quhxn73w-unsplash.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/japheth-mast-jx4quhxn73w-unsplash.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/japheth-mast-jx4quhxn73w-unsplash.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/japheth-mast-jx4quhxn73w-unsplash.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":296,"url":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/?p=296","url_meta":{"origin":404,"position":2},"title":"How To Have The Essential Skills of Parenthood","author":"Annabel","date":"05\/09\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"As a parent, it\u2019s very easy to see yourself as the ultimate authority figure in your child\u2019s life. Of course you wouldn\u2019t be mistaken. You are responsible for the health and wellbeing of any children you have and that means setting boundaries, rules, a lifestyle, conditions and protective measures to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Parenting"","block_context":{"text":"Parenting","link":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/?cat=5309"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/vitolda-klein-vknnqur-vcq-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/vitolda-klein-vknnqur-vcq-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/vitolda-klein-vknnqur-vcq-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/vitolda-klein-vknnqur-vcq-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/vitolda-klein-vknnqur-vcq-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":476,"url":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/?p=476","url_meta":{"origin":404,"position":3},"title":"Empty Nest Symdrome","author":"Annabel","date":"31\/03\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Empty Nest Syndrome (ENS) is a psychological phenomenon that affects parents when their children leave home for University studies or move to work in another area. Though not a clinical diagnosis, it is a well recognised emotional state characterised by feelings of sadness, loneliness and loss of purpose. While it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Parenting"","block_context":{"text":"Parenting","link":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/?cat=5309"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/sarath-c-m-19dgxm-k4xw-unsplash.jpg?fit=674%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/sarath-c-m-19dgxm-k4xw-unsplash.jpg?fit=674%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/sarath-c-m-19dgxm-k4xw-unsplash.jpg?fit=674%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":73,"url":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/?p=73","url_meta":{"origin":404,"position":4},"title":"Book Review: Frank & Red, Matt Coyne","author":"Annabel","date":"21\/05\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Frank and Red is definitely a feel-good-read and it came at the right time for me. This is the sort of story that will have you smiling, laughing out loud and (in my case) crying. Just to clarify though, crying because I\u2019ve had an emotional couple of months after loosing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/?cat=309"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/img_5684.jpg.webp?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/img_5684.jpg.webp?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/img_5684.jpg.webp?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/img_5684.jpg.webp?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/img_5684.jpg.webp?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":37,"url":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/?p=37","url_meta":{"origin":404,"position":5},"title":"20 Things You need to Know About Being A Parent","author":"Annabel","date":"23\/05\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Parenting can be one of the most rewarding yet challenging experiences anyone can undertake. While no guide can encompass the entirety of what parenting entails, this article hopes to provide a comprehensive overview designed to help parents navigate the complexities of raising children.\u00a0 1. Understanding Child Development We emphasise the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Parenting"","block_context":{"text":"Parenting","link":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/?cat=5309"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2003\/05\/tim-mossholder-fidkkbwmf7y-unsplash.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2003\/05\/tim-mossholder-fidkkbwmf7y-unsplash.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2003\/05\/tim-mossholder-fidkkbwmf7y-unsplash.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2003\/05\/tim-mossholder-fidkkbwmf7y-unsplash.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annabelwrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/heike-mintel-os2wmpnwpfm-unsplash.jpg?fit=4288%2C2848&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/53221594"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=404"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":407,"href":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404\/revisions\/407"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/annabelwrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}