I have a secret: I love Mondays.
It’s a bit embarrassing really, after all, who even likes Mondays, let alone loves them.
“Back to work, bleurg. Here we go
again…”
But I do, I really love them. And there’re really two reasons why. One is reasonable enough. The other, I share at a great personal risk.
The first reason is because Mondays are like New Year’s Day
every week. It’s like a mini do-over
every seven days. What is more exciting
than the opportunity to do what you did last week, only better? I awaken on Monday
mornings, with a sense of hope swirling around me. THIS will be the week I lose ten kilos, get
the phone call I’ve been waiting for, land a huge work contract, win
lotto. This could be the best week of my
life! And if it isn’t – no big deal,
there’s always next week.
The other reason Mondays get me juiced is something mummies
don’t speak of normally, but I know we’re all thinking it: Monday is back to
Kindy/school day.
I am not a bad mother – I love my little men, even when
looking at my disastrous house, my sadly depleted disposable income, my woeful
deflated-balloon stomach. They are my
world and I can’t imagine a life without them.
But sometimes, after a full weekend of poo-filled nappies,
sugar-fuelled tantrums over banned TV shows, and unending questions (“Can we
got to the park?” “Why is that lady so
fat?” “This came out of my nose, can I
keep it?”), Mondays can seem like the holy land: quiet, ordered, calm, logical. My work-head is on and in full control, the
universe is my playground. And in the
hour between when work finishes and Kindy pickup arrives, there’s normally time
to tidy without the constant delight of someone trailing after me, creating
mess behind us. Washing gets put away,
meals get planned, hey, I might even squeeze in a nap! Mondays rock.
Please don’t hate me for admitting I enjoy time on my
own. It is no reflection on the way I
feel about my kids. But as any mummy
will tell you, sometimes, your identity as a mother can overtake every other
aspect of your being. Example: For the two years I breastfed my sons until
their first birthdays, my entire wardrobe was dictated by whether or not the
boobs were easily accessible. Looking
back on it now, I’m not sure how I didn’t lose my mind, trying to find dresses
with stretchy straps and wearing the same three maternity bras on a cycle.
And how many other choices do we make on a daily basis
because of the child factor: what to cook, when to eat, what to wash, where to
holiday, whose oxygen mask to fit first, the list is long and will continue
indefinitely. I suppose it’s all part
of the rich experience called “parenting”.
Just like a rollercoaster, sometimes you feel sick, sometime you want to
get off, sometimes you scream. But you
also laugh till you cry, hold the people you love close and when it’s over,
you’re hugely glad you took the ride.
So my message to all mummies is to enjoy Mondays
guilt-free. Viva la Mondays!
Having said that, Saturdays are pretty awesome too… How long
till the weekend now?
HI Kates,
ReplyDeleteI am a fan of Mondays too! Mondays are the day my children go to their grannys and have a fantastic day - giving me time to focus on my work and to relax after doing a heap of fun things with them over the weekend! I don't think any mum should feel guilty for needing some time to do what they want to do - so much of our lives consciously and unconsciously is devoted to tending to our children's needs - I think it only fair we too enjoy the peace while it lasts so that we enjoy our time more with the children and also have the patience to endure the screaming and fighting when it happens.
Lorraine Salvi
MumsDelivery.com.au