Mrs Mum

02.05.12.

It was lovely lift-share friend's birthday today. We sometimes feel like kindred spirits as we were born in the same year, three days apart. Dexter had bought her a lovely bunch of tulips. I think it is important for him to understand from an early age that women like to be bought flowers. I don't think this statement compromises my feminist values.

I could have done with a floral gift today. By lunchtime, I was uncharacteristically grumpy. I'd been teaching the younger students all morning. Despite their loveliness, they are inherently more needy and demanding, and therefore more exhausting. I honestly do feel like a parent to them sometimes: being fair but firm; consistent yet flexible; supportive, whilst trying to encourage their independence. One of my students calls me his 'school mum' (I nag at him a lot), and there is nothing more mortifying for a student who accidentally calls their teacher 'mum'. Incidentally, this happens quite regularly and it is usually boys...

I was definitely in 'teacher mode' this evening, when I was supposed to have my parent hat on. I did bathtime (yes, the boy cried at hair-washing time), and I was trying to teach Dexter his colours using his bath toys. We read 'Dear Zoo' three times, and we did some more colours and counting with his elephant mobile. Our pre-bedtime 'lessons' were rounded off with Dexter having a tantrum, chucking himself on the floor and rolling around crying. I'm glad my actual lessons don't finish like this - however much I feel like it sometimes...