It’s a bit of a stereotypical joke now isn’t it? Being a Mum means you are either exhausted and reaching for their Costas or gagging for a glass of wine at the end of the day, as their little monsters darlings have driven them crazy all day long. My Insta feed is full of it and I love to like these pictures just like the rest of you.
I’m not disputing either of this reasons for the record! In fact some bloggers and writers have made a fortune on this concept. Hurrah for Gin for one. Parents can relate to this, it’s funny and it’s true and we need to feel validated with the rest of the world.
But I think we need to look a bit deeper into the wine (alcohol) and coffee (cuppa) love affair us parents seem to be embroiled in.
Go back to your pre-child days. You had ALL the time in the world and honestly (be honest), you didn’t appreciate it. That’s fine. You didn’t know what being a parent would be like and took it for granted as so many of us do with things that are just there all the time. A cup of tea was had in a rush in the mornings or in front of the screen at work. That glass of wine was drunk in a noisy bar whilst you were gassing with your mates or swirling around on the dance floor. Yes that’s me with the Reflex balloon.
Did you sit and really appreciate those beverages then? I’m not really sure I did. They weren’t really a treat, something to sit and savour. A friend of mine recently said pre-kids a treat had to be something grand; a designer bag, a trip abroad. Now she had her son? It can be a film and a gin and tonic. A cup of tea with a friend. So simple, yet so appreciated.
I think for some, having kids means you actually wake up and smell the coffee. You realise life is precious. I am in charge of a human being. Me. Things change and your perceptions of everything around you changes. When did the top of a head smell so delicious? How can a little smile make you melt?
Mindfulness is such a hot topic at the moment and I believe it really can be the key to happiness and relieving stress and worry. Do you sit and actually savour the moment? Or are you thinking ahead, just to the next task and not appreciating the now? It’s a really hard thing to do all the time as we are all so busy but it is worth trying.
So for me a cup of tea or that glass of Sauvignon Blanc or Prosecco I may have at the weekend, isn’t because I’m gagging for it and proving the stereotype right. It’s because it’s a small thing that I can enjoy. I like the TASTE of the wine and yes it makes me feel fuzzy. The time it takes for me to drink it, I want to savour and appreciate it. It’s a little moment of free time I want to enjoy. The conversation I have with my husband is lovely and uninterrupted.
So I don’t think a Mum enjoys a caffeinated or alcoholic drink because if they don’t, they won’t function (well not always). I think for so many parents, they have come to realise like me, that the simplest pleasures in life are the best.
These are my reasons.
What about you?
I totally agree! I took so many things for granted prior to becoming a mum, and it is definitely the little things that mean the most now. I actually look forward to my morning coffee (I buy the nice stuff now), especially if I’ve had a bad night with Molly. The same goes for a glass of wine on the weekend, I appreciate it so much more now and enjoy every sip (2 glasses is my limit nowadays though)! Even a trip to Aldi on my own is a luxury! #MarvMondays
Fab post and I don’t like the stereotype that we survive on coffee and gin and that we count down to 5pm to crack open the wine. Yes I love a fresh coffee in the morning and a glass of wine some evenings but becoming a mum has not made me reliant on them by any means. Love the photo. What the hell are you wearing!!! Thanks for joining #marvmondays xxx
absolutely – it’s the precious moments of enjoying whatever it is that takes your fancy, just having that time to yourself. #MarvMondays
I liked wine and coffee before kids. It’s just that wine is less frequent these days and I am sure that coffee is a placebo, so they tend to stand out more to me now!
You are so right. I definitely feel like my selfish happiness standards have dropped. Other than the joy of raising small humans (blah blah), coffee and wine make me happy. It used to take a lot more. Now I’m just grateful. lol
#bestandworst
I’m so with you on this. Although I don’t drink that much these days (I know, I’m shocked too). A cup of tea however, is the best thing in the world. #bestandworst
It’s so true that we didn’t appreciate our free time before becoming parents. I feel like I wasted so much time on nothing in those days. If I could just get that time back I would be able to get so much done. But that’s the problem with time. You can never get it back, so you’re very correct in savouring the moment. Once it’s gone, it’s gone so we shoud enjoy it while we can. #bestandworst
Absolutely right. My mid morning mocha harks back to the weekends before children when I would sit down with a cuppa, a packet of crisps and a book for half an hour. Glorious me time. Now there is no book reading. The crisps are shared with the 3 munchkins. But the mocha is all mine… #bestandworst
Lovely post and I do agree. I don’t need tea or wine (and don’t drink coffee) to function, but I do enjoy them more now. I also agree it is so hard to be I the moment when there are always things to do and think about, but I do try and just savour the moment when I can. Great post xx
This is so true. In fact, I am savouring my coffee at this moment while Jacob naps and I do some blog reading 🙂 I’d never have appreciated this so much pre-baby. #bestandworst
I agree! I love a glass of wine and yes it’s sometimes because L has driven me crazy but more often than not it is because it is a treat. My treat. Something I enjoy and can do in the comfort of my own home. #bestandworst
True this. You appreciate treats more when they’re actual treats rather than part of your everyday. I love my glass of wine on a Friday. It means the working week is over and the weekend has started. 🙂 Coffee I drink for everyone else’s protection 😉 #bestandworst
You are so frickin right! Kind of makes me wanna nip right now,
#bestandworst
Back again. Thanks for hosing #bestandworst xx
I don’t drink much, and caffeine gives me headaches – but I’m all for 5 minutes of the day that I can control!! #bestandworst
A hangover with a four year old is hell on earth – for this reason, I hardly ever drink! In fact I don’t think I’ve barely touched a drop since Christmas – at least not in excess. That and I have to drive quite a bit. But when I do have one it is nice! Gone are the days of every Saturday being out on the town – having said that, I don’t miss it at all! #bestandworst
hi, great post I don’t need tea or wine to function either. I just enjoy them. It is very true that the simplest pleasures in life are the best, Chloe #bestandworst
Its pretty hard for me to avoid my daily coffee as my office has a costa coffee bar in it that I walk past every day!
I don’t drink and I don’t like coffee,but I love a bit of free time super post thanks for hosting #bestandworst
I love Costa 😀 I’ve even bought coffee machine and I can put there costa pods:D it was long before I became a Mom and I hate wine:D
#bestandworst
Oh I miss wine. Oh I miss my morning Costa coffee. I also miss having control of my bowels and pelvis. Sorry I digress as usual. I loved wine before becoming a parent, but I have to say my love affair with a skinny vanilla latte came after Henry was born. So once this little sprog pops out and I’m a Prossecco espresso chaser. Because I just couldn’t function without one, haha x Great post and always love your throwback pictures. Renee @peonieandme #bestandworst
I’ve always loved my wine and coffee but now I just seem to enjoy them even more hehe 🙂 #bestandworst
Honestly, I never thought of any of this with that understanding-we do take it all for granted as youngsters, but having kids does make you appreciate the little things!
Great post! I don’t drink tea or coffee and always find it strange when my friends are “gasping for a brew!”. Now I Know why! #bestandworst
This is so true! I love my coffee every morning. I truly look forward to it!
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What?! No one told me coffee was going to be less available post children! I live on the stuff…eeek!
Well said Sarah! It’s so true that you definitely appreciate the smaller things in life after children. I think tea and wine have always been favourites of mine as they signify ‘time out’ or a chance to recharge. I’m not sure I like it more now because I’m a mum x #bestandworst
Hubby and I love our tea and like to dunk the biscuit in it but when it comes to wine I dislike the taste so don’t bother with it. #bestandworst
I agree, I certainly appreciate my morning coffee and glass of wine on a weekend way more than I ever did. A reflex balloon, a lady after my own heart, I used to frequent there regularly many moons ago 🙂 x
Alcohol and coffee/tea don’t do anything for me. Chocolate however, mmmm. I definitely appreciate it when I get the chance to sit down with a bar! #BestAndWorst