I walked out my conference in London to leg it to Euston. I WOULD be getting a seat even if I had to elbow someone to get it.! I was curious as a gaggle of people were hanging around one of the glass buildings. I noisily peeked around expecting to see a celebrity lurking in the midst. But no it was just a tonne of people standing around drinking alcohol. I walked on and eyed up a couple of girls with two empty wine bottles on the table and checked my watch; 5.30pm. I suppose it was Friday night and a city but the London lifestyle is just so far removed from me. Finishing work and diving into a pub or bar is just so alien. Was I jealous? Hmm not really sure. It would be nice to pop in a have a glass of wine with my work bud and talk stuff other than metabolics. But really, not that fussed.
Obviously throw children into the mix and your attitude to booze changes. Screaming children, night wakes and early rises are hardly conducive to nursing raging hangovers. That overwhelming tiredness after a boozy night and you have a grumpy toddler who wants to bounce on a trampoline? No thanks. It’s not just the tiredness, it’s the feeling of impending doom. I just feel miserable and low. My friend’s hubby described it well, during the midst of a hangover you have “the fear”. It’s true. You think life is crap, want to go to bed and no amount of a Meg and Mog is going to make this better. The thing is for now it could be large glass of wine or a couple of cocktails. I will still have a horrible headache the next day!
I think looking back my attitude to drinking had changed before I had children. Don’t get me wrong. I love my vino and Prosecco. It’s a lovely feeling having that first sip of Savignon blanc on a Saturday night and I would still have a few on a night out with friends. But drinking alcohol just doesn’t appeal in the same way it used to. If I’m honest I didn’t always like the person I was after too many. When I look back at my past serious relationship before hubby, I knew we were drinking too much. If you need a drink alcohol to have a good time together it can’t be the healthiest of relationships. Arguments were common after a drink and I sometimes wish I could have been a fly on the wall during those rows and seen myself. I wouldn’t have done it again that’s for sure. I guess I had just grown out of getting wrecked.
It annoys me when people get all high and mighty and say “you don’t need alcohol to have a good time”. One because it is high and mighty and two because you can have a giggle with a bit of sauce added. Of course you can have fun without it but there isn’t anything wrong with enhancing an already fab situation. But where do you draw the line? That 2 bottles after work? 10 double vodka redbulls on a night out?So I’m going to continue with my glass on wine on a Saturday with hubby and Prosecco with the Mother. Children aren’t enough to make me go tee-total but spending time with my girls on a Sunday with a clear head is just way more important.
Disclosure – this is a collaborative post
I think I've had the sum total of two bottles of wine in the past 3 years with babies and breastfeeding. I do love a glass, so won't be stopping drinking with a meal, but the days of me drinking champagne from the bottle are long gone! #twinklytuesday
Haha this is so true…I think the glass or two is definitely very much needed but as for getting wrecked – the thought of having to deal with the aftermath with a toddler is just way too scary for me to want to go anywhere near that! #twinklytuesday
Oh jeepers I wouldn't give up my Saturday night glass of wine for antrhing (well other than pregnancy obviosuly!!) nice post though, so true how our attitidue changes #TwinklyTuesday
Totally and utterly with you here, small kids that wake up in the night put a whole new spin on having a few drinks. I don't mind the odd bit of lunchtime vino, but I can count on my one hand how many times I've drunk in the evening this past year xx #thetruthabout
Haha I love the description – "The Fear"! I would definitely use this to describe my current relationship with alcohol. #twinklytuesday
the kids were off at at their grams sat night so me and the missus went out with friends. There is no way I could have handled Sun morning if they had been home.
Oh yeah totally get this, hangovers just aren't worth it these days! However I do still love my tipple over the weekend 🙂
Hels – #twinklytuesday
Another great post. I think you put it brilliantly. There is a massive difference between pre child drinking and post. I think you've got a nice balance going on.
I, on the other hand, could never get that balance so don't drink at all. But there are other reasons. That being said though it never stops me going out having fun etc and I never ever say "you can have fun without a drink" if I hear it I cringe. Lol
My childless friends though they still drink heavy….and all that goes through my mind is "I've got to get up at 6, sort breakfast and dress teh kids" lol attitude and nd mindset of priorities change but that doesn't mean you still can't have a little fun.
Completely agree, I will still have a glass on a Saturday night and normally a Friday too, if we get the option to go out we grab it with both hands … thanks to my amazing inlaws. However I still don't drink too much as I take my little monkey swimming on a Sunday morning – not good with a foggy head!! I think its good to embrace the fact that our priorities have changed – thank you for reminding me 🙂 #TwinklyTuesday
"The Fear" went and broke me and I stopped completely but I don't miss it thankfully. xx
This is a great post! My attitude changed completely when I had my first daughter, I used to sneak drinks into plant pots and all sorts on girl's nights out. I was the first in my group to have a baby you see and didn't want to miss out ha! X
pre kids i used to be out on the last every weekend without fail now I am so the opposite even if i go out for a few drinks I'm so cautious of what I have sticking to just a couple to get me feeling merry! No more shots for me! i don't think you need to be completely off your face to have a good time but i do like one or two on a night out to get me dancing and then i don't get a hangover the next day! x
I don't drink at all and I stopped a long time before I had a baby, but I do think that having to look after a child is hard work enough without trying to do it with a hangover! I barely manage completely sober! x
#sharewithme
I dont really drink as in my country if I will go home late from a gig with my friends I should be sober as its not that safe to travel. But my friends who have cars and drivers, they do drink and I am okay with it.
#sharewithme
To be honest, I can take it or leave it. I like a glass of wine, but having 4 kids means that early mornings are inevitable so more than one glass is just pointless! x x
I like a glass of wine, I'm not going to deny it but I do drink a lot less than I did in my pre-Mum days. Since my little boy was born 3 and a half years ago I think I have only drank enough to be hungover about 2 times. For me, it's just not worth missing out on time with my boy because I'm feeling rough. Really interesting post. xx
The Mother says – It's well documented that I'm rather a fan of a odd glass of wine or two and I will admit to having a glass most nights. Too much? Maybe. But, you know what, I work full time and am up everyday at 0500. I work a full shift at work (in a very stressful situation), I come home, cook dinner, play with Lucas, read with him, walk the dog so when I'm cooking the evening meal, I enjoy a glass of wine. That is my wind down. Having completed Dry Janaury, I also know it's not a problem, it's just my little thing to chill out with. Great post hun xx #sharewithme
As with all things, drink is fine in moderation. I have a glass of wine on a Friday after a week at work and we finish the bottle over the course of the weekend. Then that's it until the following week. We got a box of wine at Christmas and have just finished it!
Excellent, and very sensible post! #PoCoLo
My attitude to drinking changed the day I experienced my first hangover that lasted more than a day and promptly decided that no night out was worth paying that price! The thought of doing that with children around is definitely unappealing! Four years of breastfeeding or being pregnant has turned me into a complete lightweight when it comes to alcohol so I tend to just have one glass on the rare occasions I do drink but it is nice to have the odd drink here and there on a night out 🙂
As soon as my mummy had me she just stopped drinking..didn't see the appeal in it anymore and didn't want the hangovers. It's funny..there is loads of alcohol in the wine rack, she just doesn't see the point :-/ hm. She wished she enjoyed drinking…
The Mother says – We loved this post when we read it the other day but just wanted to pop back from #PoCoLo.
Thanks for linking up 🙂
I totally agree with you! I hate that hangover feeling the day after and when you have kids it's even worse. I've only ever been very very hungover when I have had my two little guys around and never again. It's not fair on them and not on me lol xx #twinklytuesday
I used to be a pretty heavy drinker. I still like to have a glass or three at night as I wind down in front of the television, but couldn’t tell you the last time that I was actually drunk. Always seems like more trouble than its worth. Makes me wish I’d given a bit more thought to my blog name, I never did end up writing very many “my kids make me drink” posts like I thought I was going to be doing.
Yeah, your approach changes. Then again, like you my approach changed before having kids. Having kids just reinforced that I was doing the right thing by not drinking to excess.