What kind of mum are you?

What kind of mum am I? It depends what day of the week you ask me. Sometimes I’m the super-patient mum who will play a five hour game of Monopoly. And sometimes I’m the grumpy mum who stomps around the house snapping at people to pick their coats up off the hall floor.

Mostly, though, I’m a fairly laid back mum. Because the one thing that 9 years of motherhood has taught me is that’s there’s no point in over thinking parenting. Most of us are making it up as we go along – no matter how pulled together we might look at the school gates.

SunLife recently got in touch to tell me about a new quiz they’ve created for Mother’s Day. I was intrigued to see how I’d come out. Would I really be as relaxed as I think I am?

So, I took the test (don’t worry it’s multiple choice, you don’t have to think too hard) and I came out as an Organic Mum. Which is less about healthy snacks, and more about taking an organic, open-minded approach to parenthood.

Which makes me happy – because it’s exactly what I hope I am. Now, I bet you’re dying to know what the quiz told me, aren’t you?

I’m open-minded

I’d agree with that. But it wasn’t always true. Parenthood has actually taught me to be far more open-minded than ever before. That’s because our children like to surprise us. Any parent will tell you that children have incredibly strong opinions about everything under the sun – and changing their minds about things isn’t easy. So, you learn to be open-minded. Just because you gave birth to someone, doesn’t mean they always have to agree with you. Although obviously it’s nice when they do…

I have an artistic mind and I’m always ready to show my emotions in front of my kids

True. I’ll always be more of a dreamer than a planner. I prefer to learn things as I go along – even if that sometimes means I mess up. And I’m not afraid to show my emotions. Not to extremes, perhaps, but it’s OK to admit that you’re feeling sad and worried about things. Or to explain that their behaviour has made you angry. I just try to make sure I keep things measured and calm. The tantrum years taught me that losing my temper only makes things worse.

I’m good at giving advice

Well, I think I am, although I’m not entirely sure my children agree. I generally think that if I repeat my pearls of wisdom often enough they’ll sink in – despite the eye-rolling. Usually, the best thing and only thing you can do is to be there to talk and listen when your child needs to. We always eat our meals together and talk about our day – and there are always chances to talk on the school run or at bedtime.

Live and learn is the way you live your life and want your kids to live theirs

I love this. As I said earlier, I definitely parent in the moment. I tend not to worry too much about the challenges to come, but to focus on making the most of where we’re at now. Some wise person once told me that “everything is phase”. As soon as you get good at something, the stakes are changed. And as soon as one child is happy, the other is sad. That’s life – and all you can do is learn to be the best parent you can be – with your children, your life and your character.

Are you a mum? Why not pop over and take the quiz and then come back and tell me what you got? I’d love to know!

This post was sponsored by SunLife