I spotted my teenage daughter from my sprawled position on the sofa as she walked out of her bedroom one evening.
“Have you done your skin?” I pounced, reminding her to moisturise her eczema-prone parts. She froze mid step, in mock affront at the sudden attack.
My body began to shake from the laughter coming from my husband curled behind me on the sofa. I turned to look at him. “I’m serious. I am going to mum everyone hard because they need it right now. Just like I wifed you the other week.” He laughed even more. (My husband likes the idea of me wife-ing him just a little too much.) The week before, he had to travel interstate for a conference. He works so hard and I know how perpetually tired he is. I also know he tends to stay up too late and I (strongly) encouraged him to use the quiet week in a hotel room to look after himself, go to bed early and SLEEP. Goodness knows our house is never still. Before leaving for his flight, I did my pep talk and warned, “I can still wife you from afar.” He laughed then as he did in this moment.
You know what I’m saying? Sometimes everyone just needs to be mum-ed more than usual, I’ve learned to be fierce about the loving care of my ones. I noticed the kids (all old enough to look after their own personal needs) had been slacking off on those little self care things that matter, and I make no apologies for mumming everyone…into submission (insert not-too-evil laugh here).
Not long after this evening interaction at my place, I took some time off working during the week to watch my daughter play basketball in the regional finals. I sat next to so-and-so’s mother and we got chatting, as mums do. We both have children in the senior years at school and agreed there is a sense of urgency, seeing the end of a parenting era rapidly approaching. She too, had taken time off work to watch her son play basketball, and her husband thought it crazy since she watches them play often on weekends. She pffted him and said, “Just let me do my mum-thing.”
Sometimes you have to mum hard, sometimes it’s a gentle thing, sometimes you mum so proud it’s embarrassing. Do your mum-thing. And do it as fiercely and truly as you love.
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