19 dirty secrets of a sleep-deprived parent

I used to have a clean house, clean clothes and clean hair.

Then I had children.

My standards gradually slipped lower and lower and before I knew it,  I was eating the remains of a rice cake off the floor to avoid having to walk to the bin.

Not because I am lazy; but because some days, I am just too tired to care.

Here are a few dirty secrets that only a really tired parent will understand:

When I am vacuuming, I will stamp on an old biscuit to make it fit up the hoover pipe instead of picking it up.

I have thrown away dirty saucepans because I can’t face scrubbing them.

I have told my kids the DVD player is broken so I don’t have to put one on for them. If it is not on the Sky planner, they are not watching it.

I have put the same wash on six times because I am too tired to hang it out.

I have thrown out baby clothes after a nappy leak rather than clean them.

I have watched the ‘no signal’ sign bobbing about the screen for hours because I can’t reach the remote control.

I have also watched the blue screen on the CBeebies channel at night for the same reason.

I have taken alternate bites of bread and cheese because making a sandwich is too much effort.

I wear the same pair of socks for at least three days to avoid more laundry.

I like to watch something dirty on the TV

If a child wees on the settee I sometimes just throw a towel over it until it dries.

I never wash my bras.

I will tell my partner I am popping out for milk then sit in the car park outside the supermarket for half an hour enjoying the peace.

I only wash the bed sheets when someone pukes or pisses on them.

I will spend half an hour rearranging the dishwasher so I don’t have to wash up the one cup that won’t fit.

I never answer the phone because conversations are way too much effort.

I use my bag for life to keep carrier bags in which kid of defeats the object.

My TV is permanently covered in dirty handprints.

I will use any suitable substitute I can find when I run out of toilet roll to avoid a trip to the shop. Kitchen roll, baby wipes, the cardboard inner tube, sanitary towels or cotton wool.

I only properly tidy up the house when I have people coming to visit.

Do you have any dirty secrets to share? Tell us in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter.


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Sleep Is For The Weak: How To Survive When Your Baby Won’t Go The FzZk To Sleep at book shops or on Amazon now!! Also on Kindle.

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The A to Z of Sleep-Deprived Parenting

a-to-z

A glossary of parenting terms you won’t find in the baby books…

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I think speak for a lot of new mums when I say we simply do NOT give a damn whether we will ever fit into our skinny jeans again. We are more worried about whether we will ever have time to get dressed again.

Besides, the very best way to lose those extra pounds is simply to have the baby!

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Did you give a toss about your post baby body?  Join me for a chat on Facebook or Twitter or sign up for delightful emails full of useless advice!!

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Enjoy this for about three weeks.

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CONFESS

I have a confession to make.

I secretly hate parents of babies who sleep through the night.

Ok, maybe hate is a bit of a strong word. I don’t actually hate them; it is more that sometimes I want to punch them in the face.  I am aware this is wrong and I apologise to all my friends with sleepy babies.

It is simply a result of exhausted irritation and just plain jealousy. Continue reading