1. When your child’s feet fit the sale shoes.
2. Getting the eye drop straight in before they blink.
Instead of squirting a few drops over a closed eye and hoping they will blink a bit in.
3. Getting a parent and toddler space at the supermarket.
This is a real rarity, due to the amount of selfish idiots using them to save two minutes of walking from a normal space. Because that’s more important than a child’s safety, right? And parents love nothing more than battling to get their kids in or out of their awkward car seats, whilst desperately trying not to slam the door into the next car. Puts you in the best mood to tackle attempting to do a weekly shop with a baby and toddler. After herding them through a busy car park where people suddenly seem to forget how to drive safely.
4. Leaving the house with everything you need. First time. On time.
So rare, yet so infinitely beautiful.
5. Having a shower, without an audience.
Or having to turn off the shower every few minutes because you swear you can hear a child screaming. So powerful is this feeling, it even happens when I know I’m alone in the house.
6. Getting an empty plate. Without nagging.
And yes, it still counts if it’s smothered in ketchup. That’s one of their seven a day, right?
7. Moving your sleeping child from their car seat, into their cot, without them waking up.
Hold your breath and cross everything!
8. Getting your child to sleep through the night.
(It happened early on with Ava, but Thea is two and we are still waiting… with eyes propped open with matchsticks.)
9. When your younger child fits into the older one’s outgrown shoes.
Even if they are a little snug around her legs…
10. Getting the elusive latch right.
I only managed this once but it was amazing. Until she opened her mouth and fell off. Read more about my breastfeeding struggles here.
11. Both children napping. At. The. Same. Time. (Not in a car.)
I can count the number of times this has happened to us on two fingers.
12. Getting to the bottom of the laundry bin.
Yeah, right, as if that’s ever going to happen! I can but dream.
Most of these are rarer than a solar eclipse. What are your victories?
