A comment an old lady made to me today.....

[Shanti]

I wanted to share a conversation an old lady had with me today because it was really nice!!

I was walking out of the shops this afternoon with 16mo DD on my hips and pushing the pram with all the shopping hanging off it and I stopped as I reached the carpark, to switch hips as my 11kg daughter was feeling VERY heavy on that side and I'd been carrying her the entire 40min shopping trip!! DD refuses to sit in her pram (lately anyway!) even after much persuasion, bribes with food etc you name it LOL (that's another thread!! haha)..... this old lady behind me said "ah, switching hips I see" and I said "yeah my daughter disagrees with her pram" and she smiled and said "yes my eldest daughter was like that" .......

and then we stopped and were chatting about how her eldest daughter was always so strong willed and if she didn't want to do anything then she wouldn't do it etc anyway then she made a comment which touched me and it was "I always remember when she would take up all the bed and my poor husband would end up lying over in her cot pushed out of the bed!!!!" and I laughed at this point and said "really? it's funny you mention that because that is exactly what happened this morning when I woke to find my husband curled up literally IN our daughters cot while she was fast asleep in the bed with me"!!!!! we had a laugh and a chuckle about it and talked about how much hard work these kids can be but that's it's all so worth it etc.....

It was just so lovely to have a woman-to-woman or should I say mother-to-mother chat to an older generation mother who had been there before me, like so many others, but not just about mothering in general, but about co-sleeping. She was letting me know that she had co-slept and it was just so nice to hear that coming from an 'older' generation mother that back in 'those days' they did it alot too, it may just not have been talked about!!!! I haven't been able to have a chat with many older mum's from those generations because like my Mum, she never allowed us in her bed with her as it was strictly for mum and dad only so my Mum can't understand the co-sleeping thing.

After a challenging day today with DD (poor thing is getting 3 molars at once ) it made my afternoon and I just wanted to share that!!

[Floweryfields]

How nice!

[willow5]

LOL That's gorgeous!

[Epacris]

Awww... beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

[tellytubby]

Naww, thats just lovely!

I love hearing my grandma talk about her 'babies' too (all 7 of them!). I find it so facinating to hear how similar things were. Even something as insignificant as starting solids, "oh Dale started solids at 8 weeks old" hahaha! I just love it! Sometimes we (well, I) forget that they're not just 'oldies', they're also mothers
She has been through soo much, more than I could ever dream of. Bringing home her youngest, a premmie, in a shoe box.. Losing one of her eldest in a car accident when he was 19.. Being diagnosed with cancer 45 years ago and surviving when they said she was a goner... And this year, losing her husband of 62 years to a death which did not give him justice
The stories she could tell...

I feel so humbled when I think of her and what an incredible mother she is.

Now excuse me while I get some tissues to dry my eyes...
I love my grandma

[~me~]

Ahhh, that brought a smile to my face

[ezymay]

aww that's sweet!

[mummato1]

how sweet

[onthefly]

Aw, that's nice!

[Tinsel]

That was really sweet and so funny that your DH and hers slept in the cot. I can't imagine the physio they would need after curling up in there

[ss_storm]

That's lovely! Nice to know that some of the older generation practiced gentle parenting too, although I imagine it would have been a fairly taboo subject back then!

[kelebek]

that's beautiful, thanks for sharing

[tracey2010]

Its always nice to hear from someone older who does not judge and has been there done that... thanks for that nice story

[mbear]

Thats really nice...its little things like this in your day that actually re-charge you and make you realise your doing ok. I remember when DS was newborn, taking all 4 children to the shops, stopping at a cafe for a coffee and milkshake, kids bit wild, baby needed feeding. This old guy pats me on the shoulder and says 'your doing a good job kid'.........it totally made my day, and gave me strength to get thru my latte.....
Lovely story hon...

[tellytubby]

This old guy pats me on the shoulder and says 'your doing a good job kid'.........it totally made my day, and gave me strength to get thru my latte.....

mbear - How lovely! People like this are so rare
xxoo

[Glamourcide]

Aww, that's really sweet I have found it really funny that my parenting style is much more in line with my nanna's, than my own mum's - back before all the 'research' existed, mums just followed their hearts and did what felt good, then a whole generation of mums got led astray by the experts and now we're finding that doing what comes naturally, comes naturally for a reason (That being said though, my mum's mum was a grumpy old cow and probably raised my mum at arms' length too, Dad's mum has always been my favourite family member and probably raised her kids in a much warmer, more loving environment.)
It's really heartening to be able to talk to someone who's BTDT and supports your decisions despite being from a totally different era of parenting. How nice that she reached out and offered you that support, I'm glad she made your day that bit better.

ETA: Awwwwww, mbear!! What a sweet old dude, I'd like to shake his hand A little bit of unsolicited encouragement can make such a world of difference, how lovely of him to give you that when it sounds like you really needed it

[tattoo_mama]

that is so sweet. unfortunately only one of my grandparents got to meet DD, and she is my mums mum who lives in QLD so shes only met her once (my mum and her dont get along either)... so funny though, my nanna loves *****ing about how much a PITA my mum was, and how all DDs good looks must come from her (my nanna)

[Kazbah]

Ahhh that's great to hear ladies!!!

I was having a chat yesterday with the train station coffee lady who turns out she not only homebirthed, but also did ECing from day 1!!!! And when I said it had a name, she was so suprised, she was just doing what came naturally!!!!

YAY to those who have BTDT and aren't afraid to share.