Milly, I make mistakes all the time. Knowing what I know now, it seems my mum also made mistakes and, yep, you can bet your life on it that my grandmother also made mistakes during her child raising years.

It's not easy being a parent. You have some of the most unbelievable highs and some seemingly endless lows. How can you love this little person so much and then in the next instant be so infuriated by something that they've done.

My kids know that even if I'm having a pink fit over something I still love them with my whole being. We don't hold grudges in our house (thankfully). I just never go to sleep on an argument or let them leave the house without a kiss and "I love you". When I know that I have been completely unreasonable, I'll talk to them, explain why I was cross and apologise for pitching a fit. Good manners never hurt anyone and I expect the same in return.

Go easy on yourself. It's not like each child has their own special manual. Raising kids is a work in progress. And one day we can sit back and watch our children raise their own and make the same mistakes or perhaps some new ones.