Welcome to another Together In Mamahood interview. With these interviews I aim to serve motherhood realness from the women who understand best… You!
Today I have interviewed Kim Grainge about being mum to her little boy Benny.
Together in Mamahood interview.
1. What’s one thing you said you’d never do as a parent, but have done since becoming a mum?
Losing my patience and shouting at him for stuff he doesn’t understand. Like waking in the night, having tantrums etc. Numerous times shouting at him then feeling terribly guilty.
2. What for you is hardest thing about motherhood?
The serious lack of knowledge. I don’t have a clue what I’m doing and yet I have to just plough on and hope for the best. And my emotions in the early days – that ‘era’ was a killer of a time. I really had no affection for my baby for the first 10 weeks. It was really emotional because I desperately wanted to love him, but I just couldn’t get passed the resentful feelings I had towards him: ‘What’s happened to my happy life?’
3. How much of a routine do you have?
Totally in a routine now. I went back to work after 4 months but I was really lucky that Benny just kind of ‘fell’ in to a routine himself. Like he started going to sleep at 7pm every night when he was a tiny baby, and my husband and I were like ‘Oh! Fabulous! Right, let’s do 7pm bedtimes then!’ And he’s just naturally (?) fallen in to his routine ever since – like his nap times and food times etc. I just followed his lead I suppose.
4. Tell me something that has surprised you about being a mother?
How much it totally transforms you – I’m now a cryer whenever I see anything remotely emotional. I’m also more confident. I’ve also given up the ‘career driven’ me. I’m also learning to respect my body in a different, whole new way. I’m just a whole new me in many ways. And how fiercely protective you become.
5. Do you think social media portrays motherhood correctly?
Not always. I make sure I follow very ‘real’ accounts (I only have Instagram so I’m not sure about other social medias). So ‘real’ accounts for me are like the ‘Unmumsy Mum’ and typical ones like her who swear and laugh at how hard this parenting gig is! I think a lot of social media pages like to show mums who are polished, in love, clean, happy children and they seem to have glorious polished homes. And in reality, unwashed hair, mountains of laundry and a whingy baby with food in their hair is closer to what most mums deal with!
7. What’s your favourite motherhood memory?
This is a really hard question. I don’t think I have one favourite memory of him. I have my favourite image of him in my mind – like when I’m at work and I think of him I think of his face when he gets caught doing something naughty and he scrunches his nose and laughs. He does that often and it makes me laugh too.
8. How have you changed since becoming a mum?
I’m more confident, I feel I know myself better, I’m definitely more patient. I also feel like my relationship is stronger, strangely enough. Lots of people say that having a baby tested their relationship but after 8 years together, me and Kev are stronger now than we ever have been.
9. Tell me about your proudest mum moment?
Just after giving birth. I felt proud that my body carried a little healthy baby. I suppose I regularly have proud moments of him because he gets loads of compliments – he’s a really easy going baby and he’ll sit for a loooong time and be well behaved in restaurants, plane journeys, at appointments etc. He seems to know when to be quiet which is nice.
10. What are you most looking forward to for your little ones future?
I’m looking forward to our bond and our cuddles and playtimes together. Despite finding motherhood a very real struggle at first, I absolutely worship him now, and I completely love all of our time together, even if we’re just playing on the floor in the front room with his toys. He’s such a character and I’m looking forward to my new life as Benny’s mam and all of the lows and highs. And all of his ‘firsts’. I often daydream about my future with him and there’s SO MUCH to look forward to. I could cry typing this.
If you’d like to get involved in a Together in Mamahood interview feel free to email me on clairemacblog@gmail.com or DM me @clairemacblog. I’d absolutely love to hear from you!
During your Together in Mamahood interview you can answer whatever you feel comfortable answering, all I ask is that it’s honest! I wan’t to show the realness behind motherhood & just how hard it can be… Because we don’t give ourselves enough credit for how difficult it can be!
