They say that a woman’s hormones don’t settle back to ‘normal’ for 2 years after having a baby. I can attest to the truth of this! My youngest turned 2 in November 2024, and I have been kept sane by a low dose of sertraline since soon after he was born. But that’s not the focus of this post… this is: have you ever found that your emotional state is often related to the emotional state of your kids?

Seriously. Today I feel quite happy, motivated, at peace. Yesterday I was grumpy, unmotivated and feeling just a bit low. The difference? Yesterday the kids were a nightmare to get ready for nursery. They were argumentative, avoidant of the necessary hygiene routines to be ready to actually leave the house, and generally very difficult. Today, nice as pie! Grrr. And did me and dad do anything differently today? Nope.

Since becoming a parent I have so much more respect for the powerful role of hormones in our lives! Before having kids and experiencing the crazy rollercoaster that it is I had very little understanding or compassion for parents who appeared to be struggling. I knew it was hard, and I knew they would be tired, but OH MY GOODNESS until you walk it, you cannot possibly comprehend the intensity and the relentlessness of it all!

And for me, talking about it really really helps!

Having a little (or massive!) vent to another parent is so cathartic. It really is.

Children are hard work!

One child is hard!

Two children are hard!

Three children are super hard, and I have no intention of living that experience!

Anyway back to the point. I don’t have a solution for it, but I do wonder if I’m the only mum out there who is grumpy when her kids are grumpy, and happy when her kids are happy?! What even is that?! Answers on a postcard!