Wet wipes, wine and willing grandparents – these are only a few of the ‘must-haves’ mums use for their daily parenting dealings.
Oh, and don’t forget the yoga pants! But it’s not just us suggesting it – new research says it’s so!
A recent study from Welch looked at 2,000 mums with school-aged kids and asked mums about the ‘lifesavers’ they use to keep their sh*t together day after day.
Unsurprisingly, the thing most mums depend on to get through each day is *drum roll*, coffee. And by the bucket load. Have a look at the full list below (and no, we didn’t make these answers up – this is from an actual study).
The real mums’ must-haves
- A constant supply of coffee – YAS!
- The ability to nap whenever and wherever
- Being able to turn on the ‘angry mum voice’ whenever needed
- A reliable babysitter you can trust
- Grandparents to step in from time to time – It’s actually good for the grandparents too (have a look at this other study that proves it).
- Wet wipes
- Drive-through meals – Home cooking EVERY NIGHT is hard work, okay!
- iPads for the kiddies – See, I’m not the only one who uses the iPad as a babysitter!
- Netflix for both the kids and grown ups – No ‘chilling’ needed, thanks.
- A stash of toys for the car rides
- Yoga pants
- And last of all, wine! Â By the bottle (or by the Advent Calendar is even better).
Finally, a mum must-have list that tells it how it is! Â
I am a firm believer that some parenting studies are commissioned purely to make us mums feel bad about the way we raise our kiddies (especially when they bring breastfeeding, co-sleeping and working away from home into the mix).
But then there are the studies that do the complete opposite, like this one. Instead, they remind us that we are human, that it’s okay to take a break from being perfect every once in a while, and that wine is a completely acceptable ‘lifesaver’ to use when wrangling kids all day long (plus, it’s also good for weight loss!).
Additional mum lifesavers
The list is bang on, but I reckon there’s a few missing. Such as a sense of humour. And tolerance. And a strong stomach (especially when dealing with a house full of gastro). I suppose a supportive partner is another good one to add. Oh, and a good lock for your bedroom door.
The ability to negotiate, even when running on very little sleep, to survive on leftover toast crusts your kid won’t eat and swearing under your breath are also pretty necessary too.
What would you add to the list? Tell us in the comments below. And be sure to check out these 5 No Bullsh*t Tips for Dealing with Mummy Stress
