Funny parenting facts #3 sing-along-mummy

Before having children, I would never sing in public. Maybe you would have caught me on the karaoke after a couple of vodkas but even that was rare.

With children, though, sometimes only singing will do. For instance, pushing the trolly around the supermarket can sometimes get boring. You know you only have an allotted time before they will start crying/screaming so, to prolong your time, to maybe look down the clothing aisle, you have to sing.

It seems children give you the confidence to sing within earshot of others or, we simply don’t care what other people think. Let’s face it-if our children were screaming, we’d get enough funny looks!

The singing is an aversion tactic. Just the other day after taking my daughter swimming, I knew that as soon as I produced the brush out of the bag to brush her hair there would be tears so it was twinkle Twinkle Little Star which sprung to my head and the public singing prevented a full-blown tantrum.

I caught a young mum singing to her baby in Tesco’s recently too. She looked embarrassed when she saw that I had heard. “Don’t worry,” I said. “We all do it.” How funny.

The worst situation I had however was last winter when I was wearing a particularly large winter coat.

Elizabeth was smaller and I was singing and talking to her whilst pushing her down the supermarket aisle in the trolly. A man was browsing beans behind me (yes browsing-the luxury) when he started laughing. I turned round and he seemed to look a bit sheepish.

“I’m really sorry,” he said. “I didn’t see your little girl. I thought you were talking to yourself!!”

Oh dear, me.