Being A Young Mum

Hi everyone,

For this blog post, I decided to get a little personal and to talk about being a young Mum.

(This picture was taken when Jamie was trying to fish whilst using a stick. 😁)

You know what people say, "Parenting is the hardest job you will ever have." This statement is 100% true!

(Jamie meeting a Minion from Despicable Me, when we went to Banff, [Scotland] 🍌)

I was so young when I had Jamie and trying to juggle parenting, work, and also college just seemed so stressful at the time. I had to do everything I could to make sure we had a home, food, and that our bills were paid on time. Going out with Jamie in his pram was tough at times. People thought I was his sister or baby sitter! I would always be polite and tell people that I was his Mum. For some people, this wasn't a good thing. "Oh! You're too young to be this boy's mother!" (Nobody ever asked my age. They just judged me on how I looked.) Other people would ask "Is your husband working today?" When I explained that I wasn't married, people would literally TUT at me! It made me feel ashamed sometimes and other times very anxious. 

(We love visiting Build-A-Bear. The visit shown above was a reward for Jamie when he got 'Star Of The Week' at nursery 🐻⭐)

For most of Jamie's life, I have been a single parent, who had help from family, whilst being at college. Again the negative Nancy's would comment, "You're neglecting him by being at college all the time" or I'd get "You need to work to earn money to feed your child, what is college going to do for you?" (Hmm... give me a better career maybe?)

(Play-Doh was always a great idea when it was raining. Jamie loves playing with his Play-Doh and creating lots of different things. He loved to make Pizza, or snakes the most. 🍕🐍)

The thing is, I would be home every day to take care of Jamie and then the next morning I would go to college and get on with assessments, folio's and work placements and everything else. I couldn't please everyone. I knew deep down that I was doing the right thing. I made sure my son was getting an education and also myself. I worked hard non-stop and had so many late nights because I had taken Jamie out to the park and sometimes this would cut into my "study time". Spending time with Jamie was more important to me because my child will never be that age again and I wanted to enjoy every minute of it. I could always apply for a college but I wouldn't ever get the time with my son back. 

(Jamie brought this home to me one day after nursery and I could have cried. I thought it was just the sweetest gift ever! |I loved it when Jamie would come home from nursery with things that he had made. They had more meaning to something that may have be bought. I still have most of the things that he has made for me over the years 💗)

"It's worth it in the end" I would always tell myself. Jamie kept me going through it all. I knew that I was doing this all for him, for me, for us! I wanted to give us a better life and have a good career and to work hard at the thing I knew that I was good at. I wanted to show Jamie that with hard work and determination, you can do anything. 

("The Dreaded Stairs" Jamie and I call these 😂. Every year, during the summer, Jamie and I always go to Edinburgh. We love the city and there is always so much to do. We love seeing the different street performers during the Edinburgh Fringe. 🌆)

Jamie and I have so many memories that I will cherish forever. I'm kind of glad, in a way, that it was just me and him and that we have so many happy and very funny memories together. 

(Another favourite activity was putting on old clothes and painting outside. Jamie and I love being messy with paint and Jamie loves mixing the colours and seeing what new colours he could make. 🖌)

Being a young mum hasn't really been a bad thing to be honest. It just means I got to meet Jamie a little sooner. Having Jamie has actually taught me a lot. I don't just mean in parenting, I mean just how to be a better person in general. I can now put myself into other people's shoes and imagine how things may be for them. I try my best not to judge other people and to also accept people for who they are as we are all different and beautiful. I looked at life differently and try not to take everything too seriously. 

(This was another time during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I didn't notice at first but we had matching Lacoste shoes on. 👟)

As hard as it is, I have loved being a Mum since day 1. I have this little human being in my life who I wouldn't change for the world. My love for him is just.... I can't put it into words. I just love him so much. I'm sure I'll have more to share about Jamie in the future as he is such as a kind, caring, hilarious, clever, and amazing son. The best one I could have ever wished for. He means the absolute world to me and I feel so blessed to be his Mum. 

Caley 💜