Me, The Protective Mummy Savage

Written by Luca Russell for her Facebook blog, Just Luca.

As I’ve gotten older (and not a bit wiser), I find that there are a lot of things in life that tend to piss me off, maybe more than they should.

You know things like, that person pulling out in front of me when I’m driving, or someone standing very close to me when I’m in a queue, people not saying please or thank you and most of all, people saying anything remotely negative about my child.

I was in the pharmacy the other day, I had Lochlann with me, he was having an off day and was being particularly fussy and whingey. I was standing waiting on my prescriptions and beside me sitting waiting also was an old couple. Now Lochlann was whinging and wriggling in his pram, He wasn’t loud or causing a scene, I clocked the old woman and her husband glaring at my son, then looking at eachother and shaking their heads in disgust.

Well, I saw red, the mummy savage side of me took over and I marched right over to those old twats and I booted them so far up the arse the old lady was launched out of her seat and the old man’s toupet flew off.

That’s a complete lie. I didn’t do any of that. But I’d be a liar if I said the thought didn’t enter my head temporarily.

I was also that person, before Lochlann arrived, anytime I saw a child throw a tantrum, I’d roll my eyes or shake my head and think ‘what an actual brat’, or if a baby was crying I’d think ‘ffs would someone not shove a bottle in that child’s mouth and get them to be quiet’. I was that person, it was incredibly ignorant and naive of me. Those children are someones whole world, and you know what it’s like if someone says anything bad or slags off someone you love, you instantly want to stand up for them and defend them.

I wonder how many mums wanted to knock my bollocks in for rolling my eyes at their kids.

Mumming makes you more loving and caring than you could ever imagine yourself to be, but at the same time, it can also turn you into a savage lioness when it comes to protecting your cubs.

Whilst I realise a couple of old farts rolling their eyes at my child really isn’t that big of a deal, it just goes to show how much anything remotely negative against your child can instantly flick a switch and you want to wreck the person doing so.

With regards to the old couple in the pharmacy, when I caught them glaring, I glared back, it was one big awkward moment, for them. Instantly they put their heads down as soon as eye contact was made with my death stare, and down their heads did stay.

Being a parent is hard enough without having judgement and negativity from other people, even complete fucking strangers who know nothing about you or your life. I know my son won’t always be well behaved when we go out, and when he gets a big bigger no doubt there will be tantrums, but that’s all part and parcel of being a child, and dealing with it is all part and parcel of raising one.

Now, anytime I see a child throwing a wobbler, or a baby screaming, I look on and just smile, and if the mum or dad catches me looking I give a friendly nod to them. My code for “hang in there”.

Children may be annoying at times to the general public, but we all forget that once upon a time we probably threw a wobbler and embarrassed our parents, and we also forget, that one day we could be the parent trying to carry on and cope with a child that’s screaming. Bear that in mind, because if you don’t and you make a remark or give a disgusted look, the mummy savage might just unleash and you could be very sorry!

Let’s give more friendly nods and less judgemental stares.

Just Luca xxx