How Not to Be a Perfect Mother

WHICH ARE YOU?

Perfect mothers

smile serenely

run immaculate homes

make nappies into kites

read books on Child Development

never raise their voices

Real mothers

have food on their jumpers

never finish anything

limp from treading on Sticklebricks

read romantic novels on the quiet

squeak with exhaustion

With sparkling humour and a low cunning born of four years spent catching food before it hits the floor, Libby Purves shows that even the most unpromising madonna can survive the years of looking after babies and toddlers.
Full of down-to-earth tips and hilarious anecdotes, this is a battle-manual for the mother on the front line – going from pregnancy to pre-schoolers, and taking in sibling fights, fraught outings, nannies and careers along the way.

Drawing on her own experience of domestic havoc with two babies, and on the wit and wisdom of fifty like-minded mothers, Libby Purves shamelessly describes how to cut the corners and bend the rules which never mattered much anyway. 'How Not to Be a Perfect Mother' is an invaluable guide to being an imperfect mother and enjoying it.