I Don't Know How She Does It

I read the book (now film) of the title of this post and found it wildly irritating. Why? Too many reasons to enumerate here, but mostly because - unlike most working mothers - the main character had a high-flying job, a devoted and uncomplaining spouse (most of us aren't married to martyrs), etc, etc. Many of us have the same pressures without any of the glamour. I thought the title should have been I Don't Know Why She Does It.

Anyway ... Kid 2 bounded up to my desk at 7.45 this morning and said 'Will you make jam tarts for me to take to school today?'. As I hastily made, rolled and cut pastry, I remembered the opening scene of this book, where the woman is bashing store-bought mince pies to make them look like she's baked them herself ...

Obviously, I should have said no. I'm rather good at the 'No' word when it comes to stuff, but not so resolute when they want me to do and/or make things with/for them. Kid 2 tromped off to school happily clutching a couple of dozen still warm jam tarts. I went back to my desk to prepare for a mid-morning meeting in the city. But hey, if I achieve nothing else today, I made a 10-year-old happy. That's got to be worth a little bit of frazzlement (I know it's not a word).