The parenting books attempt to prepare you for all that being responsible for a brand new human entails. They warn you about growth spurts, teething and sleepless nights.  They talk you through weaning, biting, tantrums and tears.  They then try to tell you that everything will work out and that your precious, vulnerable and often noisy tiny human will fill you with love from the moment they are placed in your exhausted arms.  And they do.  An unending and immeasurable amount of love.

What these books, experts and professionals forget to tell you about is that moment when your baby flies free.  That moment you realise they are ready to find their own way in this beautiful, scary life.  That moment ABBA starts singing inside your head and your baby is slipping through your fingers…  Damn you ABBA.  How do you cope with that?  How do you let go? I wish I knew.

All I know is that we have to, that these tiny humans are their own people.  May be once my youngest reaches this stage it’ll be easier.  I don’t think it will though.  We just need to reassure ourselves that we’ve done our best to equip them with the skills to grow, be happy and find their feet.

I love my children.  They’ll be good adults and in the meantime there’s gin to cope and tissues to dry tears…for all of us.