EXTRACTS FROM THE YUMMY MUMMY'S FAMILY HANDBOOK

THE LANDING

WHOSE LIFE IS THIS ANYWAY: When you have a little wobble.

Even the most seasoned family member can have a wobble every so often. Wobbles can manifest themselves in many ways, but the most common seem to be a prolonged bad mood, inexplicable episodes of crying or a slightly panicky feeling of being trapped and unable to breathe freely.

If you have ever asked yourself what you are doing here, in this house, with this life that you never expected to happen so fast and so full-on, whether you will manage to stick it out through thick and thin, and if anyone would really notice if you were to run down the road very, very fast and not come back, then you need to take a break right here on the landing and read a few things.

First off, you are not alone at all. Creating a family and trying to make it work is the biggest challenge you could ever have undertaken. It's not like running a marathon or trying to knit non-stop for twenty-four hours, because, however embarrassing and defeatist this would be, you could, if you really wanted to, just stop, and nobody - apart from you - would care that much. With a family it doesn't work like that at all: once it's there it's there , in whatever constantly changing form it takes, and there's no going back - ever. Even if you do run away with somebody else or throw in your apron and decide to live alone in Antarctica for the rest of your life, your family is still there, and you will know it. Your children, your partner, your children's children, your house, your in-laws and any pets you may have accumulated with time will all be affected by your actions too...

...This is when an understanding friend, a gin and tonic and a very good cry can all help. Remember:

You are not a failure. Talk to three good friends and ask if they have every felt anything similar. The one who says 'no way' is lying. Seriously, it's as normal as ingrown hairs to want a break from family life every so often. Not to have any needs or desires outside the family home would make you pretty dull.

Take a break. If you really feel that you need to have a break from your commitment as matriarch, then try to arrange to go away with a friend for a few days, do something silly but fun, go and see a film by yourself or do anything else that makes you feel more you, and less everybody else's.

Don't do anything rash. If you feel a wobble coming on, don't make for the nearest train station and buy a one-way ticket to Paris . Paris is lovely and everything, but your family are here, and they need you. Be calm, have your wobble, and wait to get over it in a few days, or weeks at a push...