So I am a mum of girls. I love them so much and they are always well fed, well dressed and cared for. They never go without. My oldest daughter goes to school on time every day (unless she's sick) homework always done and she attends every single event and excursion etc. I keep the house quite decent, it's not show home clean but you definitely wouldn't walk in and go "Oh yuck". But I'm made to feel like a bad mum because I don't sew or bake...I work at night. During the day I'm usually doing housework, shopping, ,errands etc and don't want to sew or bake on top of that. Just wondering if anyone else like me and doesn't sew or bake either? I do actually sometimes bake stuff but my kids don't usually eat it much anyway.
Also to all you sewing and baking mums, I think you're great! But it's just not my style personally. Definitely not bagging you out. Just hoping I'm not alone.
Is anyone else not a sewing and baking mum?
Is anyone else not a sewing and baking mum?
Posted in:
Parenthood Guilt
28 Replies
Bloody hell! I'm one of only a few mums who knows how to sew.
I ran a dance school and I can guarantee about half the mums couldn't sew at all and about 1/2 of those that could sew it was very very basic.
I like sewing but it's not something all mums can do at all.
PS I definitely don't bake unless it's my sons birthday cake once a year!
Lol that makes me feel better! Honestly I don't even want to learn. I know I wouldn't enjoy it but I just feel so much "mum guilt". I'm a good mum in many other ways, I just can't sew. That's not bad, right?
WTF would you need to know how to sew for?
I can sew Only because I was dancer and we were short on money, so I had to make costumes, because mum hated doing it!
You can pay someone to make costumes or swap for doing something different. My mum used to sew and another mum would clean her house in exchange.
But you can buy clothes in SHOPS. Just like you can buy baked goods
Nope, not alone!!! I can't bake or sew to save myself and I am the daughter of a woman who always baked and is an fantastic sewer/knitter. I hate cooking at the best of times but I do it because we need to eat. I cook good basic meals though, and my boys never complain. I have never baked my son (who is 13) a birthday cake. I am happy to pay someone else to do it. Being a mum doesn't mean you have to be a baker or sewer. Some people love doing that stuff, others don't.
My mum was not a sewer or baker either she was like me a working mum.
But you sound like me! Lol I hate cooking too but I do it because we need to eat and yes it is usually basic stuff but everyone gets fed. I also only have a window of about an hour or so from when my partner comes home to when I work so it needs to be something quick to cook and eat if we want to all eat together.
I have 4 girls. And i do not sew at all. I wouldnt even know how to sew a button on lol. My 2 oldest girls have been taught basic sewing from my mother in law and they think its hilarious i can not sew. I dont mind baking usually cakes but i dont do it often and usually i dont bake anything besides cakes. Come to think of it i dont really know any mothers who do sew and back so you are definetly not alone
Yes my mother in law is the one who makes me feel like poo because I don't sew lol. My own mum can't sew though, I just wasn't raised the same as she raised her kids (my mum is in her 40's, my mother in law is in her 60's so quite a big generation gap)
If she is in her 60s it's more a gevrrationanal thing. They couldn't walk into a shop and buy an outfit you could buy fabric though.
It's not you!
What's funny is people used to sew because clothes were so expensive, it costs more to make most things these days.
I've priced making a few things for my niece and it worked out cheaper to buy made already
The price of fabric alone costs more than a lot of clothes these days!
Just wanted to add in my opinion about sewing clothes being more expensive than buying. Yes it's more expensive than shopping at Kmart/big w/best and less etc but I prefer the homemade look eg Lacey lane. To buy a dress it costs $60+. I can make that exact dress for about $15-20 As well as a pair of shorts (which sell for $40+) whenever my child is wearing 'mummy-made' items she gets so many compliments & I love the sense of accomplishment. Plus I sell them after she's grown out for cost price + a bit extra for more fabric lol and I haven't lost out on anything. Can you tell I'm a sewing mum haha.
Haha. I bought a sewing machine so I could make cool stuff. In 8 years I've hemmed 3 pairs of pants (badly) and altered the straps on a dress (again, quite badly). As for baking. Rarely and often when I do the food goes to waste anyway. Dad is the baker in this house. Biscuits, brownies, cakes, cheesecakes, cupcakes. He's the man.
Wow I'm jealous! My partner refuses to cook nowadays. Last time he cooked he made microwave pies when I had a migraine and begged him to cook and that was probably 7 months or so ago.
He takes half to work, says it's bribery haha. He cooks for himself most nights because he doesn't like most of the food I like so he is well used to navigating the kitchen.
I can bake and sew (I learned from my grandma and from school) I love baking.
However when I worked full time it was very rarely and it was my down time because I find it therapeutic.
Now a days I will bake all the time and sew if I have to.
Not everyone is cut out to do this stuff but they are also very handy skills to have. You save money and it usually has less processed items in them and less preservatives.
If your MIL continues to hassle you over it. Tell her she's free to bake for your children and bring it to them so they don't miss out on the wholesome goodness she wishes them to have.
But remind her gently that you are a career woman and you are too bringing in money to your house hold. And that your family don't starve.
She's old, they tend to start picking on people when they start to become miserable.
I also have plenty of friends that don't bake or sew, I'd never dream about hasseling them about it.
How do you manage to save money by sewing? I find the materials alone more expensive than most clothes these days but I must be looking in the wrong places.
Same here. Only time I sew is costuming and the occasional dress because of my ridiculous boobs. I certainly don't save money
I meant by baking I save money, I only sew ocassionally. If I do choose to sew its usually by getting material from the second hand shop. Ours has plenty of materials and things for sale. At a rather cheap price. I used to turn my jeans into skirts and actually had quite a few girls wanting to know where I brought them. These days I stick to buying clothes and baking. But ocassionally I get the urge to create something with material.
I figured by adding that it has less preservatives etc that people would know it was to do with the baking part of it.
Yeah I had assumed you meant you save money by both sewing and baking.
Haha I sew and I don't know anyone else who does.i have a business now so I don't have enough time to anymore either. as for baking, I only do that when I'm craving some sort of chocolate. Why on earth would anyone make you feel like a bad mum because u don't sew or bake.. so random!
I don't sew and I bake the prepackaged cakes when I'm bored or hungry, just add the milk, egg and beat etc. I hope this makes you feel better ? lol
Yay you're just like me :) only time I bake from scratch is when I'm putting stuff in for a bake sale lol
I don't think I've ever participated in one of those lol see you are better than me!!!
I definitely don't consider myself better because of that lol.
Thanks ladies I definitely feel better now. She thinks my hobbies (which are all dance and sport based) aren't useful because I "don't have anything to show for it" but it helps with my self esteem, keeps me fit and healthy and happy so I think I have a lot to show for it! I know if I asked her to come play a game of netball with me she wouldn't so why should I feel guilty about not wanting to sew?
Point out that you are fit and healthy and that is what you have to show for your hobbies!
OP here, loving all your answers on here and Facebook, thanks ladies you've made me feel much better.
Much love to you all x