Today we all had to be out of the house by 8.30am. Daddy had an important business meeting and I was taking all three children out to a local Baby and Toddler group. We managed to be out without too much fuss by 8.45am. But getting home was a whole different story!

Because we all had such an early start when I returned to the house in time for lunch I found: the highchairs still dirty from breakfast, the kitchen littered with breakfast things and snack preparations, pyjamas all over the lounge floor and even a wet nappy that had not made it to the bin before we headed out the door. The playroom was a mess from early morning activities and it was all basically chaos.

Add to this two tired, hungry toddlers and a hungry baby and things were soon spiralling out of control as I tried to get us into a situation where we could all enjoy some food.

I have been a mother for two years and two months now. I have three children and I am still not getting it right. I still do not feel confident and apparently I am not alone.

New research reveals that it takes up to two years to get the hang of motherhood.

Munchkin assesses how parents think and feel when baby arrives

Feeling overwhelmed, nervous and scared are the overriding emotions today’s parents feel when they’ve had a baby. In a new survey of 2,000 UK parents by Munchkin to celebrate the launch of the new Click Lock™ range of cups, the international baby brand polled parents and confirmed it can take them up to two years s to get to grips with parenthood, with 58% of mothers fearing they would never get to grips with it. It’s not just mum worrying about herself either, with two thirds stating it takes dad a long time to adjust to their new role.

Even before the birth over half of respondents said they felt scared and just under half felt nervous about the impending arrival showing that this worry for parents starts long before baby is born.

The report showed that nearly two thirds of mums said that they didn’t feel they could confide in anyone if they didn’t feel it had all clicked into place with the most popular response stating that they thought it was something that everyone felt and they didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. If mums did turn to someone it was more than likely their own mum, with 5% asking their mother-in-law.

Top Ten things that mums felt had to be mastered before things clicked in to place
• Being in a good routine
• Knowing what to do when baby is crying
• Not worried about dealing with baby in public
• Not panicking when baby is poorly
• Leaving the house with a spare change of clothes
• Being able to change a nappy quickly
• Having baby sleeping through the night
• Leaving the house with milk/food and snacks
• Always having a toy to entertain baby with
• Being able to leave the house on time

But many parents admitted that their worry was a regret and that they should have enjoyed the experience more. Two thirds admitted they wished they has been more calm and relaxed and less worried.

Claire Rayner, Munchkin spokeswoman says “It’s expected that all new parents will feel emotional and overwhelmed after the birth of their child but it’s surprising that it takes up to 2 years for mums to feel that everything had clicked into place.

“It seems that mums feel that they need to have a number of tools in place before they feel fully confident in their role as a parent.”

“At Munchkin we develop products to make life easier for parents and our new range of Click Lock™ cups have a clear audible click when the cup is sealed so that on top of everything else mums have to worry about, spillages and leakage from our cups isn’t one of them.”

Sometimes things in life just click and this is never more true than with the brand new Click Lock™ Cup range from Munchkin! With over 20 years experience, Munchkin, the award-winning international baby brand , is thrilled to launch the brand new Click Lock™ cup range, one of the most innovative and exciting range of cups parents will find on the market today.

The Click Lock™ range features ‘ click’ to lock technology providing a leak proof guarantee, , so drop, throw or tip upside down, no liquid will come out. The cups could not be simpler to use, simply turn the lid until it ‘clicks’ in to place providing parents with an auditory reassurance that the cup is completely sealed. What’s more, the range, just like all Munchkin products, is fun, vibrant and practical, making parents lives that little bit easier .The Click Lock™ cup range starts at £3.99 and for more information log on to www.munchkin.eu.com.

Parents worldwide are choosing Munchkin products because they really do excite and delight, making life easier for today’s busy parents, and having sold over 55 million cups worldwide to date Munchkin know what makes a good cup!

Each item from Munchkin has been designed to excite and delight children whilst making parents lives easier and more enjoyable. The full collection includes a range of colourful and clever bathing, feeding and hygiene products. To see more of the fantastic range and for full stockist details log on to: www.munchkin.eu.com or like the Munchkin Facebook page or follow them on Twitter.

I agree with Munchkin that preparation is key. To go to Toddler Group today I had four bags packed to take with us. A general change bag with nappies and wipes etc; a wet weather gear bag with coats, puddle suits and wellies, a spare kit bag with spare clothes for everyone and a snack bag which included our Click Lock cups. We have a full review of these coming up on the blog very soon.

I find that being prepared for anything helps me to cope with everything. At least that is what I tell myself. But I do worry all the time that I am not doing things right. The key is to be confident and not care what others may think. And if Munchkin are right then everyone is too busy worrying about themselves to worry what I might be doing. Phew!

All quoted text was provided by Azaria PR