Cherish your cherubs interview: Cat from Wouldn't It Be Loverly

The lovely Cat, like myself, was born a book geek and harbours dreams of being the next JK Rowling. She loves pretty things - especially shoes and homewares and Cat also loves yummy food and is passionate about cooking for her little family. I love to see her pictures of cooking with her kids on Instagram. Cat also loves getting her craft on and has a little shop on etsy selling her wares. She is one talented Mum and I love chatting to her on twitter about motherhood. Here is how Cat cherishes her cherubs....

1.Tell us a little about yourself as a mother.
I'm 37 and am truly blessed to have two boys, one 3 and a half the other (now) 8 months old. I was never one of those people who felt a strong pull towards motherhood though I knew I wanted to have children. I really wanted to be a Mama to girls more than anything though and when I was initially told (incorrectly) that my first baby was a girl at our ultrasound I was so, so happy BUT I now know that having a boy has been a wonderful experience.

My husband and I always said we'd we take it "one baby at a time" so we never had a set number of children in mind. After the quite traumatic birth of our second son though I'm not able to have any more children. The choice being taken away from us is still something we are coming to peace with.

2.What is your favourite part about being a mother?
I love so much about being a Mama - the thing that's been most unexpected though is the way in which I'm able to learn so much more about life in viewing it through the eyes of my children. That's a really special gift. My 3 and a half year old is a particularly curious (and more than slightly precocious) little one and his infectious zest for life has brought me so much joy. I think I'd lost the ability to have that much fun and be a bit silly.

3. Who inspires you as a mother? 
My own Mum who struggled to do most of her parenting on her own is a particular inspiration. She was consistent, strong in discipline but always loving and kind too. That's a tough mix to get right.

4. Why do you think it is important to cherish your children? 
I truly believe that as a Mama my job is to give my children a really strong foundation - they should always go through life knowing that they are truly loved for who they are. It's this strong foundation that I think will get them through the tough times that they will experience in 10, 20 and 50 years time.

5. What do you do to show your children you cherish them? 
In my opinion, there's no substitute for lots and lots of cuddles and spending time together. We do a lot together as a family and the one-on-one time we spend with each of our children is focused.

6. What do you hope your children feel or learn from you cherishing them? 
I know some experts think we are raising children too full of confidence but I think that there is a fine line between raising children who have great self esteem and children who think they're entitled to be treated like royalty. I hope that my boys know that they are cherished for who they are even when I don't like some of how they behave.

7. What is your favourite activity to do with your children and how does it help you to cherish them? 
I love cooking, crafting and reading with my 3 and a half year old though we do all kinds of things together. It gives us time to "chat" along the way too and that leaves room for all manner of questions. My husband does different things with him, like gardening and taking him on outings to the airport where they can share their love of planes.

8. How do you make time for your children in your schedule? 
Since having children I've taken a different path in my career that means I'm at home with my children a lot more. I have also taught my boys to know that I get my chores, including cooking, in the morning so they have learned to play whilst I get my jobs done. I also do my paid work and the crafts I sell in the evening when the boys are in bed. This frees me up to be available as much as I can be for the boys. My husband tries to come home every night for bed time and it's lovely to watch them together during the wind down from the day.

9. How does it make you feel as a mother when you know you are cherishing your children? 
For me, knowing that my boys are cherished is what sustains me as a Mama and is at the heart of my parenting "style" (I don't really have a style to be honest). When I tuck myself in to bed at night I know that even if it hasn't been the best day for us, my boys know that they are cherished and loved.

10. What advice would you give to other Mums about cherishing children? 
Don't pressure yourself to be perfect. Some days are absolute shockers but look at the big picture....it's important that your children know you love them and accept them for who they are.

Thank you Cat. You can read more from Cat on her blog, Wouldn't it be Loverly and also check out her talents on Etsy and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter. I hope you are enjoying these interviews :)