Katy Hill's working mum diary

As a Blue Peter presenter Katy Hill had her fair share of adventures, but these days she faces tougher challenges - juggling full-time motherhood with a TV career. From Daybreak to day’s end, Katy and husband Trey have their hands full with a five-year-old daughter and toddler son. And there’s not a nanny in sight. This could get messy…

Shoe shopping time

By Katy Hill on 07 Mar 2011 No comments

This week I was getting school uniform in Mothercare, and noticed there was a Clarks concession. Realising I hadn’t had Kaya’s feet measured since last summer, we headed in excitedly. Kaya pounced on a patent pair. She was giddy with excitement at the thought that these beauties could be hers, and just about stratospheric when she realised they had lights in the heel! (I was stratospheric too, till I discovered they switch on and off!)

Excitedly she sat down, and I asked the assistant to measure her, whilst revealing her thick, striped welly socks. 'Clearly we can’t measure with these thick socks on' I said, 'So let's take them off!' ...

'Er no' says the Vicky Pollard assistant who, despite the excitement Kaya was displaying could neither muster a smile, nor care less. 'I need to measure her with socks on' came her monotone response.

'Er… but surely that’s slightly ridiculous' I answered, 'since her welly socks are about ten times the thickness of school socks!'

She truly couldn’t give a... monkeys! Didn’t Clarks maybe think of having a stash of cheap socks for such moments where mothers made un-planned purchases?

'They only give us a £10 annual sock allowance and that’s gone' said 'Vicky', counting the hours till she could go and buy some chips!

'Come on then Kaya, we’ll get your shoes somewhere else' I said angrily, as we put the wellies back on and stormed out of the shop, reeling at the cheek of Clarks, who must clearly be able to afford to supply a few measly pairs of cotton socks for inpromptu moments such as this?

But as my sweet, crushed Kaya said 'I didn’t need new shoes anyway, my old ones are fine', memories of similar moments of deflation from my own childhood came flooding back. What had I achieved by storming out? Who was I making a point to? Vicky clearly couldn’t care less, and I realised I was only spiting myself, and my sweet girl.

Overcome with mummy logic I bought school socks in Mothercare, and headed back to Vicky announcing that my four year old Cinderella WOULD be going to the ball in her patent 'slippers' - with lights fully flashing - if Vicky would kindly get her Pollard finger out and actually do some work by measuring Cinders' feet!

As we left the shop with Kaya clutching her patent dreams to her chest, I felt like the best mum on earth ;-) And when I went to check on her in bed that night and saw the shoes right next to her bed, as close as she could get them without them actually being IN her bed, I knew swallowing my pride was the best thing I’d done that day.

Conversely this week, Akira got his first proper shoes. We went to a sweet local shop where the treatment couldn’t have been more the polar opposite to Clarks. Toys to play with, a very helpful assistant, and a VERY proud one year old who couldn’t stop staring at his feet! Not sure how much that’s going to help his walking!

His walking is coming on great. Although much to daddy’s horror, he’s taken a shine to cousin Aurelia’s pink Fisher Price pushchair! But we’ve been taking it out and about with us to get him more confident with his walking. His Uncle Mac’s a pilot and helpfully put helicopter stickers on to man-it-up a bit, but I’m not sure they do quite enough!

He discovered puddles this week too for the first time, and had the best time leaping in them, like he’d discovered some new forbidden fruit. The leaping was fine - it was his attempts at kneeling in them I wasn’t quite so keen on.

Then I took him to London’s Westfields Shopping Mall and took Aurelia’s pushchair for him to push around. It was too sweet. There was a basketball demonstration and Akira stood proudly showing his 'wheels' to one of the super-tall players!

Then we headed to ELC for him to have a play. It made me laugh to myself how much life has changed these days - that I find myself in one of the best shopping centres in the world, only to spend 30 minutes sitting on the floor of a toy shop!

And obviously of all the toys on offer the ones Akira loved best were those random jelly/rubber things. Totally age inappropriate, totally forbidden and of course - totally adored!!

This week I'm loving

Little-Life Voyager S2 Carrier

I thought family walks were a thing of the past for us until Akira’s old enough to keep up. But I recently discovered the Little-life Voyager S2 which has brought freedom back to this family! Akira toddles for as long as he can (not very) then he gets launched skywards into his carrier and he loves it! We got this one because we wanted to go for maximum comfort - for him and us.

It’s not light with him in it, but then he’s not a light baby. And it is VERY comfortable - for everyone. The design is based on top of the range mountaineering rucksacks and you can totally tell, with its fully adjustable back system, it’s comfort all the way! This model even comes with a sunshade and raincover, insulated bottle pocket, and a removeable rucksack. And just incase I’m wondering what he’s up to, there’s even a mirror in the waistband. They’ve truly thought of everything! This would be PERFECT for all your Easter/Summer holiday needs. And a super efficient and lovely company to deal with ;-)

Littlelife.co.uk