Sonny Jim has been proper under the weather this week. Snuffling and spluttering and not exactly sleeping.

It’s coincided with my husband doing his back in.

And to be honest, I’m not sure who has felt the most sorry for themselves. The little dude has even – between sneezes – started doing a bit of an impression of his daddy’s back-related groans.

But anyway. When your toddler is poorly, in the winter, you kind of end up housebound. You can’t really take them to playgroups and share the germs around. It’s not fair to take them to their usual classes or soft play when their nose will. Not. Stop. Running. And when it keeps on raining you can’t even take them for a walk. Or to the park.

It’s easy to end up with cabin fever. Especially when the only way they will stay asleep for a nap in the day is lying on top of you. Otherwise their cough will wake them up every seven minutes (yes, I did time it.)

And when you’re a little drained by the constant need for you to make it better (though all you can offer is more cuddles and a dose of Calpol here and there) it’s easy to be harder on yourself.

You can’t help but groan to yourself as you see your toddler sit up in his cot and cry in the middle of the night. Again. And then, as you lay on the nursery floor, holding your tot’s hand as he drifts into fitful sleep, you start comparing yourself to the perfect mums your imagination can’t help but conjure up. Ones that won’t sit for an hour curled up with their child watching baby TV. Ones that have wonderful homemade remedies that would clear that cough up in a jiffy.

I’m sure I’m not the only mummy doing this as colds do their winter rounds among our little ones. So this is my reminder to you – and myself – that it’s okay not to feel #blessed 24/7. And that perfect mother? She’s just a figment of your imagination.