Would you swap your kids?

OK in case you’re worried this is not the next instalment in my Mum’s Manual. I’ve never actually thought about swapping my kid.  Well not swap exactly. I have on occasion encouraged him to go and spend the weekend with his father when I’ve been aware that if we don’t get a break from each other I might actually find out what a nervous breakdown feels like. That’s about as far as I’ve got.  Of course you know the deal – as soon as he’s on the bus winging his way to his father’s house I start to miss him terribly and can’t wait for him to come home. The emotional roller coaster that is being a mum eh. This, I have recently found myself admitting, is in fact the only roller coaster I am now safe to ride. Real roller coasters and I don’t agree with each other as the following photograph shows.  This is me and my son just after my last and absolutely FINAL roller coaster ride.

It's official I can no longer do the upside down bit and still look human. And yes he was holding me up!

So no I wouldn’t think about seriously swapping my kid but it seems that this swapping thing is catching on. Some families have been struggling with the cost of their kid going to university. As a solution to this – and also to provide kids with the stability of a home life – mum’s are ‘swapping’ their kids with other mum’s whose teenagers are going off to university. I think this is a fantastic idea. For one it cuts down the accommodation costs, with the teenager not paying rent, but maybe providing a contribution to food and house costs. In this economic climate it makes a lot of sense. It also allows kids to get the chance to effectively leave home to study in the university of their choice – particularly important as sometimes this is necessary in order to access their course of choice so staying at home to study frequently isn’t an option.

It used to be that when people went to university the lived at home. Then, in the 1980′s it all changed and young folk were living in mad houses like The Young Ones.  There may have been an element of fun in this new found independence but it also resulted in communities of students, which had the power to change the mix of an area.  There were of course the situations that developed about noise etc, etc.  On the other hand if students are living in such a way that they are more integrated into the community does this not fit more with a model of real life?

So these mum’s who have hatched this wee plan certainly have my support.  If my son chooses to head off to university then I’m all for swapping him with another needy student.  Maybe I could have a girl – I’ve always wanted a daughter after all.  It would certainly be all change.  I wonder if I could cope with a teenage girl around the house, borrowing my straighteners and waltzing in at 1am.

Maybe it wouldn't be that different other than there would be more pink things around - a lot more!

Actually I think I might have to get back to you on this one.  Back to the drawing board eh