Feeling Frazzled? Motherland Will Make You Feel Better About Mum Life

I’m actually jealous of people that haven’t watched Motherland yet because they’re in for such a treat. Having said that, I've watched the episodes over and over; even though I know what’s coming I still find myself laughing out loud! I also switch between the character that I sympathise with the most, depending on my mood that day. 

So, if you’re wondering what on earth Motherland is and if you want to take a trip there, here’s an introduction to the BBC comedy series.

Motherland stars Anna Maxwell Martin as Julia, Diane Morgan as Liz, Lucy Punch as Amanda, Paul Ready as Kevin, Irish actress Philipa Dunne as Anne, and Tanya Moodie as Meg. Series one and two are on Netflix, but series three is still only on BBC; no doubt Netflix will get that too eventually.

All of the parents featured are hilarious in their own right and have their own challenges when it comes to keeping their sh*t together. Julia finds motherhood a struggle and can’t understand why she can’t "have it all"; Meg is the mum who seemingly does "have it all"; Liz is more carefree, but has an unsupportive ex-husband to contend with; Amanda appears to be perfect but the cracks soon start to show; Kevin wants to be the world’s number one dad and gets upset when he’s not taken seriously; while Anne wants to be Amanda’s BFF but gets fed up when she’s walked all over.

My mum friends and I regularly discuss the show and everyone I speak to has a huge appreciation of it. We also like to chat about which characters and scenes we can relate to the most, and sometimes it’s very surprising.

My best friend loves Liz because of her no-nonsense, unflappable attitude; who can forget when she calmly tapes up her hand and orders a cab after slicing her finger off trying to cut frozen cheese. I can definitely see myself in Anne and how neurotic she is about everything, including trick-or-treating. Trying to count all the kids to make sure no one has wandered off and carefully inspecting all the goodies they’ve been given is something I could well be guilty of.

All the children attend the same school and subsequently, the adults know each other from the school drop-offs and pick-ups. From birthday parties to school fundraisers, there’s always a get together on the cards and what unfolds makes for hilarious viewing.

While I love the sitcom Friends for sending me off to sleep feeling super relaxed and happy, I love dipping into Motherland during the day when I’m feeling frazzled. Regardless of what crazy antics my kids are getting up to, I couldn’t be as stressed as Julia trying to get ready for an important work event after falling into the swimming pool or when she finds out her in-laws are coming to stay to "help" with the kids.

The great news is that Christmas has come early for me because I’ve just realised there’s a Christmas special that I haven’t seen yet – cheers to that!

Jennie Dennehy

Jennie Dennehy is Mama to two gorgeous boys and is a Writer and Blogger. Her life is full of laughs and Lego and she’s always longing for a hot, frothy coffee.

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