Today, I decided to spend the afternoon working in our local library, away from the distraction of the Internet, the kettle and the fridge.
Fast forward half an hour and I'm sitting in a coffee shop with a cappuccino in one hand and a copy of Red magazine in the other, and there I stayed for the whole afternoon.
Bliss.
After reading a surprisingly informative piece on pelvic floor exercises, I came across another which was equally engaging - 'Do kids equal happiness' . Here the writer admits, rather bravely, that she was actually happier before she had kids.
Before you gasp in alarm, the article was not saying that having kids had made the writer's life far worse, it was saying that having kids does not necessarily make you happier and highlighted that, at times, life as a parent is not a bed of roses.
And there were a number of points I could relate to.
Let me firstly explain, in case I come across really really badly and you decide you hate me, that my life is, without question, a zillion times better now that I'm a parent. I wasn't happy before, I was quite miserable in fact. I'm definitely happy now, so IJ's arrival has transformed my life for the better and I could not manage without her.
But it hasn't been easy. The first couple of years were particularly tough, but few people I know would admit to finding life as a new parent difficult. And at the time, I certainly kept quiet.
So here's the bit where I'm completely honest.
Naturally, I enjoyed spending time with IJ, but I found the days on my own with her very long and I craved adult company, some days there was none at all. I was happy to play with bricks and soft toys but doing that all day every day became monotonous and at times it felt never-ending. The odd children's programme was okay but most of it I found mind-numbing after a while. I craved the BBC news so that, in some small way, I could feel more connected with the outside world. With no car and little money, I often felt trapped in out four walls and craved to get out.
It didn't last forever of course although some days it felt like it would. As IJ got older and was able to communicate better things started to get easier, and when she started nursery we gained a much needed structure to our day and the chance to meet other people on a more regular basis.
And now things are really good, we're a great team. Life is more balanced and we enjoy the time we spend together.
I am sure I'm not the only mother who was sitting at home feeling lonely and isolated with a very young child. But, as the article says, motherhood is the only job you're not allowed to complain about or dislike. I'd say, complain if you need to, parenting can be tough, and so many people are keeping quiet and struggling on their own, and I don't just mean single parents.
It can be tough for everyone, but thankfully not all the time.