Mum's The Word

Kate's daughter-in-law seemed utterly perfect, so what could Kate have to offer when their first baby arrived?

As the mother of four children, Kate had always considered herself to be a reasonably capable parent, but with her children now all grown up, and the baby years just a dim and distant memory, was she actually qualified to be a grandparent? If only there was a training course she could do...

She'd always secretly hoped that her only daughter, Beth, would be the first in the family to have a baby, because it would surely be easier than juggling the dual roles of mother-in-law and granny. However, as the youngest, Beth had so far shown no interest in having children, leaving such grown-up ideas to her older brothers.

As it turned out, it was Joe's wife, Rachael, who got pregnant first, just a few months after their fairy-tale wedding in Tuscany. The pregnancy had not been planned- Joe had casually told them this, much to Rachael's embarrassment, when they announced their news - but everyone was delighted at the idea of a new baby in the family. As excited as Kate was about the baby's arrival, however, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

"It's been so long since I even held a baby, Dan. What if I've forgotten what to do?" she remarked to her husband.

Dan had smiled, used to his wife's lack of confidence in her own remarkable abilities. "I'm sure babies are pretty much the same as they were twenty years ago, love. They just need fed, changed and cuddled. We can do that."

Kate frowned slightly. "I suppose... but there will be new ways of doing things and Rachael might get annoyed if I try to interfere. I don't want to seem like an overbearing mother-in-law."

Dan laughed and hugged her. "You couldn't possibly be overbearing and you certainly won't be interfering-you'll be helping. Now stop worrying and just enjoy that we're finally getting to be grandparents!"