Distraction offence

Is getting distracted with all its ensuing consequences - usually slightly ridiculous but sometimes almost disastrous - inevitable? Is it something that comes with age or are some of us more pre-disposed towards it than others?

I've long been guilty of not really concentrating on the dull stuff and the scrapes I've got myself into have happened when I've been distracted. There was the time my best friend and I were so busy chatting that, without thinking, when the barrier went up I followed the car in front of me into the underground car park. Yep, it came down on the top of my car. What still makes us giggle is that we both ducked. From then on until I got rid of that car I'd see people glancing at the obvious barrier shaped dent across the roof and knew they were thinking 'how on earth, surely not?'

The sound of the smoke alarm became the regular accompaniment to me cooking when, yet again, I got distracted, usually by a book or music, and forgot all about the saucepan boiling itself into a blackened mess on the hob.

So the last thing someone like me needs is extra help in getting distracted, unfortunately not something the 10-year-old seems to have realised.

Yesterday he chose 7.53am as being the perfect moment to bound into my bedroom, without so much as a 'morning mum' and announce that I absolutely had to hand over £20 on the spot so he could go to Toys"R"us (aka, the pits of hell) with a friend to spend it on a plastic wrestling figure, without which his life would be utterly devoid of any meaning.

When I, unfortunately for him, didn't agree that this was the truly splendid plan he thought it was, he did that noisy flouncing that pre-teens are so good at, told me I was the worst mother EVER and stropped out. All before 8am. Lovely. Just what every parent needs as they're trying to get ready for work.

Consequently I got distracted (although I'm pleased to say I didn't give in on the £20) and the result was turning up at work to discover (after some odd looks from colleagues) that I'd only put make up on one eye. Wonderful.