We’ve all been there. Before we had kids, we all had a running list in our minds of things we said we would never do as parents. We would see the family out at a restaurant with all their kids on their own tablet so the parents could have a peaceful conversation, or pictures of our friends who were already mother’s on social media holding up their mid-afternoon adult beverage of choice, and instantly tell ourselves, “That will never be me!”
Now that we’re moms, we realize we never should have judged those other moms! Lesson learned, we all know how they feel and we all now know we are in this crazy, exciting, stressful, loving journey together, and we wouldn’t trade it for the world.
With that said, it’s confession time. Here’s what our contributors said were the things they swore they would never do as parents. But guess what – we definitely do:
Erin
- I swore I’d never depend on screens for my sanity. Quarantine has changed me.
Kayse
- Day drinking. I never understood why it was a thing until now.
Chelsea
- Let them sleep in my bed. When you need to sleep, you need to sleep! Climb on in!
Julie
- I swore my kids would eat what I made for a meal or they wouldn’t be eating that meal. It’s laughable now as I take their very specific and different meal orders for 3 meals a day and make my husband and myself a completely different dinner than the kids every night (unless it’s spaghetti, of course).
Annie
- Princesses. I was dead set against them when Ella was born. I’d rather get a nice pair of hiking boots than an expensive outfit so I don’t get “it”. But this kid loves to dress up in everything! The more glitter, pink and the more Princesses the better. I still don’t get it but I see how much she loves it, so she won the princess battle 100%!
Carrie
- Edibles.
- Tablets at dinner.
- Cooking different meals for them than for us.
Autumn
- I wouldn’t let my kids play video games everyday… as I ask my son how I log his sister into that math game again.
Claire
- Say “Because I said so.” Growing up, I absolutely hated this response. While this isn’t my first response, it usually takes a few “why’s” to get there. It’s not my best moment, but the phrase has recently found its place in my vocabulary.
Heather
- I swore I would never become a “short order cook”. But with 4 kids and 2 of them being autistic, I’ve learned to pick my battles. For us, food & texture aversions are an uphill battle. So I made my peace with allowing pickiness when it comes to eating.
We may have changed our rules, but that doesn’t make us bad parents. We all live, learn, and adjust our parenting accordingly.
So, what did you say you’d never do as a parent? Let us know in the comments below!
If you can relate and you’re looking for some mommy friends to bond with, we’d love it if you’d join us in our Facebook group – Lonely Mom’s Club by Ur Basic Mom. We offer support through resources, laughs, and community. Because together, we can get through anything!
