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View Full Version : Never say never!! What are some of the things you SWORE you'd never let your children do before you had children!!



gatorsmom
03-03-2007, 07:38 PM
A topic in the bitching forum gave me this idea. I'll go first. Before I had children I swore I'd never let them watch TV. Maybe occasionally Sesame Street. I swore my kids would learn excellent manners and use them all the time. I said my kids would both learn sign language and use it like little pros. I said my kids would be different and NEVER act up in a grocery store.

The biggest thing I swore was that if I was going to be a SAHM then I'd start a daycare in my house and make some money watching other people's children too. After all, what's the difference between watching 2 and 6???

btw, none of these materialized and i'm constantly reminded to eat my words.

Lisa
Mom to Gator July 2003
And Cha-Cha July 2005

MarisaSF
03-03-2007, 07:52 PM
I never thought I'd let me daughter go out in "magical fairy" dress-up clothes. Now I realize it's often the only way to get her into the car. For now, she's amenable to taking them off when we reach our destinations, but I'm sure there will come a day when she insists on wearing them into a store or school and it just may be a fight I let her win.

bubbaray
03-03-2007, 07:54 PM
I swore upon all that is holy that the evil purple dinosaur (Barney) would never EVER step foot in my house. Guess who stars in DD#1's favorite DVD?!

:(

Agggghhhhh!!!!!!!!!!


Melissa

DD#1: 04/2004

DD#2: 01/2007

maestramommy
03-03-2007, 09:23 PM
1) Dora wouldn't watch any TV before age 2. Yeah right, how practical is that when you visit other people, or when you're preggo, worn out and th toddler is still tugging at your leg.

2) That Dora would east as much organic food as I could get. Again, totally impractical for our household. Esp with all the Asian food.

3) That we weren't cosleepers. I mean, we aren't, but we do occasionally.

4) That she'd never eat junk/fast food before age 5? I think she was less than a year when she had her first fry. And she's had tortilla chips; today my mom gave one to her with DIP. She decided to have chips with her her dip. :P

lizajane
03-03-2007, 09:27 PM
no candy before age 2. schuyler made it to 2. dylan to 18 months.

no barney. period. i am now a fan. (well, i still can't stand how annoying he is... but i like his message.)

i would play and get muddy and be fun mom. instead, i harbored an absessed tooth for over a year and was exhausted and miserable all the time. i finally had it fixed about a month ago. and i am FINALLY a fun mom again!!! but for a LONG time, i was all about some video snuggle time! ;) we are now back to playing in the sand, getting filthy, baking dog treats, learning about nature on hikes in the woods...

karolyp
03-03-2007, 10:23 PM
That I wouldn't have a kid who jumped on furniture or act up in resturants - yeah right!!!

jenjenfirenjen
03-03-2007, 10:55 PM
Liza, I'm so glad to hear you're doing better.

As to the OP's question...I think the only principle I have really caved on is the junk food. DS, who used to eat tofu and broccoli like they were candy, now eats Mickie D's way more than I care to admit.

lizajane
03-03-2007, 11:38 PM
how about eating mcD's in the backseat of the car while watching a video... IN THE DRIVEWAY!!!! that's right. we arrive home and they don't want to get out. they want to hang out and eat and watch tv in the car. and that's right. i let them. i sit up front and flip through catalogues or make phone calls.

table4three
03-04-2007, 12:20 AM
Dream: no tv till after age 2, and then only a few select shows (sesame street, etc).
Reality: I'm pregnant, I'm tired. My son now loves Elmo.

Dream: my kid will eat any kind of food i offer
Reality: yeah, any kind of food i offer of the 20 or so items he'll actually eat. i tried, i really tried. i'm convinced it is genetic (DH has yet to eat brocolli in his life.)

Dream: kids who can walk shouldn't have pacifier!
Reality: yeah right. we finally got rid of it last month.

Dream: I won't we one of those moms who wears a ponytail everyday and looks like "a mom" all the time.
Reality: yeah right. still trying to work on that one.

http://b2.lilypie.com/K-PVm6/.png

dr mom
03-04-2007, 08:59 AM
>Dream: my kid will eat any kind of food i offer
>Reality: yeah, any kind of food i offer of the 20 or so items
>he'll actually eat. i tried, i really tried. i'm convinced
>it is genetic (DH has yet to eat brocolli in his life.)

DS would happily eat wheat germ, fish oil, probiotics, whole grain bread, oatmeal, organic veggies...until he noticed that Daddy won't touch any of those foods (and grimaces horribly when I'm eating them) and suddenly DS is demanding to eat the same cr@ppy junk that Daddy eats. x(

My #1 broken resolution was about not ever giving junk food or candy. Yeah, right. Now it's more like "if you are quiet in the grocery store you can have one candy." Sugary junk foods are like toddler crack, the only motivator that DS responds to 100% of the time. I totally caved. *ducks head in shame*

jadamom
03-04-2007, 09:12 AM
I swore I'd buy all my kids' clothes at Sears. Why spend the money on anything else, right? Hahahahaha!

lizajane
03-04-2007, 11:11 AM
>Dream: kids who can walk shouldn't have pacifier!
>Reality: yeah right. we finally got rid of it last month.
>

bwah ha ha ha!!!

my 2 year old still has a binky. i couldn't care less!!! i laugh how at how i used to sit in judgement...

my ped said, "who cares?" and then she followed it up with, "if you come in here when he is 4 and he still has it, i will laugh at you. i mean, in your face. i will laugh at you." she is a riot. i love her.

kijip
03-04-2007, 08:24 PM
That I would never spend $20 or more on baby or toddler shoes. That he would only have 1-2 pairs of shoes at a time.

ROTFLMAO. Right now, he has a pair of Eccos, 2 pairs of SRs, a pair of Robeez, a pair of See Kai Runs, a pair of Keens and a pair of Elephantens. I think he has exactly 1 pair of shoes that cost less than $20 and that would be his $14 rain boots.

Also, that we would breastfeed for at least a year. Made it to 5 and 1/2 months of combo feeding, never had enough milk.

kijip
03-04-2007, 08:24 PM
That I would never spend $20 or more on baby or toddler shoes. That he would only have 1-2 pairs of shoes at a time.

ROTFLMAO. Right now, he has a pair of Eccos, 2 pairs of SRs, a pair of Robeez, a pair of See Kai Runs, a pair of Keens and a pair of Elephantens. I think he has exactly 1 pair of shoes that cost less than $20 and that would be his $14 rain boots.

Also, that we would breastfeed for at least a year. Made it to 5 and 1/2 months of combo feeding, never had enough milk.

pb&j
03-04-2007, 09:09 PM
Liza, I'm glad to hear you're a fun mom again! :) Sorry about the tooth, but what a relief to have a fixable problem!


-Ry,
mom to Max the one year old
and my girl in heaven

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/37124.gif

pb&j
03-04-2007, 09:09 PM
Liza, I'm glad to hear you're a fun mom again! :) Sorry about the tooth, but what a relief to have a fixable problem!


-Ry,
mom to Max the one year old
and my girl in heaven

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/37124.gif

pb&j
03-04-2007, 09:14 PM
I swore that I'd never have a thumbsucker. Gross, and you can't take it away like you can a binky. DS never took a binky, but found his thumb at 3 mos old. It was the happiest day of my life, and I now looooooove my thumbsucker and think it is the cutest thing ever. Best of all, we always know exactly where Lefty is.


-Ry,
mom to Max the one year old
and my girl in heaven

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/37124.gif

pb&j
03-04-2007, 09:14 PM
I swore that I'd never have a thumbsucker. Gross, and you can't take it away like you can a binky. DS never took a binky, but found his thumb at 3 mos old. It was the happiest day of my life, and I now looooooove my thumbsucker and think it is the cutest thing ever. Best of all, we always know exactly where Lefty is.


-Ry,
mom to Max the one year old
and my girl in heaven

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/37124.gif

mariza
03-05-2007, 08:12 AM
That I would not let them sleep in our bed. DD has slept in her crib since day one and never had an issue with it. At 22 months she figured how to crawl out of the crib (and fall!) so we converted it to daybed mode with safety rail. Now, she wakes up in the middle of the night and joins us and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love how she waits by my side of the bed with arms lifted to be picked up and snuggles like she never wants to let go. I look forward to it every night because during the day she is a wild woman with no time for snuggles!
Mariza
Mommy to my "Thing 1" DD 1/05
and "Thing 2" DS 9/06

chiqanita
03-05-2007, 08:43 AM
They would never eat 'fast food' or junk food.
Made it to 2 before we did either. They love Sonic!

They would learn Spanish and English from the 'git go'.
We're focusing on English these days.

No candy. We're not big into candy or having it in our house.
Both had their first lollipop in January and since have had chocolate and marshmallows a few times.


I'm sure there is more but I don't have the time to write them all down nor do I want to remind myself where I have 'given in'.

boolady
03-05-2007, 09:14 AM
Um, yeah. I wept with joy when DD finally found her thumb around 3 1/2 months (and not without a bit of occasional guidance from mom, hanging head in shame). She's a no paci girl, too, and since the finger and thumb sucking began, is so much happier and more peaceful when she's tired.

Puddy73
03-05-2007, 09:59 AM
I could write a book about this one. I was a much better parent before I actually had kids! My imaginary kids would never:

Run around the grocery store like wild monkeys with snotty noses and dirty clothes. My real kids did this in Kroger just last week.

Watch television before the age of two, even educational shows. In reality, my 3yo DD is a whiz with the DVR remote.

Be stuck at home with boring Mommy and Daddy. My imaginary kids would be out soaking up culture at concerts and festivals and museums. My real kids are stuck at home due to serial naps. DD takes one, DS takes two. Whatever we do needs to be squeezed in between 3:30 and 6:30. Oh, and it needs to be free because two kids are very expensive.

Turn down a chance to sit in Mommy's lap and quietly read books together. DD might do this. DS thinks books are for throwing, eating or destroying.

Be picky eaters or beg for junk food. My real DD has become the great negotiator - "I will eat two carrots, then I will have ice cream, okay Mommy?" My real DS has a crazy sweet tooth. I turned my back on him in the pantry and found him a minute later gnawing on a plastic bag of marshmallows.

Oh well, my real kids are much more fun than my imaginary kids. My imaginary kids would probably get beat up on the playground for being total dorks.


Jennifer
Mommy to Annabelle 9/08/03 & Finn 10/31/05

"If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane." - Jimmy Buffett

pittsburghgirl
03-05-2007, 05:28 PM
My DS wasn't going to watch TV. Yeah, right. And I don't even have the preggo excuse, I just need breaks from him.

My DS also wasn't going to have candy/junk food. Well, we made it past 18 months before his first Halloween experience. Then it was not much, but now it's ridiculous. My family is littered with sweet teeth, though, so I guess I shouldn't have expected otherwise.

Marilee
mommy to James
http://b3.lilypie.com/CSwdm4.png

saschalicks
03-05-2007, 07:08 PM
You see when I was younger I was a much better mommy w/out kids. Then I got older and actually had kids. I was never ever going to be one of those women who said to young girls "you don't have kids, but you'll understand someday." Um said to someone within 6 months of having DS1.

I was never going to give another parent unsolicited advice while pregant. Just did a couple of weeks ago, and I'm so ashamed. Bad Candice, I really do try to curtail it to once a year.

I was never going to change my furniture to make room for toys. Um bought all new furniture in January to make room for toys.

My kids were going to behave and sit still in a restaurant. I didn't realize the amount of bribery that would take.

My kids were not going to eat things they couldn't have in my house, at my parents house. One of the first times my dad baby-sat DS1 after he started eating solids he had cheerios and chocolate for lunch. My dad only got caught b/c he forgot to clean DS1's face.

DrSally
03-05-2007, 08:44 PM
Definitely the no tv before 2. Sometimes it is nice to just chill out and snuggle. I still hold him and we watch tv together though, mostly to make sure I don't lose track of time and have him watching for too long. I did make it until 1 year old though, before really having him watch tv.

After reading so much about child emotional development and attachment, I promised to be present and engaged and responsive to my baby. Well, doesn't happen more than I'd like. There is so much to do around the house, that this is a source of guilt off and on. The guilt is good and bad--it reminds me to stop and just be with him. But, it also makes me feel like a bad mom sometimes. Then, I try to remember that one has to be a "good enough" mother, not doing things right all the time. If the cumulative time I spend responding to his whines, reading, playing, etc, adds up to more than the other times that I have to tend to things and put him off, then we should be good.

I just saw this quote recently, "The thing she learned was that there is no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good mother".

ETA: Uh, sorry about the BIG image, I guess I goofed when I tried to put it in my signature.