As the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20, and that couldn’t be more true when it comes to parenting. Before having kids, it’s so easy to say, “I’ll never rely on screen time” or “I’ll never bribe my child with candy.” But then reality hits — and suddenly you’re handing over the iPad just to drink your coffee while it’s still hot or offering a lollipop to stave off a tantrum. Turns out, parenting has a funny way of making us eat our words — and honestly, we’ve all been there at least once!
Read on for anecdotes from our parenting community on the things that you swore you’d never do once you had a child…but then ended up resorting to anyway. Our advice: don’t forget to give yourself some grace — and remember, there’s strength in solidarity!
What did you swear you’d never do as a parent, that you’ve done at least once?
“Lie – I told my kids that the President of the United States said we are to celebrate New Year’s Eve now at 8 pm instead of midnight. And they believed me.”
“Preparing a different meal for them when I know they won’t eat what I’m making for myself just so we can have a peaceful dinner”
“Screens 😩 it’s not something we do a lot, but having a 15 month old, working full time as a nurse, being in school, and having a husband who works a lot has humbled me 😅 if we need a half an hour of Sesame Street, so be it”
“Letting them sleep in my bed”
“Let her walk around snacking instead of sitting down at the table. I still don’t like it, but as long as she’s walking (not running) then it’s a win that she’s eating at all.”
“Uttering ‘I’ll give you something to cry about’. I didn’t but just the fact I repeated made me feel like sh*t. Parenting on top of processing the stuff that you endured is rough.”
“Giving them extra screen time because I’m too tired to engage”
“No food in the car” 😂
“Respond like MY mother would” 🤦🏾♀️
“Using Santa as a threat. Probably 5x a day all of December lol”
“I kept trying to answer this one way but the truth is – there are a lot of things. I am learning as I go. Learning all the time. My kids teach me all the time and every time I am becoming a better mom and a better person.”
