Here is my list of things I said I would never do as a parent:
1. I will never co-sleep. I used to think co-sleeping would prevent me from sleeping. The truth is sometimes I co-slept to actually get sleep.
2. I will not breastfeed my babies to sleep. At the beginning, was there any other way?
3. I will not use candy and other treats as a bribe.
4. There will not be a DVD player in the car. O.k. we can get a DVD player for the car, but only for long car trips. Is a ten minute drive considered a long car trip?
5. My daughter's hair will be impeccable when we leave the house and she will wear all sorts of cute barrettes and ribbons. I had not met my daughter when this grand idea flitted through my head.
6. I will not use rewards or time outs in my parenting and I will follow Alfie Kohn's Unconditional Parenting to the letter.
7. I will not be a short order cook and make different meals than the one we are eating.
8. I will not get sucked into the abyss of talking exclusively about my kids. While on maternity leave, I found this difficult because I had nothing else to talk about.
9. My children will not wear their pajamas out of the house.
10. I will not say, "because I said so" in response to the question, "why?"
What's on your list?
I am definitely with you on 7 & 8!
ReplyDeleteI have embraced 'Because I said so" it is a privilege earned by those mad enough to have kids :) great list Lisa, you are my kinda gal!
ReplyDeleteBecause I said so... The truth is sometimes it just feels good to say it.
ReplyDeleteI would be out with friends and realize I had been talking about my kids for 20 minutes straight. I needed to just close my mouth.
ReplyDeleteI was so excited to have a girl after our firstborn son. I would put pretty bows, clips etc, in her hair and she'd wear pretty polka dot dresses. Reality: she was almost completely bald for the first 2 years, and when she finally got some hair: she fell and cut her head open, which required stitches......and I had to cut her hair really short.
ReplyDeleteoh, and she's a complete tomboy. So, even when you have the best intentions...never finds a way.
My daughter is going through the long and flowing stage which essentially means don't brush it and don't put anything in it.
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha the "because I said so".... Its the only time in life you really get to use it right!?
ReplyDeleteDVD Player in the car! I scoffed at people who had them, and guess who has one now and tells every parent them MUST have one too? That would be me of course. They really are awesome for long trips. How did parents survive without them? I totally eat me words there.
ReplyDeleteLOL, some of these things are STILL on my list of no-nos, but only because we haven't gotten to that stage yet! :)
ReplyDeleteGuilty of all of the above!
ReplyDelete#5- why is this??? Sienna owns a lot of lovely outfits and hair bobbles, yet she insists on wearing mismatched clothing of the rattiest variety, with straggly hair and cowlick chaos? I can only shake my head and let others know she is her own stylist, lol!