When did you have the moment

[Anonymous]

Mine is a little sad, but when I found myself wanting to spank my daughter. I was spanked/beaten as a child, and I always swore to myself I wouldn't do it. I still believe in not spanking, and I have stuck to my decision, however, I do understand my mother better. She was 24 years old with 2 kids under 3 and no tools to handle parenting challenges. I have so much information at my fingertips today, and yet I still have moments when I don't know what to do. I can only imagine what it was like for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everything. I always knew I would want to be the mother that my mom is/was. I can only hope to be half the woman she is and I know my DH feels the same way about his mother.

Thank you. this is one of the few times I have ever read something poiostuve about one's mother and not blaming for everything that is wrong with their lives.

[Anonymous]

When I went off to college...and then ever since then. Makes me really appreciate her

[Anonymous]

My mom used to ask me to call her when I got somewhere (travel, not daily stuff), even after college and I was very annoyed with her "I'm an adult, what the..." Well now that I'm a parent I can't imagine how hard it will be not knowing where your kids are and how nice it will be to get a "hey mom, I'm safe" call here and there.

[Anonymous]

When my son was just born I realized that even though my mom was not perfect, she did her best. I realized that we are given these bundles of babies and are set off on our own to try our best. After my son was born I had so much respect for my mom, we became very close after that for the very first time. It stuck me that I NEVER knew who my mom was as a person until I became a mom myself. I is amazing someone can be your mom for 30 years and have no clue who that person really is. I then realized being a mom is a thankless job and that my sons may never know how much I love them and want them to have the most amazing and happy life and that everything I do is for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my son was just born I realized that even though my mom was not perfect, she did her best. I realized that we are given these bundles of babies and are set off on our own to try our best. After my son was born I had so much respect for my mom, we became very close after that for the very first time. It stuck me that I NEVER knew who my mom was as a person until I became a mom myself. I is amazing someone can be your mom for 30 years and have no clue who that person really is. I then realized being a mom is a thankless job and that my sons may never know how much I love them and want them to have the most amazing and happy life and that everything I do is for them.

I guess the reason I never felt this way is because we were raised by live-in nannies. When I had my DD my mother would give unsolicited advice all the time and I would get annoyed because she never actually had to deal with a new born. We wore cloth diapers and you can bet she never had to wash a diaper in her life. My sister and I are a year apart and when she was born, we had two live in nannies and were formula fed. My parents always used to tell me how attached I was to one particular nanny. Growing up I never felt close to my mother and always felt that we were an inconvenience to her so no, I don't think I will ever have "the moment".

[Anonymous]

When I got pregnant and my DH turned to me and said something about the first time he will have a drink with his son and I screamed "not until he is 21, it is illegal to drink before that." I had a fake id. I drank in high school. Ugh, I realized that moment that I had turned into my mom.

I realized that I was probably worse than my mom when I told her how I bought a Baby B'Air to fly with my baby on my lap home. She pretty much thought I was insane for worrying about turbulence. She thinks I go a little over-the-top in making sure that everything is done the right way and no corners are cut. I am much more willing to sacrifice convenience, cost and sleep than she was!

My siblings and I were horrible children, little devils, so I know she is waiting for her karma moment and I am fully expecting it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom used to ask me to call her when I got somewhere (travel, not daily stuff), even after college and I was very annoyed with her "I'm an adult, what the..." Well now that I'm a parent I can't imagine how hard it will be not knowing where your kids are and how nice it will be to get a "hey mom, I'm safe" call here and there.

So true. When I was in college I went to Europe one summer backpacking by myself with just a Eurail pass and no itinerary. My mom was always so frugal that I didn't call home until two weeks into my trip for fear that she wouldn't want me spending money on a long distance phone call. Needless to say, she was so relieved to finally hear from me!

[aprilmayjune]

I agree with all of the pp's who said that it hasn't happened yet.. My daughter's almost 2, but it's more the opposite.. I disagree with a lot of the decisions that my parents made.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:when my daughter hit the terrible twos a few months ago, at about 18 months. holy cow. my parents used to tell me what a strong-willed, willful, stubborn kid I was. My dad recently spent time with my daughter and turned to me and said, "um, she's exactly like you were. welcome to OUR world." Apparently karma is, in fact, a bitch.

My mom's version of this is to call my DD "payback"!