anyone have a crappy parenting moment?

[Anonymous]

I know this has probably been done before, but tonight I'm feeling like a shitty-ass parent.. so I'm hoping hearing some other stories might make me feel a little less like the worse parent in the world..

My story: My daughter turned 3 yesterday.. and I've been telling myself for MONTHS that my daughter is too big to still be using our changing table and that I need to get rid of it and stop using it.. BUT I've still been using it... and today, I was completely careless.. I was changing my daughter into pajamas... and I had something in the dryer (we live in a small apartment) so I ran to grab it, and in the 30 seconds I ran to grab it, my daughter tried to jump off of her table, and hurt her hand.. not badly, but she was really upset..

Please, I am really beating myself up, and I know that I fully deserve to be flamed for this, but I honestly don't need it.. there's nothing you can tell me that I haven't thought myself already..

Anyone else have a story to share? Please?


Also -- I AM GETTING RID OF IT TOMORROW FIRST THING.

OK, share away... or flame me..

[Anonymous]

When my daughter was the same age she fell ... out of a second-story window. Landed on the grass a few inches from the concrete. Had a small hip fracture she recovered from within a week. I had the couch next to the window. It had been there her entire life. She'd never tried to climb up there before. I was two feet away -- it happened too quickly.

[Anonymous]

OP here, I've been a serious wreck since that happened... I have gone to check her hand and wrist twice since she went to bed to make sure it isn't swollen.. (Thank goodness no swelling and she seems to be feeling better other than very tired..) 00:23 thank you so much for answering.. That must have been completely terrifying for you.. I can't even imagine... My daughter was only about three feet off the ground.. I'm sorry that happened..

[Anonymous]

When my son was 15m I was unloading the dishwasher at my mom's house, my mother was on the phone talking to her brother beside me, and my daughter called me to help her wipe her bottom in the bathroom. I asked my mother to watch him for a sec. while I helped her in the bathroom. My mother nodded okay to me. A minute later I walk back into the kitchen and see my mom still talking on the phone and my son holding a butcher knife. I made a noise of cry/scream/gasp and I scared him. So he dropped the knife beside his little toes and started screaming. I ran and picked him up checking his fingers, hands, toes. And got into a huge fight with my mother.
I felt very lucky but horriable. I should of closed the dishwasher all the way. I should have picked him up and taken him with me. So many things could have gone wrong.
No matter how hard we try we are only human and make mistakes. Some times we are lucky and some times we aren't.

[Anonymous]

2:05 I had a similar experience. I didn't realize the dishwasher was open (not clicked all the way shut) and I left the room and came back and there's my daughter holding a huge knife in her hand. I almost had a heart attack but somehow remained very calm and calmly asked her to hand it to me. Scared the shit out of me. That was a danger I just didn't think about.

[Anonymous]

Do I have A crappy parenting moment? If I limit myself to just one a week, I feel pretty good about myself. Not all involve injuries, but some do. Hindsight is 20-20, after all. Don't beat yourself up about it, and just focus on what to do differently.

[Anonymous]

Many crappy moments. Don't dwell on it. My shrink says to live in the moment: try to do only what you can do at this very moment (no looking back and no looking forward). This advice has kept me steady in many a crappy parenting moment.

[Anonymous]

I am way too inpatient with my child. Injuries, knock on wood, have been limited but I am constantly working on my patience, frustration level, etc.

I have a bad parenting moment (again, not a safey-related one) a couple times a week. It is something I'm constantly working on and trying to improve myself on. I had no idea what a work in progress being a parent would be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am way too inpatient with my child. Injuries, knock on wood, have been limited but I am constantly working on my patience, frustration level, etc.

I have a bad parenting moment (again, not a safey-related one) a couple times a week. It is something I'm constantly working on and trying to improve myself on. I had no idea what a work in progress being a parent would be.

Oh thank you, PP. I feel the exact same way.

[Anonymous]

Yes, pretty much weekly.

I'm human and I make lots of mistakes and I try to learn from them. Sometimes I'm successful and sometimes I'm not.

[Anonymous]

yes, this morning, my 20 month old bit me (it is an occasional problem that we are working on) and I screamed at him and he burst into tears.

[Anonymous]

Yes, of course. I try to rotate my crappy moments for each kid, so one doesn't get all of it.

Last night's example: My 8 year old was scared to go to bed (really just over tired). I calmly walked him to his room, sat with him and kept lights on. After becoming more and more freaked out and shutting out any type of reasoning I lost it. "The lights are on, the door is open, I'm right here - now GET OVER IT!" Thankfully, my husband took over. I went the the kitchen, poured a glass of wine and then went to the front porch to cool off.

I will do better today.

[Anonymous]

Is it because I have a boy, OP? I don't see that you did anything so horrible. I assume you've warned her in the past not to wiggle, that she might fall. She fell. Oops! Mommy warned you. Did you bonk your head? Bonk, bonk. Time to get ready for school. Let's go.

I transitioned DS to a twin bed somewhere between 15-18 months. Sure he fell out a few times (maybe four?) then he figured it out. All good.

[Anonymous]

I was right behind my two year old going down the stairs last week. I should have been right next to him or in front of him, holding his hand or at least ready to steady him. I wasn't. He very nearly fell but managed to catch his balance. It scared the crap out of me.

[Anonymous]

When my son was toddler, he not once, but TWICE, was on a stool near me by the sink and grabbed a knife (from the drying rack) and was swinging it around. I think the second time he asked me if it was sharp. I was close, but not close enough that I didn't realize in the few seconds it took me to get to him, he could have stabbed himself in the face by accident. And yes, I let it happen twice (I put the knives further away and didn't realize his arms got longer).

I'm sure there are tons and tons more of examples.