What didn't you understand until you were a parent and now you do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How little parenting goes on... they are a sleep and then they are asleep then they sleep. They sleep 1/2 the waking hours and most of the night.

Then when they are toddlers... they eat, play a little then sleep, then eat, play a little then sleep.

Once they are old enough to not be sleeping alllllll theeee timmmme, they are in school.

Uh what? I feel like all I do is parent. Do you have good sleepers who also play independently? Mine don't sleep and want me all the time -- "mommymommymommymommy" Now that they're in school it's "mom, watch this!" "Mom, I need ...." or "Mom, I have a question...do bugs lsleep?"

Even then they're not doing that, I'm constantly thinking about parenting: keeping on eye on academics, social issues, the doctor's appt I need to schedule, camps, buying new clothes....so much to think about!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That so many adults are really childish. And that we have very high expectations of children but not of adults.

x10000

Agreed. I actually think this is the thing I remind myself most of on a daily basis. We expect so much of them. To go quickly, to not dawdle, to follow directions, to learn, to go with the flow, to be so restricted in choice.

I find myself trying to stop myself from doing that many times a day. They are little and literally marveling at the world around them. I do think it is dumb and boring to flush the potty but it is literally miraculous and fascinating to my son. I shouldn't speed him through it all every time!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That so many adults are really childish. And that we have very high expectations of children but not of adults.

OMG! This! Also, how they are born with their own personality. They have their personal character from the first second. I was somehow expecting a blank slate that I would populate with my wonderful upbringing. Ha ha ha!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm further down the chain (HS kids) and it's cliche to say kids grow up so fast, but they really do once they hit a certain age. Time goes on warp speed once the kid hits sixth grade. Buckle up. Before you know it, they are in 10th grade signing up for driver's ed and college looms on the horizon. 6th-10th grade goes by in the blink of an eye!

0-10 years old flew by at speed of lightning for me. Can not believe grades 6-10 will go even faster

[Anonymous]

Before kids, I remember judging the heck out of my BIL and SIL on their DD’s fourth birthday. She refused to go to soccer practice that morning because she was so exited for her party that afternoon. I remember DH and I snarking that if she were our kid, we would have cancelled the party because she wouldn’t go to practice.

I cringe every time I think of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How little parenting goes on... they are a sleep and then they are asleep then they sleep. They sleep 1/2 the waking hours and most of the night.

Then when they are toddlers... they eat, play a little then sleep, then eat, play a little then sleep.

Once they are old enough to not be sleeping alllllll theeee timmmme, they are in school.

Uh what? I feel like all I do is parent. Do you have good sleepers who also play independently? Mine don't sleep and want me all the time -- "mommymommymommymommy" Now that they're in school it's "mom, watch this!" "Mom, I need ...." or "Mom, I have a question...do bugs lsleep?"

Even then they're not doing that, I'm constantly thinking about parenting: keeping on eye on academics, social issues, the doctor's appt I need to schedule, camps, buying new clothes....so much to think about!

Mommy watch me.. yes all day at the pool but I don't think that is parenting. I'm sitting at a pool and I am looking at a kid. Its a whole lot of sitting doing nothing.

I had 1 great sleeper and 1 super active kid. Maybe I live in a great neighborhood where there are tons of kids so the kids play with other kids most of the time.

So I am sitting on a bench at a park, or im sitting at a pool, or im sitting in a living room making sure nothing is broken.

But really before pre-school they slept from 9-11 and then again 2-4.

then preschool wake and eat, school is 9-1, home, eat, nap till 4. Go out to play with friends, or invite friends to play while I make dinner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is just for fun!

Before I was a parent I thought parents sat in the back with their babies because they couldn't stand to leave their precious poopkins alone in back, and I thought they were overly indulgent nuts. Now I get that its for your own sake to keep the baby from screaming the whole way and I'm totally riding in back to save my sanity

Before I had 2 I didn't really see why screentime was necessary - now I'm all over the ipad for my 2yo to give me 15minutes to get baby down and give him a little 1:1 love

Ha ha it took me just one to realize the necessity of screen time. But seriously as my kid grows I learn more not to judge other parents choices and to go along with the flow

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How little parenting goes on... they are a sleep and then they are asleep then they sleep. They sleep 1/2 the waking hours and most of the night.

Then when they are toddlers... they eat, play a little then sleep, then eat, play a little then sleep.

Once they are old enough to not be sleeping alllllll theeee timmmme, they are in school.

HAHAHAHAHAHA

My children barely slept as babies, particularly my oldest. This is why you cant' expect to learn anything from other people's experience - every child is completely different.

Same here! Both my newborns slept in 20 minute increments and didn't STTN for a loooooong time

[Anonymous]

1. That I was a complete jerk for getting mad at parents who wanted to leave work to get home for dinner.

2. All bad behavior in kids cannot be blamed on parenting.

[Anonymous]

The difference between an front loader and a digger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How little parenting goes on... they are a sleep and then they are asleep then they sleep. They sleep 1/2 the waking hours and most of the night.

Then when they are toddlers... they eat, play a little then sleep, then eat, play a little then sleep.

Once they are old enough to not be sleeping alllllll theeee timmmme, they are in school.

Uh what? I feel like all I do is parent. Do you have good sleepers who also play independently? Mine don't sleep and want me all the time -- "mommymommymommymommy" Now that they're in school it's "mom, watch this!" "Mom, I need ...." or "Mom, I have a question...do bugs lsleep?"

Even then they're not doing that, I'm constantly thinking about parenting: keeping on eye on academics, social issues, the doctor's appt I need to schedule, camps, buying new clothes....so much to think about!

Mommy watch me.. yes all day at the pool but I don't think that is parenting. I'm sitting at a pool and I am looking at a kid. Its a whole lot of sitting doing nothing.

I had 1 great sleeper and 1 super active kid. Maybe I live in a great neighborhood where there are tons of kids so the kids play with other kids most of the time.

So I am sitting on a bench at a park, or im sitting at a pool, or im sitting in a living room making sure nothing is broken.

But really before pre-school they slept from 9-11 and then again 2-4.

then preschool wake and eat, school is 9-1, home, eat, nap till 4. Go out to play with friends, or invite friends to play while I make dinner.

Ok, either you are on drugs or you aren't actually the primary care giver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How little parenting goes on... they are a sleep and then they are asleep then they sleep. They sleep 1/2 the waking hours and most of the night.

Then when they are toddlers... they eat, play a little then sleep, then eat, play a little then sleep.

Once they are old enough to not be sleeping alllllll theeee timmmme, they are in school.

Uh what? I feel like all I do is parent. Do you have good sleepers who also play independently? Mine don't sleep and want me all the time -- "mommymommymommymommy" Now that they're in school it's "mom, watch this!" "Mom, I need ...." or "Mom, I have a question...do bugs lsleep?"

Even then they're not doing that, I'm constantly thinking about parenting: keeping on eye on academics, social issues, the doctor's appt I need to schedule, camps, buying new clothes....so much to think about!

Mommy watch me.. yes all day at the pool but I don't think that is parenting. I'm sitting at a pool and I am looking at a kid. Its a whole lot of sitting doing nothing.

I had 1 great sleeper and 1 super active kid. Maybe I live in a great neighborhood where there are tons of kids so the kids play with other kids most of the time.

So I am sitting on a bench at a park, or im sitting at a pool, or im sitting in a living room making sure nothing is broken.

But really before pre-school they slept from 9-11 and then again 2-4.

then preschool wake and eat, school is 9-1, home, eat, nap till 4. Go out to play with friends, or invite friends to play while I make dinner.

Ok, either you are on drugs or you aren't actually the primary care giver.

What are you even talking about. I was just surprised how much sitting around there was. when they nap you are just sitting there. you can't leave, you can't go work out, you can't run errands.

When they play with friends you just sit there.

I'm not sure why this is so controversial... I was just surprised how much just sitting around there was.

I do have 50,000 hours of me videoing my kids doing nothing. lying on his stomach just waiting for him to roll over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The difference between an front loader and a digger.

Hahaa, yep, I now understand what a boom flail mower is...

[Anonymous]

How awesome my parents were as people and as parents. Trying to live up to them. Thank them all the time.

How you view everything differently once you are a parent.

[Anonymous]

How someone can be broke on payday.