6 Things I Never Thought I'd Let My Child Do

My pregnant self would be dying if she knew what I let Mira do today. We have our birth plans, then we have our plan for how things are going to go for the baby age, the toddler age, and so forth. Here are 6 things that never made it into the plan, in fact, I would be mortified.

1. Let my kid eat a peanut butter sandwich for lunch for a week straight. 

Or even worse, for lunch and dinner. It's not like I haven't tried a thousand different foods with her. Over and over. We have tried the "eat it or you will go to bed hungry" and "try 3 bites and you can have something else if you still don't like it". And to no avail. She is so stubborn that she doesn't give in no matter how hungry she might be. Had to let go of my vision of her eating mushroom covered grilled chicken over a bed of brown rice and kale. Okay that's a little extreme but you get the idea.



2. Let my child eat junk like cookies.

It's become a regular thing when we go to the grocery store. Kids get a free cookie so she usually gets one. She's also eaten things like french fries and cheez-its mostly when we are traveling and have few options for pit stops. It actually still kills me to give her such processed foods, but knowing that it isn't every day or even every week makes me feel better.

3. Use the TV as a babysitter so I can either get something done or take a nap.

When Mira was a baby I did tell myself she wasn't going to be that kid that watched tv. Then I got sick one day and didn't know what to do. I had no energy to entertain and play with her. I turned on the tv and it was the easiest thing ever. She actually sat still. And to this day the TV is the only thing that can get her to sit still. So yeah, I totally utilize this when I need to get stuff done.

4. Let my child throw tantrums in public. 

No, really, I'm surprised. I thought I'd be that mom that removes my child immediately from the situation, but then I realized I would be constantly missing out on stuff. If I'm at the store and have a handful of things left on my list, I finish it out. Tantrum or not.

5. Turn our house into a complete and utter disaster of toys. 

It's fundamentally impossible to have a clean house with Mira. We just have to accept it. I don't know what it is, there's something in toddlers that makes them so extremely inclined to make messes and destroy. The smile on her face while she is undoing an hour of back-breaking work is well worth it I guess....

6. Let my child get dirty

She gets full of dirt, mud, grass stains. Yet I still dress her in nice clothes 24/7. I don't know if that is stupid or ambitious, probably both. When she first started outside play I would constantly be steering her away from the puddles and telling her she has to walk, not roll, on the ground. Soon I realized that this is a normal phase that she should be going through. Who am I to tell her she can't explore and test her boundaries the natural way? Who cares if she has to go home and immediately take a bath or if I have to soak her clothes extra long. She is playing and having fun. That is what kids are supposed to do. And, really, what kind of person is going to look at her and think "wow her mom must not love her for how dirty she is".


At the end of the day Mira is still alive and well. She is curious and learning and thriving. If she's happy, I'm happy. I don't think any of these choices mean she is not well taken care of. They just weren't part of that picture perfect vision. You know the one that you come up with when you're pregnant? I'm at peace with these not-so-ideal choices and hope no other moms stress themselves out over these same ones.

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