Monday, May 11, 2015

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.





11 comments:

  1. You and I have a similar list, especially when it comes to the tantrums and the peanut butter for lunches. You're right. It doesnt mean we don't take care of our kids, it's just we do what we have to, when we need to. It's the nature of the beast when it comes to parenting. As long as they're taken care of, safe, and satisfied--we'll take it any way we can get it. Thank you for sharing such a relateable list. Wishing you a great rest of the day!

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    1. Thanks! Very true about it being the nature of the beast!

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  2. hahaha this post just makes me smile! :)

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  3. I love this post so much. My mom gave up on trying to keep me clean when playing outside very early on. I love the dirt, the mud and puddles, even know... and I just turned 29! Mira is going to be just fine with you watching over her!

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    1. Thank you! I don't have a problem with her being outdoorsy at all when she grows up, in fact I now condone it!

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  4. Yes Yes and YES!!! I swore I would never let my kid eat in the car, now I'm throwing chicken nuggets in the back seat! Oh how the mighty have fallen!

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    1. Haha I have totally done that one! And ugh letting her have KETCHUP with them lol.

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  5. I'm a mom to an almost 9-month old so I'm not quite at this stage yet but I know it's coming! :) Us mommies aren't allowed to judge each other! No mom-shaming here! :) We do what we have to do!

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  6. I have the pickiest eaters in the world. They cannot be starved out - believe me I have tried so I feel you on the eating the same thing over and over. Also, totally understand, dirty, toys and TV. Just reality as a mom.
    :-)
    Traci

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  7. It's 00:19 here and you have just made me laugh out loud! Thank you! :) I've had a tough few days and this post has literally just made me really chuckle! When my sister was pregnant we were chatting about all the different things that some of our friends did that she would NEVER do.... she does every.single.one of them now her son is two! Tantrums... I've heard her say "get here now" (cringe) sweets... yep he has the odd sugary treat. Something she was NEVER going to do before he was 5 hahaha (madam carrot stick/raisin/grape is what I called her). McDonald's.... He has shared nuggets! OMG she gave her two year old son some of her dirty chicken nuggets! Well actually, she had his food box in the car with us and it was healthy, WE had the maccy's and the little dude decided to lean over and snaffle one of his mummy's. She didn't think he would like it because "he's a (selective) fussy eater". She ended up sharing her meal with him! I could see the pain in her face and not because she was sharing food but it was because she was openly feeding her son food she said she would NEVER EVER let him have hahahahaha. When I read this post I could just hear the words as if they were direct from my sisters mouth! I shall be sending her the link to read it and I'll wear a hard hat next time I see her just in case she sees this comment hehehe. xxx

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    1. Haha this comment made my day! Glad to know there's other moms like me! Hehe

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