Ten things I said I Would Never Do (and have done)!

I feel like before I became a mom I had all these grand plans and ideas in my head on how I was going to raise my children. I pretty much had a mental list going of all the things I would do and more importantly, all the things I WOULDN'T do. Well, as any mom can tell you, your thoughts can quickly change once you actually have kids!

Ten things I said I would never do (and have done)!

1.) My children would never ever watch children before the age of 2! Well, it pains me to say but they have seen their fair share of t.v. I don't love it and I certainly limit it... but every now and then they need a distraction and I need a break. Let's face it.... when my second one came along and was pretty much attached to the breast 24/7, Jaxson (being 16 months at the time) needed something safe he could do that would keep him entertained and sitting still where I could see him.


2.) I wasn't going to use the "cry it out" method when it came to sleeping. Let me just say that I think there is nothing wrong with it, I just felt I would have too weak of a heart to do it. Wrong! After too many sleepless nights I caved. BEST thing ever!!

3.) I wasn't going to spank my child. Now, I know this can be a hot topic for some and I don't want to start a debate but I never really believed in spankings. However, my little guy was constantly into things that could be potentially dangerous (like pulling on cords, trying to climb entertainment centers and so on) and every tactic I tried failed. Spanking seemed to work... and if that is what it takes to keep him out of something potentially dangerous, I will take that rather than the alternative.

4.) I won't be the mom that forgets to shower or even get dressed! I think this one speaks for it self. There just aren't enough hours in the day sometimes when you have two little ones running around.

5.) My children will always have a well balanced meal at every meal. Yes, I strive to do this, but we all know how chaotic dinnertime can get. So, sometimes it's chicken nuggets (again) and french fries. I always throw in a fruit and veggie but still feel guilty it isn't something made from scratch.

6.) I will not be the mom that says NO! ten million times a day. This is something I am working on. I am trying to say yes more and no less, but inevitably, there are still those days where it seems like every other word that I utter is no!

7.) I will not forget to make  time to keep the love alive! We all know marriages take work and they can be cast aside and put on the back burner when you have young kids and lots of distractions. I know, for a long time I was guilty of putting my hubby last, but we have really been making an effort to take time for each other and go on regular dates and spend some nights away from the kids.

8.) I will not take years to lose the baby weight. Yup, still working on it. Just don't know if you can call it baby weight anymore, though. :)

9.) I will not give my kids desert before dinner. Yes, I have done this a few times and you know what? It was kind of fun; a special treat now and then won't kill ya.

10.) I won't ignore my screaming child that is throwing a tantrum. My children are pros at tantrums. I always wondered how parents could ignore their screaming children, but sometimes you have to ignore them because all they want is attention. Now, I don't mean I would walk away in a store or something... just that when we are at home or in the car (where tantrums seem to happen a lot) I simply walk away or tune them out and wait for them to calm down.