I am pumped to feature this guest post from Ivana Davies with Find Your Mom Tribe. She’s sharing things she said she’d never do before she became a parent.  Goodness knows I have tons of those, too! I hope you identify and enjoy her insight into the realities of parenting. Don’t forget to check out my Parenting page for more good stuff. Happy reading!

Lately, I’ve been considering what I’ve learned from the experience of motherhood and what I can pass on to new parents who are just starting out on this journey. My kids are five and almost eight. There are many things that I swore up and down that I would never do as a parent, but life has a way of showing you when you’re wrong.

Before I had kids of my own, I had nephews whom I loved dearly but didn’t get to spend that much time with. I had a fairly realistic view of what I was in for, at least as far as feedings and diaper changes were concerned, but I wasn’t fully aware of the intense 24/7 job that parenting can be. Along the way, I’ve been continually surprised by what I was capable of and the lengths to which I would go for my kids.

Here are six things that I never thought I would do when I became a parent:

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 1 – Bring a crying child in public

When I was in college, I remember being on a plane with several babies on board. The delay had been long and the babies were of course crying. I remember being incredibly irritated with their parents and thinking that when I had children of my own, I would never bring them into public when they were crying or upset. Needless to say, that bubble was popped pretty quickly.

2 – Not be grossed out by body fluids

Before I had kids, I had a sensitive stomach. No more! As soon as your baby is born, you too will be wiping up all kinds of things you never wanted to know about. I once also swore that I would never let my kids use my shirt sleeves as Kleenex, but that didn’t last very long!

3 – Nurse past 12 months

I had particularly strong feelings about not nursing past a year before my kids were born. It turned out that when they got to be a year old, they just weren’t ready to stop. Since I was still enjoying it too, we had the option to keep going. Of course, if you are not able to or don’t want to nurse, formula is fine and has kept many babies healthy.

4 – Tell them “Because I said so”

Before my kids were born and when they were toddlers, I had made up my mind that I was never going to say, “Because I said so.” That was something that got on my nerves from my own childhood. I thought I would always fully explain why I wanted the kids to do this or that. Sometimes you just have to be firm about it and move on.

5 – Feel anger toward my kids

When my firstborn arrived, I was in a haze of love and happiness. I couldn’t imagine a time when I would be upset or angry with this sweet and tiny bundle. I remember my husband chuckling at me when I told him I would never be angry with her. That lasted until she bit me when she was nursing at about six months. Moms do feel angry and upset with their kids; the thing that matters is how you react to it.

6 – Need time away from my children

At first, I was convinced that I would never need time away from my daughter. As the weeks went by, I realized that I did need time to myself in order to get my hair cut or just to wander around Target not looking for anything in particular. It is totally okay to need time away from your kids to be the best mom you can be.

Final Thoughts on Things I Said I’d Never Do as a Parent

Every parent encounters big surprises when their kids are born. The ideal parent you thought you might be is swept away by reality. In its place, you build a lot of valuable experience and learn to take the best possible care of your kids. It is okay to doubt yourself, have negative feelings, and take time for yourself. After eight years of this parenting business, I am still learning more every day and still running up against things I never thought I would.

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