Number 5: Letting kids run around in only their diaper.

Why I swore not to: I swore I’d never let my kids run around in only a diaper when they were little because I hated seeing little kids running around practically naked playing in the yard or house. What were their parents thinking! How trashy! (GASP)

Reality Check: Yeah, so when your youngest kid, #4, refuses to keep her clothes on and your on battle #5 and it’s only noon. I say ok, gave It my all from 7am till noon. Girl seriously doesn’t like clothes, unless its of course a princess dress, must buy more princess dresses apparently. Hoping she won’t grow up to be that dangerous criminal I was assured she would be if she doesn’t dress and behave in a proper manner!

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Number 4: Making my kids wear what I say so.

Why I swore not to: So as a child I was really close in age to my sister, only 18 months apart. My Mom and Grandma ALWAYS made us dress exactly alike but in different colors. UGGGG!

Reality Check: So life went on and I gave birth to twin girls. I confess I did the whole dress them alike but in different colors thing until they were old enough to rebel, shrilly at that. I still catch my self pointing out cute outfits they could wear that match and they are 10. How sad for my kids! I realize this is completely horrid and embarrassing for them but It’s like an inherent Mom gene or something. Torture kids by way of clothing.

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Number 3: Letting my kids run haywire in the grocery store.

Why I swore not to: Growing up and often going grocery shopping with my Mom or Grandma as a teenager I would constantly get annoyed at other peoples kids running around, getting in my way, making a ruckus! As you can imagine I was not one of those teenagers that thought kids were cute and wanted to babysit, in fact I will admit, I pretty much stayed away from kids if I could help it, till I had my own that is. My grandma would always tell others “Oh Lori, she hates kids but her Sister just looooooves kids! She can babysit for you!”. Guess I didn’t leave a good impression on her during those shopping trips lol

Reality Check: Now my kids are the worst in the grocery store. Of course egged on by my very own overgrown nerd of a husband who races through the isle with the shopping cart and stirs them up even more. I never get out of the store without saying something like, watch where your walking, you almost knocked over that lady, sorry excuse us, slow down or LOUIS DON’T DE-PANTS YOUR SISTER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ISLE…OR ANYWHERE ELSE FOR THAT MATTER! This is mainly when we take all the kids, If I have one or just 2 It’s much more calm, but I would not change my kids personalities and misbehavior since I believe it’s all fairly normal I believe. Who wants a robot for a child anyway?

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Number 2: Controlling my kids likes and dis-likes.

Why I swore not to: Since I lived with both my Mother and my Grandparents in the same house growing up, its surprising my parents were so liberal and let me dress and act how I wanted (within reason of course). They constantly would tease and make fun of me for my clothing and hair. For example my Labyrinth t-shirt where David Bowie is dressed as Jareth, my Grandpa would say when he saw it on me “Oh, It’s the crossdresser shirt today!”. They also let me listen to music I liked. If I wanted to lock myself in my room and depress myself with Morissey or chant along to Snoop Dog’s Doggy Style I was allowed to. Even if I wanted to dye my hair pink they might tease me but let me be what I wanted. Yes I did have pink hair once, I was soooo cute! I really appreciated my parents allowing this even though I would get ripped on sometimes, but I wanted to do the same for my kids of course.

Reality Check: So if I’m going to let my kids be who they want to be I find I constantly have to hold my tongue and check what I say. Like I can’t say “The Jonas Brothers…really? They are not real musicians! You have no taste in music!” or I can’t be like “Uggggg Hannah Montana again! Can’t you watch something with more substance or at least with a bit less Miley Cyrus?”. I guess as a parent I had to learn that just because I want my kids to have freedom of expression that doesn’t mean my kids will have good taste, or my tastes (cries), BUT there is hope yet, they are only 10, 6 and 3 they have room to grow, hopefully away from the Disney network, Nick is so much better anyway!! Go Airbender!

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Number 1: Breast Feeding is Grooooooss!

Why I swore not to: As a 13 yr old teenager I remembered seeing a mom breastfeeding her child in the nursery part of the church my Grandma was a member of. I’m pretty sure I rudely said something along the lines of “GROSSSSS” and my Grandma promptly smacked me across the back of the head (rightly so). She apologized in my place for my indelicate behavior, that really was horrid of me, I was a very sarcastic but also an airhead of a child lol. Because of this I decided I soooooo was not ever going the BF my kids, and when my twins were born I hadn’t even researched it as I was 19, young and to stupid to research my choices as a parent. So they were bottle fed, that was that for me.

Reality Check: Nothing will change your mind on something faster then when it concerns your child, especially their health. When my third child, Louis, was born and he wouldn’t drink from his bottle despite many changes of nipple type I of course freaked out and cried to the DR. and Nurses. What should I do?! They tried to get him to eat with no success and I remember an older nurse looked straight at me and said, “Either you try to feed this child from the breast or we are going to have to tube feed him, plain and simple”. Basically meaning GET OVER IT, Mom up and feed your kid! Before he was born I researched circumcision and everything imaginable but was COMPLETELY unprepared for this scenario. So the old nurse helped me and showed me the “ropes” and guess what? It wasn’t gross at all and I am now ashamed at my thoughts of being creeped out by breastfeeding lol My fourth child was also breastfed, by choice this time, and with her I at least had the time to do the research I wanted. Now I’m glad I did it and really regret I didn’t do the same for my twins.