What was the biggest surprise about parenting to you?

[Deleted]

Mar 27, 2013 11:48:34 GMT -5 milee said:

Mar 27, 2013 11:43:33 GMT -5 oped said:

There will come a day when you can say, if you don't like it... Make something for yourself just hang in there...

{Milee's voice wafts up from the fiery depths of Mommy Hell...}

Um, I guess that's why by the age of 3 both my kids could make sandwiches, eggs, cereal and a half dozen other meals.  They could also get their own extra napkin or pour themselves some more milk.  I cook 98% of our food from scratch and spend a significant amount of time doing so.  Once it's served, I'm sitting my tired ass down and eating.

You're my hero.

[swamp]

Mar 27, 2013 11:57:32 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Mar 27, 2013 11:52:53 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

I use this on a very limited basis.  I could see this degrading into one kid eating the same thing, 3 meals a day.  I could also see it becoming a dinner nightmare, with everyone making something different for themselves, and us never eating together.

Eating a piece of chicken won't kill you.  Just sit down and eat.  Tomorrow we will eat something else, and maybe you will be happy then.

[/span][/quote]


I remember my mom stabbing my brother in the legs with her fork because he was refusing to eat his peas.  Oh the memories.
[/quote]


I would rather be stabbed in the leg with a fork than eat peas.

[Deleted]

you people are pansies.  Peas are great!  You know what isn't great?  Beets, salmon (and most other fish), sauerkraut, or sunny-side up eggs.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Mar 27, 2013 12:04:20 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

So does my sister.  She's wrong.  Peas are delicious.

They are.  My kids ate almost 3/4 a bag of them the other day, still frozen. 

I'm willing to let them have pb&j if they don't like dinner.  But I also enforce the "sample bite" 

[Firebird]

I'm going to a wedding in another state this August... by myself.  And I don't mind admitting that I'm already very excited about the break  

I thought about bringing Babybird, but she'll be ten months old by then and I would feel awful if she disrupted the ceremony in any way.  Toddlers sure can scream when they feel like it.  Better if I go alone.  She can have extra Daddy time that weekend. 

[Wisconsin Beth]

I told DH about this thread.  He said for him, the most surprising thing is the difference between the 2 kids, personality wise. 

[swamp]

Mar 27, 2013 12:28:11 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

you people are pansies.  Peas are great!  You know what isn't great?  Beets, salmon (and most other fish), sauerkraut, or sunny-side up eggs.

Salmon and all kinds of fish rock!!!!  I'm noncommittal about beets and sauerkraut.  Sunny side up eggs are nasty, I agree with you on that.

[muttleynfelix]

Mar 27, 2013 12:35:42 GMT -5 Firebird said:

I'm going to a wedding in another state this August... by myself.  And I don't mind admitting that I'm already very excited about the break  

I thought about bringing Babybird, but she'll be ten months old by then and I would feel awful if she disrupted the ceremony in any way.  Better if I go alone.  She can have extra Daddy time that weekend. 

We were invited to 5 weddings between DS being 10 months and 2 years and not one of them was close to us.  We didn't take him to a single ceramony. My cousin's wedding was kid free (yeah we spent 3 days in the car one way so I could see her get married, but DS wasn't "invited", he and DH stayed in my Aunt and Uncle's room at the venue because we were asked to stay at a hotel 15 miles away, along with our Grandma!). DS was an absolute pill for DH and after dinner DH came stomping into the reception site and told me he was heading back to our hotel.  I left with them since DH was not happy. My BFF's wedding, I was in it and I caught a ride for pictures and the ceramony and had DH stay at the hotel with DS until it was time for the reception. They stayed through dinner/cake cutting and then went back to the hotel.  We all skipped wedding #3. Wedding #4, our "cabin" overlooked the ceramony site and DS refused to nap until 10 min before the ceramony. So, I stayed in our cabin with him and we went to the reception (for a little while, they had an awful reception). Wedding #5 was in my hometown and my parents had already committed to watching my nieces that night, so they couldn't come. So we decided DS would not go to the wedding or reception.  We had a super fun night. By far the most fun wedding we went to. Most of our friends and family are married now.

[raeoflyte]

I'm in my sil's wedding this summer when dd will be 7 months old and ds will hopefully be the ring bearer (depending on his mood). I'm a bit nervous how the kids will be, but since even my parents are invited there will be a lot of family to help out if either of them crumble.

I'm also having dd dress custom made, and she's getting a floral headband to match dsil. That part I'm super excited about. Who knows if she'll ever want to do the prom thing, but I can gave one ridiculously girly day with her before she gets any say. ;D

[thyme4change]

 but I can gave one ridiculously girly day with her before she gets any say.

[/span]

My sister dressed her daughter up like a porcelain doll when she was a child.  And now that she is an adult, I haven't seen her in a dress, or even anything remotely girly for 10+ years.  

[muttleynfelix]

I'm also having dd dress custom made, and she's getting a floral headband to match dsil. That part I'm super excited about. Who knows if she'll ever want to do the prom thing, but I can gave one ridiculously girly day with her before she gets any say.

  I am sitting here praying that the weather Sunday is nice (or nicer than it had been) because I have the most adorable Easter dress for DD (that my mom bought her, I don't actually spend money on my kid's clothes) and I can't wait to put it on her.    If she still fits in it, it will double as her baptism dress in June, but if not my Grandma bought her a different, yet equally adorable dress in the next size up.   

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Sunny side up eggs are nasty, I agree with you on that.

Eggs are gross period. 

[Deleted]

no way - fried eggs are great!  With some ground black pepper and cheddar cheese and bacon.... om nom nom....

[Wisconsin Beth]

Mar 27, 2013 13:05:06 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

 but I can gave one ridiculously girly day with her before she gets any say.

My sister dressed her daughter up like a porcelain doll when she was a child.  And now that she is an adult, I haven't seen her in a dress, or even anything remotely girly for 10+ years.  [/quote]

Sometimes the reverse is tur too.  My kids got onies and rompers the first couple of years.  Now DD wants to wear dresses or skirts w/ tights.  And both her and DS like hats, the boas and tutus. 

[raeoflyte]

That's why I'm just going for one day, not her entire childhood.

[muttleynfelix]

Mar 27, 2013 13:17:53 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

no way - fried eggs are great!  With some ground black pepper and cheddar cheese and bacon.... om nom nom....

Well everything is great with bacon.

JK we had scrambled eggs last night with ham and cheese and then fried potatos and onions on the side because we didn't have anything else easy in the house.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

My kids got onies and rompers the first couple of years.  Now DD wants to wear dresses or skirts w/ tights

Mine gos back and forth.  It depends on if she refuses to have bare legs.  Sometimes she'll only wear a skirt if I put pants underneath.  Other days all she wants to do is rung around in a skirt.

As long as it's weather appropriate, I've just let her dress herself.  Makes life so much easier.

Drives DH nuts but I said she should enjoy it because this is the only time in her life she can dress any way she pleases and all anyone will say is "how cute".

[thyme4change]

Your girls are young, they haven't even begun to develop their own style.  Every preschooler wants to play with boas and skirts.

[Deleted]

I've decided that whenever kid #2 comes, he will also be a boy.  Done.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Mar 27, 2013 13:26:55 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Your girls are young, they haven't even begun to develop their own style.  Every preschooler wants to play with boas and skirts.

Giggle.  I have 1 girl and 1 boy.  DH refuses to let me take pictures of Cabe wearing one of his sister's Disney princess dresses....

[Firebird]

Babybird has so many pink outfits, it's crazy.  So much for me "not liking pink," I got a little pink baby and that's that! 

(It does look great on her, I have to admit.) 

[swamp]

Mar 27, 2013 13:29:14 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

I've decided that whenever kid #2 comes, he will also be a boy.  Done.

I made that decision too. Kid 2 didn't listen. 

[Deleted]

Mar 27, 2013 13:17:53 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

no way - fried eggs are great!  With some ground black pepper and cheddar cheese and bacon.... om nom nom....

Sunny Side up Eggs ARE fried eggs.

[swamp]

Mar 27, 2013 17:19:00 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Mar 27, 2013 13:17:53 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

no way - fried eggs are great!  With some ground black pepper and cheddar cheese and bacon.... om nom nom....

Sunny Side up Eggs ARE fried eggs.

Yes, but you can break the yolk and fry it until its hard. That's what I do. 

[Deleted]

Mar 27, 2013 17:19:49 GMT -5 swamp said:

Mar 27, 2013 17:19:00 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Sunny Side up Eggs ARE fried eggs.

Yes, but you can break the yolk and fry it until its hard. That's what I do. 

I agree,  just pointing out that sunny side is a fried egg. 

[Deleted]

Mar 27, 2013 17:19:49 GMT -5 swamp said:

Mar 27, 2013 17:19:00 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Sunny Side up Eggs ARE fried eggs.

Yes, but you can break the yolk and fry it until its hard. That's what I do. 

See, swamp gets it!

[KaraBoo]

Same as what most of other poster said.  Many of you know I have step-kids.  I love them like my own son, however, they hold me at arm's length and they refuse to allow me to have the same relationship with them that I have with my son.  I don't blame them for this - they have a mom and I'm not trying to replace her - just stating a fact.  For those who may say there's no way I can love them the same as my own child - I beg to differ.  For me, I know what my feelings are and I'm going to leave it at that.  I'm going to focus on my son for the purposes of this thread since I actually gave birth to him.

My son began struggling hitting milestones when he was around 3 (and I was too wrapped up in life to notice).  I made all sorts of excuses for him since I was dealing with a failed marriage and DS had been diagnosed, and undergone major back surgery for scoliosis.  He walked late (16 months, dr said not to worry), potty trained even later (3 almost 4 years, again dr said not to worry), talked even way later than that (around 7 before we could understand even a little of what he was saying) - with little intervention until he started school because of his dunce of a mommy who just flat missed all of his issues.  I didn't have any other children in my life to compare him to until DH came in the picture with his 3 kids when my DS was around 5 years old.

I was shocked at how much my DS actually knew and understood of adult humor at such a young age.  He was laughing uncontrollably at one Disney Pixar Short (the old guy playing chess with, what turns out to be, himself) at 2 years old.  My dad and I watched, amazed, how how he "got" it and how COMPLETELY he "got" it.

I am also surprised at how much my son continuously amazes me with his questions and thought processes.  He's 16 now and we can have conversations like he is an adult.  As a child that struggled in so many ways so young, I was not prepared for us to have such deep and meaningful talks at this point.  I wrongly assumed way back then, he would struggle most of his life with, well....everything.  

My son continues to amaze me in so many ways.  

My stepkids amaze me too - society just says I'm not supposed to care about them since I'm "only" a stepparent.  

[Deleted]

Haven't read the entire thread so sorry if these have already been mentioned:

1: That my kids would need more as teenagers then they needed me as babies.
2: That you can love your kids, but totally understand why some animals eat their young at the same time.
3: That other parents are totally ok with allowing their teens to drink, smoke, etc.
4: That my boys haven't stopped touching their penis since the day they discovered it.
5: That my husband is a total pansy when it comes to parenting the girls, but a drill sergent when dealing with the boys.  Apparently girls will break if you yell at them.
6: That they can eat soooo much constantly.

7: That every day I am surprised that they can still surprise me.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Theseposts are so interesting. Especially those of you who have raised boys.  I don't have brothers and DH and I got together when his sons were 14 and 16. Boys are weird 

[zibazinski]

That it freakin' never ends. I'm a parent and expected to be all knowledgable until the day I die, it seems.