As a parent, what did you swear you'll never do, but now do it?

1. 74

   CarlySullensposted 12 years ago

   As a parent, what did you swear you'll never do, but now do it?
   
   Maybe you told yourself you will never mother or father the same way your parents did, but once you had children of your own, you are finding yourself doing exactly what you swore you would never do.
   
   

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2. 58

   Scentposted 12 years ago

   Nope! I am totally the opposite of how my parents were and its a good thing. I beat the statistics

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3. 65

   WritingPromptsposted 12 years ago

   I swore I'd never spank my kids - ended up spanking them both, but at least not as a habit.
   
   Lots of other minor things too, it just looks different when you are a parent.  I wasn't ever going to yell, or hurt their feelings, or tell them they couldn't do anything because they were too young... I was going to play with them every day after work and listen to all their stories and take every complaint seriously. I'm sure I've broken every resolution I made about parenting when I was a kid at least once.

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4. 0

   Motown2Chitownposted 12 years ago

   I wish I could be more original....but in the words of the great Erma Bombeck:
   "...then came the patter of little feet, and forty million words to eat."
   Honestly?  I don't have my own children yet, but I find myself becoming my mother with other children in the family!

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5. 60

   xanzacowposted 12 years ago

   I swore I would never say "because I said so!". Since then I have said it many times.

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   1. 76

      Li Galoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Me, too!  I think it's okay to do that because if you explain all the reasons, in the end, the answer still boils down to "because I said so."

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6. 61

   fpherj48posted 12 years ago

   OK...for this old Great Gram....it's all Past tense.......but, being completely honest, Carly.........During the years I was "being raised," I recall being rebellious now and then and downright angry at other times.......and typically, thinking my parents were every awful word I could think of.    I surely would be a better parent!!   
   Well.....I was and am so much like BOTH of my parents, especially my mother...that my 4 adult (parents themselves now) sons have taken to calling me by my mother's first name.
   If I was still that young, uninformed kid who thought her parents were "mean,"  I might take offense to being called my mother.  However, as a mature adult parent....it all came to light.  Many many aha moments.   My parents did what they did, disciplined and taught as they did.......100% out of love, concern, responsibility and duty.   Their "ways" might have stood some polishing...but....they definitely did the very best they could and I am certain of this...........So, whatever I thought I might "improve upon".....perhaps I did....while making my own original mistakes.  ALL parents make them.  period. 
   If my sons have their gripes....so be it.   I too, did all that I did from sheer love and devotion to them.  If they were going to sue, they've have done it by now, I'm sure.. lol 
      They are happy, healthy, well-adjusted, successful members of society.........Just lucky?  Hell, no.   I had a bit to do with that and I will take the credit, gladly.  For any pain I caused them, I apologize and ask forgiveness.....for it would never ever have been intentional.
   I see them now as parents and I have not a single doubt that they are much better parents than I was.    Isn't that called evolution or progress or "the way it goes,"???   
   Such is life.  BTW....being a grandparent ROCKS!!

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7. 76

   Li Galoposted 12 years ago

   My mother was a spanker - I'm not.  She didn't yell - I do.  She didn't discuss things with me (like body changes and life) - I talk about these topics with my kids.  She had little time for me - I spend about 8-10 hours of awake time a day with my kids, including homeschooling them.  She didn't make me feel loved - I know my kids feel loved by me.  The one thing she did that I do is say "because I said so!"  But I don't think that's too bad a crime.  I consider some of the differences generational.  Some were conscious choices I made to be a better parent.
   
   I thought my mother was such a bad parent that I cut ties with her when I was 25 years old and never spoke to her again.  I don't regret that.  There were other reasons that led to that decision, one being her extreme religious views and harassing me about going to hell because I wore pants!  But there were other serious issues, too.  I have been told countless times how mellow and flexible I am so I don't feel in danger of suffering the same fate she did.

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