“That you will never ever be truly prepared to be a parent.
That there is nothing more painful than seeing your child in pain.
amandaharris1
2.
“Do as much inner work on yourself and your inner child as possible.
jessicab4188330b3
3.
“Lose the battle to win the war.
At some point, your kid is going to demand to pick out their clothes.
As long as there are no safety issues let them rock out with what they pick.
Its not worth the fight.
Just throw proper clothes in their backpack and send a note to their teacher.”
[anonymous]
4.
“Breastfeeding is natural, but its SO hard sometimes.
I struggled with my first, but with my second it was a breeze.
“I feel like there are a lot of gimmicks for producing milk that are absolutely not needed.
Ive done it all: exclusively pump, breastfeed, and formula feed.
itschelseanotchels
5.
“Listen to your gut and your body.
If something seems off, get checked out.
Don’t let doctors dismiss you and your concerns while pregnant and after.
If I had listened to doctors, my babies might not be here or had been born much earlier.
And the same goes for your kids.
toomanykidsnotenoughtime
8.
We planned to introduce our first baby with cake and coffee/tea after their christening.
“Parents, you do not have to cater to those around you.
“Do not lose yourself, and always put yourself and your personal relationship first, too.
It is important for kids to see a healthy relationship and a parent who knows who they really are.
It makes thinking about having kids less scary.
It also shows them how important personal mental well-being is.”
crunchyeggplant89
10.
“Try not to judge other parents!
Also, if you plan on breastfeeding, do a ton of research to prepare!!!
Sincerely, a mom who’s boobs still hurt.”
“Baby sleep and feeding tracking apps are the worst thing ever.
They will cry and so will you, but everything will be OK.”
charclark2105
12.
“They dont need all those toys, nor do they really want them.
All they want is for you to do what youre doing.
Kids can be entertained by just letting them do something appropriate that involves them doing what you are doing.
secure your money and your space!”
KS
13.
There’s the thought that things like nausea and other discomforts ebb once you hit the second trimester.
But of course, if nausea and vomiting get excessive, contact your doctor!”
applesauceandchops
14.
“Playing with your kids is different from engaging with them.
It is hard to engage when you don’t have the energy.
“You will never, EVER find matches for all the tiny socks.
Buy a big bag of plain white ones and move on!”
Ive tried everything, even programs I paid for or routines suggested by his doctor.
Its something we still actively work on, but I no longer beat myself up over it.
“You don’t have to have kids to feel fulfilled.
Don’t just have kids because society says you have to.
Not everyone is meant to be a mother (or father).
Just don’t do it because you feel pressured to do so.”
18.And lastly, “Potty training made me realize I was basically domesticating a wildanimal.”
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
