Some live by the saying, “You don’t know true love until you have a child.” But for some people, like actor Ray Romano, “Having children is like living in a frat house – nobody sleeps, everything’s broken, and there’s a lot of throwing up.” Parenting has satisfying and difficult moments, and this new list from Bored Panda’s series of articles is still about the latter. You’re about to see images of vandalized walls and scratched cars – just children being children but giving their moms and dads a tough time in the process. We also spoke with Marion, a mom of two and owner of the blog site Not So Perfect Parenting, to get some firsthand insight. “My time is now a more precious resource, and for me to do anything without my children in tow is a major organisational feat,” she told Bored Panda. “And that every conversation with me, as a parent, is through a lens of how something affects Me AND my children. They are the centre of my universe. Not me.”
“Parenting for me has been an internal journey as much as external. It’s a chance to forgive myself, learn about self-compassion, and continuously improve.” When dealing with Sophie, Anna admits to being more lax to avoid meltdowns. But ultimately, she chooses to rely on common sense. “Everything I’ve read says I should be patient and consistent,” she told Parents.com. “But patience and consistency are two things you have the least of when your child constantly pushes your buttons.”
Rachel did get her son to push through with the performance but agreed to have him wear a soft polo instead of a button-down dress shirt. “I had to balance how much to push him with how much he was struggling and whether it was because of his diagnosis or just defiance,” she said. “For instance, we have her sit at the end of the table at a restaurant because we know she’s going to want to pop up to go to the bathroom. Plus, we all find value in it: She’s also happy to jump up to get more crayons or napkins or an extra menu.” Brill initially thought she was the problem. However, according to UCLA child development specialist Karen Dudley, the child is more fussy with her mother because she feels most secure around her. “The primary caregiver is generally the person with whom a child feels most comfortable expressing his strong feelings,” Dudley told Brill in an interview. “A toddler’s memory is improving, so he will remember what he wants more often,” she said, adding that young children at this stage are still learning about developing relationships with other people and how far they can test certain limits. “Every moment of play is your child’s work, so you need to give her forewarning of change.” “The mess will always be there. If people judge you for the pile of dirty dishes and unwashed laundry, then they aren’t your people,” she said. “Also, if visitors come by to see the baby, ask them to do some errand or small house task that you won’t have the energy for as well. This used to be the way a village worked and is the way humans evolved. “Our modern societal expectations of everything looking perfect and a mother doing all the things is evolutionarily unsustainable.” Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
