21 Parenting Tips People Wish They Knew Before Having Kids
So you think you want to be a parent? Well, there are some things you should know before you commit to bringing a child into this world.
Published 3 years ago in Facepalm
But don't take it from us, take it from the parents on Reddit who share the things they wish they knew before having kids.
5
"You can lose who you are while you’re raising them. But it’s so important to take time for yourself to keep this from happening. Also, that you have to teach them to pull their pants up. I knew I would have to teach how to use the potty, eat, tie shoes, etc., but I was so caught off guard about having to explain how to pull pants up when getting dressed. It’s a tricky maneuver for littles." - NashvilleJM
7
"You will NEVER sleep the same again. It’s just different levels of fear and worries as they get older. Also, I stupidly thought once I had a child I would automatically “know” how to parent. You’re the same dummy before and after having a child, and you realize how much your parents were winging it." - Lividlemonade
9
"Once they get out of the toddler stage, it can become extremely worrisome and time consuming to parent them to become good people. They start asking questions, and they form their own opinions. It's a very delicate balance between trying to get them to listen to important things and trying to get them to become more independent. It makes you think you are constantly messing it all up. It can be very hard to find a balance." - katedid
11
"How important the years between 7 and 12 are for building a bond (one that lasts into the teenage years). They are so hard to listen to at that age with all the starts and stops in conversation and they talk about the most boring thing's BUT it is so important to listen and converse at those ages. They will grow into teenagers that will talk to you, and be fun to talk to, but only if you can get through long boring conversations about minecraft or whatever thing they are currently into." - Major-Tomato9191
13
"It is one of the two or three most absolute and permanent decisions you can make in life. Once you have kids, you have kids. No going back, no choosing differently, no letting time pass to heal any wounds. Not saying this is good or bad. It's just a permanent decision (if you don't take giving them up for adoption into account)." - Soyuz_Pilot
17
"I call it "active listening", it is really draining. When there only another adult in the house you don't pay much attention to the everyday noises. With kids you are always listening, are they crying, are they fighting, are they too quiet, what just got opened etc etc. Gets better as they get older but nothing can prepare you for it" - chuppiecabra
19
"You have to parent the kid you have. The books are fine for ideas, your experience, friends thoughts, paediatricians, therapists. But at the end of it all you have this complicated little person you’re in charge of with their own preferences, feelings, insecurities, abilities, and you have to do what works for them and your family and, of course, also raise someone who isn’t a blight on humanity or menace to society." - Lilac77777
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