Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Except that leash thingy....now that I'll NEVER do


I used to think, I'm never going to do that to/with/for my children. You said it too, didn't you?



I used to think to myself, so smugly, whenever I saw someone offering 15 different foods to their child instead of making them eat what was served, I'll never do that. They can eat what's for dinner or go hungry. Then I met Millicent.



I used to think to myself, I would never let my child go around the house naked like that. A child has to learn to get dressed. Then I met Millicent.



I used to think to myself, I will never pick up a child who is whining and crying for me to pick her up. That child needs to ask politely. And then I met Millicent.



I used to think to my, oh so superior self, I will never, ever, still be nursing a 3 year old. Then I met Millicent.



I used to think to myself, I will never, not ever, let a child completely dress themselves in whatever Spiderman Costume or pink pants with silverish flowers, white undershirt, that shows out underneath her red shirt and pink jacket, that in no way matches whatsoever, while wearing shoes that are a size too big and won't stay on and go out in public. I will make sure my child is in a nice matching outfit that I picked out. And then I met Millicent.



I used to think to myself that I will never put a leash on my child. Now that's one I will never do. (I can say that right? Cause I wont. No, really, I won't.)

87 comments:

Kelly said...

I always said that I would never say "shut that door, I'm not heating/cooling the whole neighborhood" Well...LOL

Yara said...

oh Michelle
dont say no to a child safety harness
or one of your next kids may very well be the kind who needs one... one who tries to run off...
cuz THAT is scary; the idea of losing my precious little one in a crowded (mall,supermarket, parking lot...) and then you will be, or perhaps your very young teen sister, will be... telling the people looking at you thinking "I'd never put my child on a leash" like they are know-nothing twits who just dont understand it is not a leash... it's just a way to keep this child safe
not judging you cuz... well... I said it... my sister said it... then we needed one for Lisa
and hey, it DID help her learn by... oh... before age 3... to NOT try to run away

wow that was a long comment

I could have just said 'never say never'
; )

Milburns' said...

LOL... I then I met JEREMIAH!!! LOL

Tho we did get a leash b/c he ran out in front of a car one too many times and I figured no matter HOW hard I have tried to train him and keep him on me or in the cart or grab him as the kdis are climbing out of the van... he takes off before I can even get him out! ERG.... but he likes his "back pack" thats what it looks like a teddy bear back pack... and he thinks its funny to pull me around..LOL

Michelle said...

Kelly, LOL...Yep, ditto.

Yara, I'm sorry. Really, it was meant in a jokey way. I know there are kids who want to walk that need to be safe. Blessedly I dont have any...YET. But I wouldnt be surprised if it were so with Asa.

Yea, I can so see that with boys Heather. So far all my kids like being held too much.

La Belle Mere said...

Oh yeah.... I used to do this to! Till I met my step-kids. And now I just do whatever it takes to get me some peach and quiet!! :-D

Happy SITS day.

LBM xx

Anonymous said...

The three year old I nanny for insists on wearing tutus every day. ;)

Christina said...

It sounds like someone has a lot of personality. I can't imagine where she would've gotten that... :-)

Jennifer said...

Cute post! I really enjoyed reading it and it reminded me of a funny story my cousin tells. When they first moved out to CA she was nervous about losing her small son in a busy mall, etc. So she got one of those leashes for him and the first thing he did when she used it in a crowded store was get down on his hands and knees and start acting and barking like a dog! LOL I wish I could have been there! My cousin was so embarrassed.

Elizabeth D. said...

The leashes freak me out, too, but my 19 month old is threatening the need for one - he dashes off without a care in the world, and I am finally starting to see why some parents buy those darn things. I'm still hoping we can teach him enough about stopping and waiting for Mom & Dad, but never say never! Happy SITS Day!

Raising Z and Lil C said...

It is all so true! i do have to admit that I said I would never allow my child to wear a leash but when we went on a cruise when he was 18 months....it was necessary in the airport and checking into the ship. He only used it for that trip but it was a LIFE SAVER for our little wanderer :) My second child is due in 4 weeks....we will see if the leash makes another appearance.

Anonymous said...

Oh yes... the I never statements... I think we all have a list of those!

Happy SITS Day!

Crystalin Dunn said...

There are so many things that make me think Heavenly Father has a killer sense of humor--parenthood being one of them. What better way to give one an opportunity not only to eat their words, but to cook them and garnish them with artistically sculpted veggies, and then to blog about their favorite new thing to eat! I am consistently taken by surprise by my lack of mothering pride(as in, not too proud to...), but my kids somehow take the humiliation out of it. Happy SITS day!

Becky @ Our Sweet Peas said...

I hear you. I am already saying "because Mommy said so!" to my two year old toddlers. Happy SITS to you!

Unknown said...

Never say never, right?

Over from SITS to say hello. I'm also a huge Twilight and Survivor fan.

said...

Sounds like she's got a mind of her own! Congrats on your SITS day.

Sara E said...

lol.. I think I can ditto most of those too with my Hudson (love his outfit combinations - "oh, it's just Hudson") and mr meatball loving Griffin

keep 'em happy :)

Unknown said...

Stopping by from sits...hope your day is saucy!
I think every parent gets one "Millicent". It changes the way we parent and our perception of how to do it right.

Helen McGinn said...

I used to watch parents get up three times during their dinner to get stuff for the kids. Outrageous I thought....can't remember the last time I ate a meal hot. *L*

Sandy said...

Oh I hear ya! Being flexbile is what keeps me sane!

jewelstreet said...

Happy SITS day!

Believe it or not, I've never said I'm never going to do that. I was more the one that kind of knew what she wanted to be like for the simple fact my mom always worked when I was growing up, and I was raised by my grandmother who is like Mary Poppins.

Now, I have said my child better never do that or.... lol.

Kim said...

Happy SITS Day! I love listening to women pregnant with their first child talking about all the things they will/won't do. I just walk away and laugh! Oh, to be so naive again!

Deb said...

Yup, I've only got two, and realized quickly that your strategy has to be a little different with each one. I had a critical point with two under two when a harness seemed like the only way to ever manage both of them in public by myself...but by giving them more freedom in safe situations, they've both gotten a lot better about listening and following direction. My youngest has a more daring streak, though, so we'll see.

Happy SITS day!

Anonymous said...

Oh that's too funny! And sooo true! Never say never:)

Amber@alittlemorecrazythancool said...

Miss Millicent sounds like a fun girl!! :) Blessings to your fam!

seven thirty three said...

Too funny. I use to say I would never pick someone elses booger... but then I had kids! LOL.

Unknown said...

Hey stopping by from sits have a wonderful day and soak it all in.....Enjoy being queen for the day :)

4Hoffman's said...

Millicent sounds like a fun girl!! I too had plenty of "I'll never do this", I've got a picky eater, and a NO NO NO 2yr old!

K A B L O O E Y said...

I'm kind of the opposite: I always thought I'd never mind what my kid wanted to wear, thought I'd save my energy for the big stuff, but I see her put on some odd combo and I find myself suggesting options so she doesn't get teased, or adults don't judge, etc. And I KNOW it shouldn't matter. Never say never indeed. PS: Millicent sounds like she's one spunky individual. I like that in a kid.

Mel at Adventures of Mel said...

Hey! Just stopping by from SITS! I'm a homeschooling mama too! And I love to read! You should check out Mamabuzz at http://www.mamabzz.com. Oh, and my guilty pleasure for tv is Grey's Anatomy, which starts tonight! Yea!!! Among others....:) Gotta love the power of a dvr, where a busy mom can just hit record and watch later.:) Happy SITS Day! Love your blog!

Lula! said...

Oh, Millicent should meet Caroline, my 3 (almost 4!) year old...they seem to be very much alike. As Caroline has made me eat a LOT of my "I'll never" words, when it comes to parenting!

Happy SITS day!

Cheryl said...

How funny! I have said that too!. Must be a mother/child thing :)
Cheryl

Laura said...

I was the first to have a baby in my family..and my sister would say those things.."I'm not gonna do that or my child will never do this" but then she had her first..and I got to GLOAT!!

http://mybde.blogspot.com

brokenteepee said...

Happy SITS day.

We leash all the kids here...but then again, they are goats.

Lani said...

Haha! Happy SITS Day:) I totally know what you mean:) When you have multiple small children, the rules go out the window, don't they!

Anonymous said...

I have all these things in my head that I won't do either...but we'll see when we have our first child someday! :)

KarieK said...

So funny how we eat our words! I said those same words and have eaten them since. But the leashes....yeah...I'm thinking about them only because toddling twins...they come in handy since we don't always have enough hands.

Julie Link said...

Nothing can make you change your standards like a cute little girl! I let my daughter wear lady bug rain boots to school today...I'm sure I'll hear about that one from her teacher! (There's an extra pair of real shoes in her bag!)

glenna said...

oh honey! I learned a longgg time ago to never say never. LOL

Brandi said...

There's a lot of things we say we'll never do, but we do because they're such little things that make kids happy (like clothing choices).
And keep saying never to the leashy thing. I'm frightened when I see parents doing that.

Anonymous said...

Hi, stopping by from SITS. Your Milicent sounds like a blast! All that thinking and creativity is going to serve her well one day!

MamaOtwins+1 said...

Happy SITS day -
I don't think of these as going back on things we said we'd never do - but more as lessons learned.

Mrs. Match said...

Happy SITS day! Yay, I just started reading your blog recently too (thanks to your comments for pointing me to it) and I'm stoked for you.

I'm sure there are a ton of things I right now say I'll never do that as soon as I have kids will go out the window. You never know till you're in the Mommy shoes do ya? Congrats again!

Susan said...

HAPPY SITS Day... your blog is so cute!

There are so many things I said I'd never do and at some point have done or will do in the future - I try not to say "I'll never" when it comes to my kids because as soon as I do, I'm bound to do it.

Helene said...

Oh me too, me too!! I've done so many things I said I would never do!!! I used to sit in judgement of my friends who would let their kids snack on gummy treats and now I let my kids eat them occasionally. It's just not a battle worth fighting sometimes, kwim?

I've used the backpack leases...I have 2 sets of twins who were born within 2 yrs of each other. I felt I had no choice in order to keep them safe and near me at all times. It was the only way I could actually get out of the house!!!

Unknown said...

lol, i have a 4 month old (is all) and have already caught myself doing things i said i'd never do.

case in point: noisy colorful things attached to the car are UGLY but makes the ride bearable.

i love the names asa and millicent and am also really, really loving baby wearing!

nice to meet you by way of SITS.

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

Happy SITS Day!

yulz said...

hahaha

I once told myself not to ever date a man that smoke :p oh well , its like a curse LoL I'm so damn in love with that man hehehe

Holly @ Domestic Dork said...

My mom used a leash on me...but, honestly...I can't blame her! I was a holy terror! lol

SPEAKING FROM THE CRIB said...

we should learn from this and get the word never out of our vocabulary

happy SITS day

Sandra Wilkes said...

Happy SITS day! I used to say, "My kid would never do that!" And I was certain of it. And I was wrong. Had to eat crow on that one. My kids are grown up and I love them dearly, even more than when they were little.
Sandra

Magaly Guerrero said...

I used to say that I would NEVER say any of the things my mom said. Today I sound like a living recording of her; sad, I know. I guess it is just a fact of life.

Congrats and have fun on your big SITS day!

Kay said...

Haha!
But DEFINITELY stay away from the leash. I had one when I was little (not used by my parents, but by a neighbor who would take me and my sibs out and was afraid that since I was only 2/3, he would lose me). And I Still. Remember. Hating. It. The trauma stays forever.

Mrsbear said...

Trust me. You can never stick to those promises. That's one thing that's guaranteed. lol. She's a cutie though.

shortmama said...

I have taken my 7yo to the grocery store in some crazy outfits!

BrnEyedGal said...

I totally get it...and I never thought I would do a few things either...but I did!!! :)

Congrats on your SITS day...ENjoy!

Rebecca said...

As someone who's not a mom - if I ever am, I'm in BIG trouble b/c I have a whole long list of "I'll never..."!

A Healthier Me said...

I said I'd never homeschool...wrong! Now I'm homeschooling my son (we pulled him out of public school, long story). Been doing it for 4 years now, and so glad we made that decision.

Unknown said...

Every mom has that list, and oh is mine long! I gave in on the tv and on the harness, too! Our little guy was such a RUNNER. He'd just dart away as soon as you let your hand off him. But every kids is so different. I'm praying my little one isn't going to be quite as quick as her big brother!

Happy SITs day!

Karen, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry" said...

Funny post--enjoyed it even though I don't have kids. I have though if I did have kids "I would never let them outside naked or run around the house naked." I think though that the leash is a good idea for little ones who wander off or run off, especially if they have older parents who just can't keep up with them. I think it's a very practical thing and have never thought badly of any parent who I see using it.

Happy SITS Day!

{leah} said...

I would NEVER!!! then I had kids... and well...

Happy SITS day

{leashes are for people with kids like mine :)}

Anonymous said...

She is so cute!
HAPPY SITS Day! Congtats.
Over th sits :)

Alexis Voltaire said...

Such a cute entry! She looks like I did when I was little, except I was blonde. :) Happy SITS day!

Sharon said...

My mom says I was just like that! And boy, is she a cutie!!

Happy Happy SITS day - and congrats on the new baby!

Unknown said...

Happy Sits! Oh my goodness. I have one of those children myself. It's all for the humbling experience, that makes us stronger. Congrats on the next one!
http://shaunellshair.blogspot.com

Pam said...

I had a lot of theories about parenting. And then I had kids....

Laura said...

I've said quite a few "I'll never" before, only to do what I said I would never do. Kids have a way of changing us.

Aleta said...

I don't have children to relate to this, but it does remind me of a show that I saw.... A married couple was trying to have children. They met some old friends and invited them over and they brought along their kids. The children behaved horribly. The married couple trying to have children wondered if that's what they wanted (kids throwing fits, etc) and they then said the thing that all parents think, "our kids won't be like that." LMAO

Anonymous said...

Oh, that Millicent! She is something else. Yeah, I've said I'd never do lots of things and then, yes, I did them.

Unknown said...

VERY FUNNY! I am glad to have found your blog through SITS. Your children are absolutely adorable! I've always found that whatever you smugly say you will NEVER do or your children will NEVER do will ALWAYS come to pass. God has a fabulous sense of humor! My husband once said at the grocery store, "Look at that kid with the hand towel safety pinned to his back like a cape - we'll never take a kid of ours out in public like that!" Of course, our eldest son wouldn't go anywhere between the ages of two and four without a cape . . . including the grocery.

KatBouska said...

My mom calls me her "waterloo" because she never thought a lot of those same things...and then she met me. :)

I think Kainoa is mine.

Nicole @ WhenDidIBecomeMyMom.com said...

Not the leash for me either... Really enjoying your blog.

Lamonica said...

I guess when you finally have your own kids you end up doing things you thought you would never do.

Stopping by from SITS

http://fabulousgccandles.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

Omgoodness... what an awsome blog, and a wonderful witty post. I too have a list of things I would NEVER do, and most of them I have broken as well. LOL

Congrats on being the featured blogger. Keep up the good work. I enjoy your blog very much.

And could your daughter be ANY cuter???? Seriously...

Atlanta said...

Happy SITS day! I have had many many of those "I will never" moments, and the leash was one of mine. And guesss what? I met My son. The one who would refuse to hold hands or stay anywhere near you in public. The things we think we know before we become parents ourselves. Everytime someone comments or gives advice who doesnt have kids I think "Oh you just wait"....

Jenn Erickson said...

Congrats on your SITS day. I had plenty of "I'll nevers" before I had kids, like "I'll never let my children sleep in my bed." Of course, that lasted only until my first child was teething. Now that the girls are older I miss waking up to their sweet little slumbering bodies next to me. It's funny, once you're a mom, to listen to friends w/o kids emphatically insist that their own "I'll nevers" will never waiver, just the same way we all did before we became mommies.

Patricia said...

I had all the I'll never say that when I'm a mom.. guess what.. I say them. ALL. I even threw in the starving children in AFrica phrase from my father one day.. course that was said tongue in cheek with a sly grin at hubby. ;)

Happy SITS day. Love your blog!

Anonymous said...

I think we have all said "I will never do that..." at one time or another. Especially prior to having children. You really never know until your faced with it and every child is different. My 3rd is too young to tell, but my first and second are totally different. Totally!!

Happy SITS day!!

Amy said...

Its funny how our children change our minds, isn't it? So funny! And congrats on your SITS day!

Star Forbis said...

Congrats on being the featured Blogger! Cute Blog. I too have a blessed quiver, love the Twilight Books, and survivor. We have a lot in common! :) It's nice to "meet" you.

Becky @ Babes in Hairland said...

Sounds like my middle one "Bug." I think there's got to be at least 1 in each family right?! I just finished reading all the Twilight books - and my friends teased me about abandoning my family while doing so! LOL Happy FB @ SITS today!

Got a giveaway going on over at my blog if you have a minute feel free to come check it out!

www.babesinhairland.blogspot.com

Claudya Martinez said...

Never say never.

Kim said...

Mines name is Preston. And oh the things he's taught me. I even gave in to the dreaded leash. Although I definitely refer to the leash as a backpack because it sounds so much nicer! :P The things our children teach us!

Unknown said...

My Mr. Mischief changed my mind about what I will and won't do. And he has a monkey backpack with a long tail (aka a leash). He refuses to hold hands, so if I want to keep him from running out in front of cars or from getting lost in a huge crowd, the leash is my only hope. It makes him feel like a "big boy" and I feel like a responsible parent. It could be worse!

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

It's funny how all the things that you thought you would never do go right out the window isn't it?

One of my Hobby Blogs said...

OMG - this is hilarious - that is exactly how I feel sometimes, tho my boy 2yo, so many "I would never do that" - "My kid will never do that" - lol seriously, you are so right - and BTW, my boy wears a wrist leash, for my sanity, not his safety = LOL (Did I mention how your front blog page pics of your kids are gorgeous, I was thinking of doing something similar after seeing yours!)

Ms. Mama said...

Do you think it is her personality or just that she is close to the end and a little bit of a kid that knows her mind.

My youngest is like that. It is making me a little crazy.

Good luck with that.

RebeccaMom said...

too funny, we all have those things :) Hope you had a great day as Featured Blogger SITSta! I am stopping by a little late, but still wanted to visit you :)