Stuff your Childless Friends say...

Mommy Proof #24: It does no good to get offended at the stuff your childless friends say. It is more satisfying to watch them eat their words when they have their first child.....

1. "When I have my kids....." Aaaahhhh, those are five of my most favorite words. The truth is that very few parents enter parenthood and actually stick to all of their pre-parenting rules.

 2.  "When I have my kids, they will never sleep in the bed with me." Good for you. Some babies are so very easy going that they do go down for the night and are easy to get back to sleep with a quick little rock or even a "It's time to sleep." I never had one of those babies. I was one of those parents who said I wouldn't share a bed with my fourth. I had made that "mistake" with my first three children. The mistake I really made was not doing what worked for my family. After three months of caring for a screaming infant, I fell asleep from pure exhaustion. I woke up in a panic when I realized that I actually had slept for more than 15 minutes straight. That had not happened since before he was born. I looked down and saw him curled into my body...where he fit....where he belonged....where he actually SLEPT!

 3.  "What's the point of buying a crib?" It looks cute. *shrugs* He will eventually sleep in it.

 4.  "That's why I will never breastfeed." (As they look at my toddler nursing.) Nope, breastfeeding isn't "fun." It does look "easier" to carry a bottle filled with the correct amount of water and formula or a sippy cup. Yes, he is quite big to want to nurse. But don't let what my baby and I do turn you off from nursing, which is how most mammals feed their young. I'm sure it isn't glamorous or appealing, but it does work for us. Whether you try to nurse or not, don't base it on a fleeting moment of watching me try to give my toddler a cup. Right then, he didn't want it. He wanted me. Nope, he didn't need it for nourishment. He needed it for comfort. Gross, right?

 5.  "He's spoiled." Yes, he is. Every baby, toddler, and child should have that feeling of knowing that their parents will respond to them. What looks like "spoiling" to you is actually my toddler expressing his desires and knowing that I am attentive enough to listen.

 6.  "Just tell him to stop and he will...." Okay, then you do it. See how that works out for you. But right now he is tired or hungry or bored, so I need to get to sleep or give him a snack or sing him a song. I know that will work out better for him.

 7.  "He's crying, because you pick him up every time he cries". But he was crying BEFORE I picked him up. Your logic is flawed at best.

 8.  "Why would you put your child on a leash?" Because some toddlers hate for their hand to be held. It may be too: 1. sweaty for his hand. 2. tight for his hand's circulation. 3. uncomfortable as you hold it. 4. makes his knuckles rub together. 5. annoying! It doesn't really matter to me what is behind the reason that makes my two year old rip his hand from mine and run off. The only thing that matters to me is keeping him safe, close to me, and happy.

 9.  "I will never buy a leash." .......until your impulsive toddler rips his hand away from yours filled with another baby and shopping bags, then proceeds to run into a crowd full of potential kidnappers. After that you may think again.

10. "I would never want kids in my early 20s/mid 20s/early 30s..." Then, don't have them. DUH!!!!!!!!


Which advice given from your childless friends made you laugh the hardest?