The Lies We Tell Ourselves

     Every mother-to-be knows there are certain things their children will never ever be allowed to partake in. This happens in those blissfully ignorant days of pregnancy; you drop in on a friend with kids, her preschooler is glued to the television, the tween to her i-pad, and the toddler is scarfing down those radioactive-looking orange cheese doodles. And you tell yourself it won't happen to you. Maybe you even said it out loud. And your friend gives you "the look" that says, "Just you wait."
      Popular items on the parenting chopping block include sugar, television, noneducational toys, fast food, co-sleeping, and bungee jumping. And anyone who has been a parent for 5 minutes knows just as well those rules go out the window pretty quickly.

     I'm proud to say we've stuck to our guns with most things. We never co-slept, because my husband was paranoid about rolling over her in his sleep. (a completely legitimate concern, she could curl up to the size of a softball, not exaggerating.) She has enough educational toys and books that they have completely taken over our house. I've never seen her bungee jump but she does a pretty impressive swan dive off the sofa. 

That being said, I was adamant about two things; no fast food, and no television before age two. And like every other well meaning new parent, I was in for a surprise. 

     The no fast food rule held up until her first birthday, when my daughter discovered the joy of a certain restaurant with golden arches on a road trip from Louisiana back home to North Carolina. The first night we let her try french fries along side her organic baby food. The next morning we stopped for coffee and biscuits, and her baby food simmered on the dashboard while she happily wolfed down a pancake. Fortunately, her love of fast food was very short lived, and she's a surprisingly healthy eater, so I call that a win..

      No TV lasted less time than the no fast food, by roughly 10 months. That's right, my daughter was fascinated by TV by the time she was 2 months old. I should have known better, my mother in law warned me that her son was a TV addict, (still is). I tried in vain to get her interested in anything else. I banned TV during the day, plied her with colorful picture books. No go. My toddler loves television. 

      On the plus side, I find by turning on her favorite movie, I can empty the dishwasher without her running off with a knife or fold clothes only once, since her version of "helping mommy fold" is tip the basket, grab my bra , and run away. 

      So, the next time you break your own rules just to keep a little peace; you hand over your smart phone standing at the check out, pull out the sugary snacks, or make a pit stop at the drive-thru, stop hiding your head and look around, chances are there is a mom right beside you doing the exact thing she swore she'd never do. And don't sweat the well meaning people who look on and shake their heads. It's your turn to roll your eyes and say, "Just wait until you have kids."