Parent Guilt

We are all saddled with parent guilt at some point or other. The key is to not let it take over. I often wonder if our parents ever felt guilty for putting brandy on our gums, or letting us sleep in a carry cot in the boot of the Volvo estate car…probably not.

If you’re having a bad day, or you’re feeling weighed down by guilt I hope this list of the things my Hubby and I have felt guilty about at one time or another in the last two years makes you feel a bit better. You are not alone, and more importantly you are not a bad parent.

1. I had a C Section.
2. She watches too much TV.
3. I didn’t breastfeed for long enough.
4. Sometimes I skip pages when I’m reading her Peppa Pig books.
5. Hubby tripped and fell over whilst wearing her in a sling.
6. We gave her milk straight out of the fridge, and I never bought one of those portable milk warming things.
7. Her welly boots are slightly too big and cost 50p in a charity shop.
8. We bought her Cow and Gate instead of Aptamil because it was slightly cheaper.
9. I bought her a bright pink Trunki on Ebay because it was cheaper than all the less girly ones.
10. When she was about 14 months old she fell over whilst playing outside and hit her head on a rusty nail sticking out of our back wall. She has a small scar on her forehead.
11. We’ve co-slept since she was about 8 months old, and we still do whenever she wants to.
12. I didn’t enjoy breastfeeding.
13. She doesn’t eat enough vegetables.
14. I drank Coke when I was pregnant (and ate a lot of Wispas)
15. We haven’t thrown big birthday parties for either of her birthdays.
16. She loves chocolate.
17. We didn’t organise a cake smash photoshoot.
18. We haven’t gone pumpkin picking.
19. I get distracted by my phone.
20. She threw up all over me, herself and the nurse whilst getting her second lot of jabs.
21. We only remembered to fill in about half of her milestone cards.
22. I ate runny eggs when I was pregnant.
23. We hang out with Hubby’s parents too much.
24. We still haven’t completed her baby books.
25. I take her to the beach even when it’s cold out.
26. She’s too good at using her tablet.
27. Thomas the cat peed on one of her toy baskets.
28. We can’t afford to buy a bigger car so she can rear face for longer.
29. She doesn’t see my Mum and brother enough.
30. I haven’t taught her any of my holiday French.
31. We don’t do bath time every night.
32. And she uses Johnson’s baby products.
33. I went back to work when she was 7 months old.
34. She once played with a dead mouse.
35. I worked late when I did go back to work and I was always a bit stressed and distracted.
36. Most of her clothes are second hand.
37. I always hated the Moby wrap, and bought a Baby Bjorn instead.
38. I can’t drive so that restricts the things we can do together.
39. I don’t feel confident putting her in the back carrier by myself so we never use it unless Hubby is with us.
40. I bought her a really cute bee bag that is also a toddler leash. It demeans us both.
41. We still haven’t finished decorating her playhouse.
42. We took her on a yurt holiday when she was 6 months old and it was freezing cold at night but boiling during the day. And she had a tummy bug.
43. After a miscommunication between Hubby and I we once fed her microwaved puree that was too hot.
44. I dropped her whilst trying to stop the cats having a fight.
45. We give her lemon and lime slices because the faces she makes are hilarious.
46. She’s very familiar with Ella’s Kitchen.
47. She eats too much processed food.
48. I once fed her too much milk on a long car journey and she threw up everywhere.
49. She definitely eats too much pasta.
50. I sneakily eat biscuits and chocolate in the kitchen so I don’t have to share.
51. We’ve caught her tasting a stray piece of cat litter.
52. I give her chocolate from Lidl and save the Dairy Milk for myself.
53. Once I didn’t catch her when she was coming down a slide and she bumped her head.
54. I ate a medium rare steak when I was pregnant.
55. She once ate a stale Hula Hoop from out of the bin in the spare room.
56. I don’t do enough super creative Pinterest activities like dyeing spaghetti fun colours.
57. I let her try my tea.
58. We’d quite like a second child.
59. Sometimes the cats sleep in her bed.
60. I’m always crashing her buggy into things.
61. I don’t wash her new clothes anymore before she wears them.
62. Once I got her buggy stuck going down some steps.
63. We bought her a Hey Duggee towel that she really hates using even though she adores Hey Duggee.
64. I definitely don’t iron anything. Ever.
65. I’m not that great at baking and I find baking with her a bit stressful and messy.
66. She eats things I would never eat…like tuna, mushrooms and smoked salmon.
67. Heinz Tomato soup is one of her favourite foods.
68. I bribe her to eat vegetables with cheese.
69. She eats too much cheese.
70. She thinks apple juice is a thing only Granny and Grandpa have.
71. I eat most of the chocolate people give her at Christmas and Easter.
72. She thinks only Granny’s computer can play YouTube nursery rhymes.
73. I make her mini hot chocolates with marshmallows when we have cosy afternoons at home.
74. We taught her to say “It’s poo o’clock” when she needs a poo.
75. She’s not potty trained yet and I don’t plan to try until Hubby is off school for the summer.
76. Sometimes I get grumpy and tell her off when she won’t let me get on with something I shouldn’t be trying to do when she’s awake anyhow.
77. We haven’t signed her up for swimming lessons, or baby ballet.
78. We took her to the Tram of Terror at Halloween and she was a bit scared.
79. Sometimes we take her to McDonald’s. (I steal her Happy Meal toys)
80. I won’t let her play with my Lego.
81. I enjoy a little bit of time by myself.
82. I read two Gina Ford books and ignored them both.
83. We’ve watched the Aristocats a millionty times.
84. I sneakily take kids books that I hate to the charity shop.
85. She still loves her dummy at bedtime.
86. I watched a lot of boxsets when she was a new-born.
87. We didn’t do enough exciting stuff when we lived in London.
88. I caught her licking the nailbrush in the bathroom.
89. We haven’t taken her to Peppa Pig World, or CBeebies Land, or In the Night Garden Live.
90. Sometimes I let her have breakfast or lunch in front of the TV.
91. Wine was one of her first twenty words.
92. I cut her hair in the bath.
93. She once got stuck in the bathroom when the handle came off the door and I had to call the fire brigade.
94. I won’t let her play with my doll’s house.
95. Sometimes we all cuddle in bed with our electronic devices.
96. We don’t do Christmas Eve boxes.
97. And I didn’t make a big deal of Easter gifts either.
98. I haven’t made slime from scratch.
99. She still sleeps in a cot even though most of her friends have toddler beds now.
100. We have matching Cath Kidston outfits.

And yet she’s the most awesome human I know despite all of this.

Advertisement