I think like Trill, my parenting has changed over the years and is probably a bit different which each child as they are different.
I have now been a parent for 18 years and thats astonsihing to me sometimes!! I think I have become a much better parent with experience but I am also far less judgemental about ther people's parenting than I was too.
I am the mum to a teenager I wanted to be as in I have a very open relationship with her and I get on well with her friends (they call me Mummy Chris) but I don't think I am as good with the younger two. Sometimes I feel like I fail them (actaully some days i feel like i failed them all TBH)
Some days yes alot of days no But I think sooo many of us have too high expectations! We all have so much to do particularly if you have multiple children and/or work and/or look after a home...a partner...extended family...studies...friends...volunteering....I could go on and on!
Being an early childhood worker, I thought it would be a natural, normal progression to my own family, but oh boy, was I WRONG!!! It is sooo tough being a parent. It changes you into such a different person. I have patience if I have had a decent amount of sleep. But often that is not the case and I lose it. Then I beat myself up about it because it's not their fault, it's mine and I'm not being an adult and contolling myself like I should.
But on the good days we do all the stuff I dremt I would- paint, play playdough, 'broom broom' cars around, play chase and tickle, go to the park, eat enough fruit and veggies, don't eat any packet/sugary/salty/fake food. But on thise days, I haven't worked, I haven't sleaned the house much, dinner is something simple, I haven't had errands to run. It's been all about the kids on those days, and realistically it can't be those days every day, no matter how much I wish it could be!!
Sometimes. Only early days here too, but I think I interact with DS differently than I thought I would.
Before DS was born, DH and I used to joke that he would be the fun one, but I think that title goes to me at the moment! We have a ball together during the day at the moment since he's at that age where he is a lot more interactive, laughs all the time and wants to play.
I am completely unorganised though which drives me insane. I thought I would be organised, know where everything was and be able to keep on top of the housework. ha!
I'm less patient that I thought I would be (mostly when he wont go to sleep), and DH is more patient than me (which I didn't think was the case before!)
Like Trillian, we know what type of parents we don't want to be (just from our personal experiences growing up) and that is what is most important to us. I'm sure we'll figure the rest out as we go along.
Yeah that, Trillian & Mrsmac
I have changed heaps over the years... I am better in some ways, worse in others... I thought I would be more playful. Now I just feel busy & stressed all the time.
I am proud of the openness & honesty we have, especially with DD1 ( & with DS1 as he gets older, too).
I do a lot of things differently & a lot of things the same as what I got... one thing being a parent has done is changed my perspective on my own parents & step-mum. I see things quite differently now - so I guess in that sense, my parenting is different from what I thought it would be when I was younger.
ITMS.
I didn't have ideas about what kind of parent I'd be, but am I the parent I want to be? Mostly. I'm gentle, patient, attentive, and concientious about how my behaviour effects my kids, and rarely lose my cool, which I like. But on the other hand I can get really tired (where's my public holiday entitlements????????), which makes me grumpy and lazy and then we have too much easy food and computer/tv time. But on the whole we're all happy and I think that's what matters most!
I'm hoping that I'll feel less haggard when I've finished being pregnant, breastfeeding and night feeding (been doing it continously for 5 years now!!), and that then I'll have the time and energy to work on the parts of my parenting I'm not so satisfied with.
Overall I think I'm better. I don't know what I thought I'd be TBH but I had know idea I would have the emotional connection that I do have with both my kids. Or that I could possibly love 2 small people as much as I do, or be as unbelievably proud of them as I am.
The things I learnt along the way are:
The emotions I felt because I bottlefed my first child were my own doing and didn't in any way damage the relationship I have with my child nor did it damage her. My relationship with my breastfed child is no different, the only difference is how *I* feel. Which then goes back to it's how I felt about the situation not the reality if that makes sense. I learnt that having c/s child and a vbac child doesn't mean that I'll bond better with the vbac child because it was more natural. It really is the same. The way I felt about my birth is different once again how *I* dealt with the situation. Having said that, of course I would still have preferred to bf and birth both children vaginally but that doesn't mean it has ruined them or me in anyway because it didn't happen that way.
It's ok to have imperfections, they actually need to see them though so share them and share the "working through them" part as that helps them to in turn work through their own imperfections. It's ok to show negative emotion, but it is also important to show responsibility if your reactions hurt others, even as a parent. It's not ok to make your children cry, however if your children is crying because they are hurt by their own actions and consequences that is ok and is part of their development. But they still need reassurance, love and a cuddle so they know it's ok. Just like us they don't need to have it rubbed in when they know they've done the wrong thing.
The things I'm not so proud of:
My temper
The lack of time I spend playing
The lack of time we spend learning new things
I'm not always the perfect homemaker or earthmother LOL (but I also realise the unrealistic expectation this is but I can still dream )
Things I'm proud of:
My Patience (ironic given the first one of the not proud list but anyone will tell you I'm patient for the right things ie. the parenting things and not patient for the wrong things ie. taking too long etc)
Their emotional maturity and how I have nurtured that in both my children
How we interact as a family
How I set boundaries and encourage or discourage certain behaviour
How I deal with tantrums
How we show love freely
How my two children are not violent towards each other, or nasty and that they love each other very very much - for example we discovered sadly today that my 8 y.o. DD's guinea pig had died (we think it was the shock of the sudden melbourne heat this afternoon after a mild day) and my DS had been out with DH. I called to tell DH. When they got home DS (3) ran straight in and ran right up to DD and hugged her tight and said "Sissy I am soooo sorry that your lily died." I of course started bawling. They aren't always perfect to each other, but 99.9% of the time they are thoughtful, kind and enjoy each other's company immensely. I guess no differently to the relationship their father and I have.
I love that we laugh, and joke and have fun.
Our spontaneity.
Before I became a parent I thought strictness was above all important. I thought a stern tone and consequences was the best way to get results with children. I have since learnt that positive reinforcement and encouragement is the best way to get results with children
TBH out of everything I have ever done in my life being a parent is the achievement I am most proud of (and I'm not perfect but that's what's so awesome... I am OK with that!).
No. But then, DS isn't me in miniature: my "ideal" parent I was going to be was based on parenting my needs, not someone else's!
So we don't sit and have reading hour. Reading minute, yes. But not much longer than that. I allow my son to put on make-up... something I was adamant that my child would never do before senior school! A trip out isn't to a museum or art gallery or even a park... it's to the local station to watch the trains. We watch TV and chat about our favourite programmes - even to the point of using "wotty wotty wot" as a conversation starter.
BUT, I do treat DS as a human and get the same treatment back. I accept it when he tells me that I'm not being nice (eg yesterday, when I was having a whinge about someone). I answer all his "why?" questions (they've dried up now) and make sure he has an explanation for any answer he doesn't like (eg no I can't read a book, I'm driving). I laugh off mistakes and get apologies for naughtiness. We do chores TOGETHER and have fun, not DS having to wait for me to finish what I'm doing so he can play. I don't leave him to cry (unless he's tantruming that I won't play with a boy who hits me) and I don't hurt him.
We have a child-focussed relationship: he provides the ideas and I provide the boundaries. He has a bedtime, but he picks the bedtime story. He wants to climb, I direct him away from the Christmas tree and towards the sofa. He wants to come shopping, I make sure he helps me find the food, put it in the trolley, load it onto the conveyer belt and put it in the shopping bag.
It's great, I get my own way 95% of the time and DS doesn't realise he's not "having fun".
I am yes. After training in Childcare i learnt to always be consistant with kids and ive really stuck with that. Even if you get a few screams at first and as much as it would be easier to give in, down the track it really does pay off.
I too know what type of parent i dont want to be.. and so far im not, and dont have to deal with the consiquences of that.. i will continue to be that way... just like my dad.
I was going to be super-organised, have bub sleeping in their own bed by the time DH went back to work, 'might' breast feed if it works, house wont be taken over by 'kid' stuff, strict routine, you know the type - blah blah blah. I was one of those non-parenting people who say "Oh my child will never ...... (insert appropriate statement here) "..... I now think these people are idiots and realise they have (and I had) NO IDEA- LOL
I find myself to be a much more patient, nuturing, baby led, co-sleeping, attachment parenting Mummy who proudly Breastfed for 6 months. My house is no longer immaculate and perfect, nor I am, but I keep things tidy (the house and myself hahahhaha). I get so much more joy from my son than I ever could have imagined, and have learnt that my favourite time of the day is when we either play together or cuddle together.
I've also learnt that I CAN deal with less sleep (however it can turn me into a grumpy twit )
Naomi
ETA - Oh, and I've learnt to pick my battles - eg if my LO wont go to sleep, sometimes its easier to give up and try again in another 30-60 minutes (rountines CAN be broken without any lasting damage hahahahahaha)
To be honest i am a lot more relaxed than i thought i would be, i suffered from panic attacks when i was younger and i thought i would stress over the smallest of things but i haven't.
I am very much the mum i 'wanted' to be in regards to allowing DD to explore, get dirty and try things for herself, i'm a country girl at heart and find it odd when some kids are not allowed to play in the dirt go on swings etc.
I am not as much like my mum as i dreaded i would be (i love her but geez), she yells a lot and was never very 'active' with us due to her weight etc.
I have found even while PG my little girl comes first, even if that means chasing her around the yard for 2hrs because she doesn't want to go inside and just wants to chase the dogs.
I am not the mother i expected to be but i am on track to being the mother i WANT to be.
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But I think sooo many of us have too high expectations! We all have so much to do particularly if you have multiple children and/or work and/or look after a home...a partner...extended family...studies...friends...volunteering....I could go on and on! 
- so I guess in that sense, my parenting is different from what I thought it would be when I was younger.
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