i must be very stubborn, i read the title of this thread, and all i can think of, is things i set out to do (with my bub), that other people said i WOULDN"T do, yet i did do. (prolly cos so much other stuff failed, the few things i COULD control/make happen - i did).

But the one i broke so much - "sleep when your baby sleeps". My baby and toddler - woke EVERY two hours, 24/7 - NO BREAK - constant sleep deprivation - i have never been a napper - because i knew she would be awake again in two hours, i coudln't see the point in trying to get to sleep myself - i was a zombie. At about 20 months, she began to sleep five hours at night. By that time my insomnia was so bad, i still coudln't sleep.

i broke the "you need to keep yourself healthy, eat right, to be able to parent your baby". Was unwell, sleep deprived, not supported in real life, unable to drive for months, ended up surviving on iced coffee and weetbix for a long long time.

i had set ideas in my head "my child will grow up with access to a back yard, a sandpit, a shady tree to play under, a piano in the house etc etc". None of those happened. I really thought, when baby arrived, her father would man up, and we would move to a family friendly home. And "we will always eat as a family, at the dining table". ANother epic fail.

and my initial rule - only have a child when you're married - sigh. epic fail. (me, not anyone else).