That’s How I Survived Parenting Without Going Crazy

‘Parenting is all fun’…

That’s what I used to think before becoming a parent. I thought I’d figured out everything and was fully prepared for the parenthood journey. I watched parenting videos, read multiple books and promised myself I’ll never spoil my kids by fulfilling all their unacceptable wishes.

In my mind, I was confident and READY to embrace this journey.

And then my little bundle of joy came to this world.

Everything was going fine until one morning, I decided to give my toddler some special treatment at the breakfast table. That’s when I realized that parenting is more challenging than I expected.

Let me share what happened next.

My princess wanted cereal, so I poured cereal into a bowl and added milk later. Yeah, exactly. That’s my mistake. I ADDED MILK LATER.

My toddler looked at me like I’d committed a crime. I can’t forget that moment. Milk first? She cried like I’d changed the recipe and brought something else for her.

‘Nooooo, I don’t want cereal now!!!!

That’s when I thought maybe I’d read the wrong parenting books or my life was over.

I tried to stay calm and explained to her that it didn’t matter if I added milk first or later. But my explanation was useless to her. Toddlers don’t believe in logic, and I should have made peace with this fact earlier.

I told her, “Let me dump this bowl into the sink and prepare another one for you”. I asked for another chance to correct my mistake. Gladly, she accepted my apology and started eating cereal, to which I added milk first and cereal later.

I felt like I had won the battle, but at what cost? Let’s not recall it here.

Sometimes, you win by losing.

I thought it was over, and things are better now. But do you know what happened next?

One day, I decided to eat some snacks alone. I know I have a toddler at home, but I still took the risk. No one tells you that once you have kids at home, you are bound to share everything with them and can’t eat alone.

I thought my daughter was sleeping, so I opened my chocolate bar. Before I took the first bite, she appeared out of nowhere. I tried this multiple times, and the outcome was the same every time: my kid stood before me and asked for her share.

What are you eating? She would ask… My answer didn’t matter because she already knew it.

That’s when I thought about hiding snacks. I started keeping fruits in the fridge as a distraction while my favorite snacks, including chips, cookies and chocolate, were in the cabinet she couldn’t reach. Sometimes, I ate my snacks in the kitchen, and sometimes, I ate them in the bathroom. No shame, but I was left with no other choice. It was my guilty pleasure.

But I was never prepared for the embarrassing moments. For example, one time, my daughter shouted in the middle of a mart, “Mommy likes talking to the cars, but they don’t talk back.” I had two options: deny the accusation or simply accept it. I preferred accepting it.

I took a deep breath and said, “Well, yeah… It happens but rarely”. I could see people’s eyes questioning my sanity.

Well, the bottom line is every parent is perfectly imperfect. There is no universal rule we can follow to become perfect parents. It’s about surviving and going with the flow. Some days, it feels like a mess, but your baby’s one hug is enough to melt your heart and make your parenthood journey worth remembering.

And that’s how you survive parenting… Embracing and forgetting crazy moments.

More info: danberkidz.com

Mom with daughter

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