Tell Asda what you wish you knew before becoming a parent - £300 voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

[PoppyMumsnet]

Sometimes, we wish we had the benefit of hindsight– knowing what to have said, what to have done would have made the situation a whole lot easier. Asda would like you to tell them about the things you wish you’d known about before being a parent to a baby/toddler. Would being a new parent have run more smoothly had you known certain things before? What sort of things would you have liked to have known?

Here is what Asda has to say: “Here at Little Angels, we understand how daunting it can be waiting for the arrival of your long awaited little one. That’s why we’d love you to share your top tips on anything from being a parent for the first time or what’s different when you have your second.”

So what do you wish you’d known before becoming a parent? Time flies by so quickly - maybe you wish you’d known to take more videos or photos. Perhaps you wish you’d known that children are much more expensive than you originally thought, so you could have planned better. Maybe you wished you’d known about a support network that you could have spoken to from the very beginning. Or maybe you simply wish you’d known how hard it would be so you could have mentally prepared yourself?

Whatever your story is, Asda would like to hear about it. All those who post below will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 Asda voucher.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard T&Cs apply

[Ladybirdturd]

I wish i knew that it's OK to not know what you are doing and to make mistakes along the way! I gave myself such a hard time with my first and shockingly she survived and is a brilliant little person.

[Bubblebloodypop]

That you worry like crazy. I'd have enjoyed my worry free years a lot more.

[pinkunicornsarefluffy]

I wish I'd known how hard it would be!

[ohfourfoxache]

I wish I had known to trust my gut instincts more.

And I wish I had known just how bad postpartum care was on the ward (not the fault of the midwives AT ALL, there just weren't enough staff)

[Hotlingbling]

I wish I would have known that I wouldnt sleep priperly for five years.

[SouthWestmom]

Nits, ringworm, impetigo, threadworms, verruche, warts and molluscum.

Think that covers it...

[VanellopeVonSchweetz99]

As soon as you get used to one stage, they are onto another one ...

[Lovewatchingrainfall]

To not underestimate how quickly the times goes. If they want you to sing the same song over and over again then do it because before long they won't want you too.

Also how much you will miss going to the loo or shower on your own.

[Donttouchthepoop]

Routines!!! I thought people were being pushy but i bloody regretted it when i was trying get dd to sleep at bedtime

[sharond101]

That I wouldn't be the same person and that everything would revolve round the baby so I could make some relaxation time beforehand.

[somefarawaydream]

How much lack of sleep effects you, I would encourage all women to take a little while on maternity for themselves to catch lots of zzz

[MooPointCowsOpinion]

I wish I knew that you don't just have to do things how you've always seen them done, that parenting is different all over the world and all over the country, so you can pick and choose what works for you.

And that you'll be criticised no matter what, so at least be sure for yourself that you've done right by your family, and others can judge how they please.

[Pinkangel23]

How little time you get to yourself when they're little; how difficult breastfeeding would be; post-natal depression; the huge cost of childcare; the impact on career opportunities. However I wouldn't change any of it.

[fish88]

To just relax and go with whatever works for your family. There's no point getting stressed over setting routines or comparing your baby to other people's.

[purplepandas]

I agree 're trusting your own instinct and not worrying what others think and do. Adults are not the same and babies do things at different time points. Easier to do this with subsequent children though.

[CMOTDibbler]

I wish I'd known that there wouldn't be any family support at all in spite of what people said.

And all the time we were TTC, I wish we'd saved hard to offset childcare costs

[IncaAztec]

On a lighthearted note: That they would cause such a messy car. It used to be perfectly clean before they came along. Now it gets awful really quickly!

[Yumpopbythesea]

No one knows what they are doing. Xxxxx

[DoItTooJulia]

I wish I knew how much I could love. Each time I worried that I wouldn't love them. But I love them more then anything. Sometimes it hurts how much I love them and I really wish I'd have known.

[Purplebluebird]

I wish I had known how hard it would be, how much worry I would have, how much time it would consume, how never ending and relentless it is... I wish I'd known that I would have to eat my biscuits hiding in the kitchen!

[WhatWouldFlopDo]

That it's easier to go with the flow than worry about why they're not sleeping. They all get there in the end.

[Theimpossiblegirl]

I wish I'd known to have a few more lie-ins before having kids. It was a few years before I got another one!

[SendARavenToRiverRun]

I wish I had known that I didn't need to take every piece of advice given, be it from books, friends or MIL.
I wish I had known bottle warmers were a waste of money.
I wish I had taken more videos, things that seemed mundane would be lovely to watch back now.
I wish I had know how precious the newborn stage is and tried to enjoy it more rose tinted or what?!
I wish I had known, it's ok to give up on breastfeeding and use a bottle feed when your nipples bleed and your baby screams blue murder at 2am.

[PosiePootlePerkins]

That it will all work out Ok in the long run.

[lostowl]

I wish I knew how much joy I'd feel to look in my daughters' eyes.