Things you said you'd do when you had kids... and actually did.

[impossiblecat]

A positive thread for a change.

Everyone has plans of how they want to do things when they're pregnant and there's always some miserable sod going.... "wait til you've had them, you'll change your mind..."

So what DID you stick to?

Me, EBM, lots of reading, minimal screen time, going out in all weathers, good bed time routine.

Come and be proud of yourself 😎

Camping. Lots of it. DS (8) has had about 80 nights under canvas already!

Nurture a love of reading, which now they do and quite happily will wander off somewhere with a book.

Eat what you're given or go hungry. I don't do cooking several separate meals, if you want something different you'll have to get it yourself.

Good bedtime routine, bath, story, cuddle and bed. All the younger 3 are always in bed asleep by 7.30 and the eldest by 8.30. I need my 'me time' in the evenings although I know that will change once they get older/ into teens

Read to them lots & have plenty of books for them to choose from.

Teach them about the countryside, farming, wildlife, wildflowers, the names of trees & crops, where their food comes from.

Take them to the threatre.

Show them that life is for living.

Encourage them at school & not show them my 'fear/dislike' of maths daft as I've been both a bookkeeper & bookmaker but it's still with me

Always let them know they're loved, even if we don't like their behaviour and that they can always talk to us about anything.

I wanted to encourage imaginative play and managed that, my dd is now 12yo and still gets her playmobil out!!

That she would sleep 7-7, it took a little while but got there in the end, until she got to about 9yo and got to stay up a bit later 😉

That she would eat better than me.

Work FT and still be a damn good mother.
Read to them every night.
Introduce new family traditions.
Play board games as a family.
Tell them I love them.

Reading lots of stories (poor sleeper!), lots of outdoor play as she would spend hours in the garden every day, imaginative play making up stories and games, playing board games. Baking and eating as well as crafts.

Interesting that a few people have mentioned family meals at the table - yes to that too. The dining table is used for crafts, eating, homework - it gets a lot of use!

Now she is older, we still try to let her have a go at all kinds of activities as well as her regular ones. I tell her I love her every day, more than once, and how proud we are of her.

Commenting to follow

Let people eat Christmas food before Christmas day (rather than stockpile and seemingly refuse everything in the house the week before)

Put meals on table to choose portion and then say eat what you take, rather than have to eat what we were given.

Let them know they can always call and I will pick them up without questions. (mainly because i would have loved tbat opportunity at times and never had it)

Tell them I love them
Hug them.
Don’t expect them to eat food they hate.
Make birthdays and Christmas special.
Do things with them, crafts, cooking, playing games.
Take them for daytrips and holidays.

Reading
Kindness

Those were the only things important to me, TBH

Be able to drop work to always be at sports days, school plays etc.

Let them watch as much tv as they like.

I still in them a love of physical activity and sport.

Love them unconditionally

And make Christmas and birthdays epic.

Get them into something early on - a passion for life
Have supper together at table every night

No dummies or co sleeping and a good routine from early days.
Did all three had babies that ran like clockwork and it all felt very easy.

Teach her to love drawing. Read to her every night and a strict bedtime routine. Teach her to loves to be told and tell stories.

Frankly, this one is so important to me that she watches tv, reads, listens to the radio and asks over and over for me to just tell her stories (mostly fairy tales).

Spend lots of time with them
Read bedtime stories
Give a bath everyday (I know you don’t have to, but as a child we were rarely washed so it feels important to me!)
Cook healthy meals and encourage my children to eat a wide range of foods
Encourage curiosity

Oh and make sure my children know they are loved unconditionally and don’t have to perform academically or otherwise to earn my love

Build a nuclear fusion reactor.

I promised I would be open and tell the truth and I've stuck to that, my 6 year old knows where babies come from, about periods etc, so she won't have any surprises!

I also make time for cuddles, affection and lots of I love yous as my grandmother and to some extent my mum are very stiff upper lip.