What part of parenting are you good/bad at?

[TheBigFatMermaid]

Following on from a thread where I just admitted I am pretty bad at bed times and always have been... I know I'm not overall a bad parent. So, here is a place to tell us what parts of parenting you are good at and what you are bad at. The only rule is, there have to be at least twice as many good things as bad.

Ok, I'll start.

I am good at making time for my DC.

I am good at doing crafts with them.

I am pretty awesome, in that I pulled DD out of school to HE her when she needed me to.

I am good at my DC knowing where the boundaries are. If I say something like 'If you do that again, I'm having your phone', they absolutely know that if they do that again, I WILL have that phone!

I am rubbish at bedtimes. They are now 13 and 14 and I often go to bed before them.

I am rubbish at making DS do homework. I don't agree with it, so while I remind him, offer him help with it, I will not spend my previous evenings with my DS arguing with him about it.

Over to you,please do not forget the 2/1 ratio! It matters!

Precious, not previous!

I'm pretty awesome that I've raised my children to be so kind and considerate of others.

I'm good at doing crafts with them.

I'm good at playing silly games with them such as tickle monsters etc.

I'm good at snuggling up with a book.

I'm good at talking to them. They always come to me with their problems. Sometimes some quite big issues that I've helped them resolve.

I am absolutely rubbish at playing pretend games with dolls etc. I'm autistic so play should have rules, and dolls jumping off the top of the dolls house roof really stresses me out it shouldn't happen and if it does they should at least have a bloody broken leg!

I’m good at cooking varied nutritious dinners...less good at being patient when they turn their noses up at them. I’m good at doing crafts and arts with them and getting them outside for walks. I’m good at keeping to a routine and timings and predictable bedtimes etc. I’m not good at letting them make their own mistakes and learning things the hard way. And I’m. It good at relinquishing control and going with the flow. And really really bad at coping with the mess.

Mine are littler so no phones yet

I am good at reading with them.
I am good at apologising when I lose my patience and get arsey for no good reason.
I am good at talking to them.
I am good at letting them express themselves and find their own style even if it isn't my taste.
I am bad at
Cooking with them - this is a huge disappoint to me as it was something I thought I would love and that we would bond over but I have no patience with them.
Teaching them things like swimming and riding a bike - I can't do those things so don't know where to start, do have just ignored it.

37HerRoyalFattyness you sound awesome! Just let them run with the imaginary stuff on their own!

37ElsieBobo we need some more good from you, although I think you're doing ok, I don't think you do. There have to be 2 good to each bad!

37MaudebeGonne three children in and my DS,age nearly 13 hadn't learnt to ride a bike. His friend took him and his bike up the park and 10 minutes later DS came riding down the road! They learn when the learn, as with all things!

Ds is only 17 months and so far I've discovered that I'm no good when very sleep deprived but am not bad at cooking for ds and making him nice food he likes.

44firstimemamma, that's one thing you're good at, need one more!

I was awful at pretend play, I have no imagination. I was great at cooking, reading, involving her. We had endless fun in supermarkets - she would 'write' the list and then select it all, would take ever, loved it. I loved the library, dinosaur bone (really great logs) hunting in the woods, duck ponds, tree climbing, den making, treasure hunting, digging, gardening, water play. I actively enjoyed the princess dress plus wellies and a bobble hat phase. I was dreadful at patience and still am. As mum to a teenager, I am excellent at discussions about music and clothes, awfully lax about age restrictions on films I feel she must see . I am very bad at hiding disapproval and spectacularly bad at saying nothing when I really should say nothing. I am very good at offering to pay the extra for the thing she desperately wants and is slightly short for.

55Drinkciderfromalemon, yay, I make that way more good than bad! ⭐

Thank you!! I think I won at small child age rather than now mind, no patience and a quick tongue is not ideal with a teenager!!!

The only thing I say I've succeeded in is bringing up polite considerate children, when it comes to other people, not their parents . I think I'm pretty crap at everything else really.

I can spot when ds is faking illness or fibbing. I am good at ensuring homework gets done and at finding food he will eat (he’s picky). I’m good at making sure he has all the right things on the right days for school. I don’t let him give in if he struggles with something at swimming or karate.

I’m calm about cut fingers, scraped knees and wrecked school trousers. I listen and will back my ds to the hilt. I don’t give in to “but everyone else has one.” If he genuinely needs something I will find the money somehow. I am rubbish at organising holidays but apparently my lemon drizzle cake is the best.

I am hopeless at setting up technology, loath Google with a passion, and Roblox makes me lose the will to live.

My ds comes first, (he’s 11) and I won’t worry about finding another relationship until he’s at least 16. Ds still sometimes hugs me in public.

Talking with my DCs, sharing knowledge and experiences with them.
Identifying and working with DS's SNs. He's high functioning and wouldn't have fallen under a lot of people's radar. He masks and school wouldn't have spotted the full extent by this stage.
Giving them chance to be independent and learn through experience (I'm not patient enough to mollycoddle them too much )
Smiling and nodding at relentless Minecraft talk. I have learned some things though.
I've kept them alive this far...

Bad at... I struggle with organisation and tend to be just-in-time, but even before DS got a diagnosis, I suspected that there was more than one dyspraxic person in the household.
I try to get them to do a sensible share of household chores, but it's a heck of a battle to force me and them through.
Getting them to bed, why do the cunning little sods have to be so cute and lovely at that time. They're low-sleep, slippery little things anyway.
I dreaded when DS1 said "play with me" when he was about 4. He had the perfect plan of how to play and I wasn't telepathic enough to get it perfect. He'd meltdown and I'd strop off as it was a lose:lose situation.

I'm good at boundaries, we have rules and consequences.
I'm good at teaching them kindness and consideration to others.
I'm good at cuddles.
I'm good at being their parent rather than their mate.
Im good at accommodating their many hobbies.

I'm bad at sticking to a healthy diet all the time, they have treats regularly.
I'm bad at sleepovers, cba

THE GOOD

I'm good at giving my time and attention, from playing with trains when DS was little to playing FIFA (which I hate) now.

I've always been good at managing his behaviour (I never needed the naughty step or threats), even when he was little and other people found him very difficult. He's now a little superstar and has great emotional intelligence.

I still read to him every night and always buy him new books.

I'm great at limiting screen time.

I've encouraged him to be helpful around the house, which he is.

THE BAD

I've totally failed on all sorts of practical things: table manners are crap and he can't tie his shoe laces.

On car journeys I let him tell me stories but I never listen to them.

I have a great relationship with DS but I worry that's at the expense of his relationship with DH, they just aren't as close.

I can't cope with whining, I'd prefer outright rudeness tbh.

THE NEUTRAL

I think I'm not patient enough, but my mum thinks I have the patience of a saint 🤷🏼‍♀️

Mine are still pretty tiny so I'm still finding my feet, but so far, I'm good at greeting them with a smile every time I see them, even at 3am. I'm good at cuddles and bedtime snuggles. I'm good at being the perfect place for dd to sleep (at 11 weeks old, she doesn't want to be anywhere else.) I'm good at making interesting train track layouts, and reading books. I'm good at having everything organised so that mornings are as easy as possible for toddler ds who is not a morning person! I'm also good at keeping calm and managing things when one of them gets hurt, or sick, even when it involves a hospital trip. I'm not so good at keeping my patience sometimes when ds has a tantrum. I'm also not good at getting ds to brush his teeth but we're working on it!

I'm good at cuddles
I'm good at listening
I'm good at organising everything (after school activities, amazing birthday parties, family outings, and all the rest)
I'm not a good homework coach. I get frustrated and lose patience.
I'm not good at apron strings
I'm not a good healthy eating role model,

apron strings loosening the apron strings.

05Thestrangestthing, that is actually pretty important, well done you!
12Mintjulia, you are doing great, karate is fab, DD2 is nearly a black belt, I consider this the best this we have ever done for her!

14Thehogfatherstolemycurry, we all do this.

18alliejay81 it sounds like you are like most of us but have extra challenges that make you hard on yourself!

12ShinyGiratina, you are doing so well, do you have similar diagnosis? It often runs in families!

I am good at:
Boundaries - always follow through on threats so now I rarely have to make them
Helping her stand up for herself when her friends are being dicks. We practise comebacks to shitty comments regularly
Laughing at rubbish TikToks and playing minecraft together
Arts and crafts
Telling cringey dad jokes

I am bad at:
Having any patience whatsoever for faffing or bad manners
Having the right things on the right days for school
Being civil to her father

I'm good at lavishing with affection and praise and cuddles. DD walks around with a cute small self-contented smile most of the time, and KNOWS she's gorgeous, loved, and that we think she's the best thing since sliced bread.

I'm good at keeping DD well-groomed and tidy.

I'm good at teaching her to be kind.

I'm good at working with her picky eating.

I'm good at extended breastfeeding.

I'm not good at limiting screen time (as I watch far too much TV myself).

Mine isn’t quite three weeks old yet 😆😆 but I’m intrigued as to how DH and I work together, so I’m going to play.

I’m good at cuddles and I make a wonderful pillow.

I love reading with DS (HV encouraged!) and I tell him at least one poem every night before bed. I sing to him too and play him lots of music.

I’m good at keeping things organised for DS and DH.

I’m tip-top at night duty and keeping DS settled.

I’m bad at nappies and getting him dressed and undressed - I can do it, but he gets very upset! DH is much better at keeping him calm!

I am bad at evening feeding - we now combi-feed of an evening to give my body a rest. I love breastfeeding but eventually I reach sensory overload and have to step away. I feel guilty about this but also know it's best for DS and for me. Plus DH gets to feed and bond as well if I’m not doing it all

DH is brilliant at imaginative stuff, makes up stories and songs for DS and does a brilliant job of calming him in the evenings, and while nappy changing! I swear, he is the best co-parent a woman could wish for! He makes this whole thing way more than twice as easy.

I’m good at being a mummy doctor as told by my 4yo dd tonight.Bumps, cuts and bruises 100% cured so far, not thing serious as yet phew.

Giving my time for reading, schooling and education.

Giving time for fun things swimming, parks, picnics and soft play.

Rules and life skills, lm always being told how polite they are.

Bad at being touched constantly especially on the face.

Patience l can’t Zone out the whining he pushed me/she said etc or the same question 100 times.

Creativity l can make up songs, dances or games but l can never whip up a fancy dress outfit from nothing.

I am good at

Patience. Single parent of 3 kids under 5 and I've never raised my voice or yelled

Teaching kindness. My kids bowl me over with the level of kindness they show to other kids, and to each other

Holidays. I don't have much money but I take the kids away for weekends to campsites/ youth hostels/ cheap holiday parks all on my own. Just load up the car and go. I have friends who won't even take their kids to the supermarket without another adult to help.

Managing behaviour and manners. Even my three year old will say "thank you for the lovely dinner. Please may I leave the table" when he's finished eating at home or out.

I'm bad at;

Limiting their screen time. I'm terrible at limiting my own too. The eldest has no interest in screens and would read or draw all day, but the other two are hooked

Making complex train tracks that all join up. HOW?! My ends never meet. I've never got the hang of it.

Cooking varied meals. I stick to what I know and my kids eat a lot of "kid food", tinned food and frozen food.

I have become the most wonderful parent in the world with no faults.................

My DC is approaching 40 & lives in another country!