What parenting things do other people do that you absolutely refuse to do?

[FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop]

I never bake my kids' birthday cakes. I can buy a very good supermarket one or pay someone to produce something that looks better than what I can do and has cost me less.

I won't do role playing with them. There are no scarier words than "mummy will you play with me - you be the dog and I'll be the owner". I apparently do it ALL WRONG anyway, I usually say something like "instead, why don't we do some painting" or I even say I'm busy. And I thank God every day the days of playing tea parties are over. Me perched on a very uncomfortable toadstool seat pretending to sip tea from a singing Fisher Price teacup for 2 hours and doing it wrong anyway 😂

No soft play or Birthday parties???. That's so sad.

@OnTheBrink1

what you are missing is the whole picture. just because I don't read them bedtime stories it doesn't mean they are
a, deprived of stories
b, deprived of bedtime stories
c, deprived of me reading to them

Even giving you that much explanation is something I shouldn't need to have done because frankly it's none of your business.
And you finding a tiny aspect of their lives terribly sad (dramatic much?!) based on incredibly limited knowledge is offensive, laughable and pathetic.
especially because you don't know my reasons.

so please keep your terrible sadness because it's rude, judgemental, misplaced and unnecessary.
save it for something that's actually terribly sad. mkay?

@RevolvingPivot

No soft play or Birthday parties???. That's so sad.

No soft play isn’t sad at all. Generations of kids grew up without experiencing it.

I don’t mean this bad,but there’s nothing really noteworthy on this thread that is an omission. Children aren’t damaged by not experiencing soft play or euro Disney.

Won't sit reading while they're at soft play (I watch or join in). Do you really just stare at your kids playing for a couple of hours, @stayathomer? I used to love the excuse to work through a good book 😂

Don’t know what Elf on the Shelf is.

No school photos up. Almost no family photos up.

No crisps/ Penguin biscuits etc in school lunch box.

Child only one at school bar one other with no computer in the house aged 15.

Baked birthday cakes but not many home baked cakes for people coming over for tea.

No Disney or theme parks.

No naughty step/time out.

Hated board games.

No neatly trimmed hair. Went more for abundance.

No school skiing trip.

@peaceanddove

Oh and another one. Absolutely refuse to ever use our DDs as a source of income.

Think the point of the thread is devote from the norm... using your child as a source of income is hardly the norm!!

Child only one at school bar one other with no computer in the house aged 15.

What did they use for Teams lessons?

“Rosegoldfan

Child only one at school bar one other with no computer in the house aged 15.

What did they use for Teams lessons?“

This was some time ago Rosegold. There were no Teams lessons.

@ScrollingLeaves

“Rosegoldfan

Child only one at school bar one other with no computer in the house aged 15.

What did they use for Teams lessons?“

This was some time ago Rosegold. There were no Teams lessons.

Ahhh different times.

[quote ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba]@OnTheBrink1

what you are missing is the whole picture. just because I don't read them bedtime stories it doesn't mean they are
a, deprived of stories
b, deprived of bedtime stories
c, deprived of me reading to them

Even giving you that much explanation is something I shouldn't need to have done because frankly it's none of your business.
And you finding a tiny aspect of their lives terribly sad (dramatic much?!) based on incredibly limited knowledge is offensive, laughable and pathetic.
especially because you don't know my reasons.

so please keep your terrible sadness because it's rude, judgemental, misplaced and unnecessary.
save it for something that's actually terribly sad. mkay?[/quote]
God you are one weird cookie.

1. you put your ‘business’ on an open public forum so yes it’s my business to ask and reply to what you have written.
2. I am perfectly entitled to my opinion. It’s neither offensive laughable or pathetic (dramatic much!?)
3. You have no right what so ever to police what I find terribly sad. I am perfectly able to state I find anything I like terribly sad, and the beauty of a public forum is that I can state that wherever I like.

Nowhere have I been rude or judgemental- I think that probably you reflecting there.

Craft. Painting is OK.

Eating on the sofa or walking around. We eat at the table or in the garden.

Take screens into a restaurant.

Character clothes. (Gave in on pyjamas)
Role playing.
Christmas Eve Boxes
Letting them sleep in my bed.
Sharing a bath with them (although they've all at one time or another shared with DH or each other)
Stopped them tasting drinks or food which people usually wouldn't allow a child to (not coke that's a step too far until about 6 but fizzy water with squash in or olives, capers and anchovies, DS used to love to chomp on a lime wedge dipped in salad cream).

episcomama
Sorry it probably sounded judgey on people who read at soft play! They'd be shouting down or running over so much that it was just easier to watch plus I don't get much time to just appreciate them really, at home everything's in snippets where you have to do something or deal with something! (Ps I'm a blogger and author so I like taking a break from my kindle!!!)

That makes sense, @stayathomer.

Sitting by their bed patting them to sleep. Cannot believe people do that.

Loving this thread - really interesting. Interested to hear why people don't go for primary sleepovers? I don't tend to either but one DC is a bit young and the other is a bed wetter so I feel reluctant to put them in that position away from home. What are other people's reasons for not wanting sleepovers for 11s and under?

I never did them (as mentioned on another thread) I am the mug of a parent who always ended up with kids around mine. A few made comments about their DDs staying at mine, I never did it, I know I’d end up being a free bloody babysitting service for no personal benefit or it being reciprocated.
DD is also a big sleeper and lots of her friends aren’t, she wouldn’t have someone who gets up at 5am coming to stay.

@Imcatmum

Sitting by their bed patting them to sleep. Cannot believe people do that.

No bloody choice, especially during teething. Swiftly followed by crawling out on hands and knees when they finally dropped off.

@FakeColinCaterpillar that's interesting about yours being a big sleeper. My eldest is a terrible sleeper and I think would always be the last one to fall asleep at a sleepover which would put me off sending them. Different sleep tendency but essentially a similar reason/concern.

@ArtemisFlop

Loving this thread - really interesting. Interested to hear why people don't go for primary sleepovers? I don't tend to either but one DC is a bit young and the other is a bed wetter so I feel reluctant to put them in that position away from home. What are other people's reasons for not wanting sleepovers for 11s and under?

Yes curious too. My 8 almost 9 year old is begging me for one... we have provisionally arranged 1 for the summer holidays. But I might change my mind depending on what people say!

Blossomtoes:

No soft play isn’t sad at all. Generations of kids grew up without experiencing it.
....
Yes mine never did it, it wasn't even thought of then. It sounds dire, especially if parents have to stick around.

Mine is only 3 so there's a lot of time to change my approach still! But so far:

Feed her fish/seafood/meat of any sort.

Use tablets/TV/phone etc as entertainment on public transport or during a meal/at a cafe etc.

Bath her every night.

Give her free reign with snacks.

Let her frequently eat chocolate.

Make her separate meals.

Give her meals at different times to me & DH.

Coslept.

Waited for her to be 'ready' for toilet training - we just gave it a random go and it was fine, she took to it great, we didn't wait around for mystical signs that she might be 'ready'.

Let her wear whatever she wants.

Grow her hair (it's a bob).

I didn't get involved with other parents at school, eg pick up time or PTA.

I don’t think that’s a recognised parenting style where people go round saying “I allow rudeness, I just love it when my child is rude”

Yet there are some really rude children around.
I know a few whose parents have no clue how it happened, or how any of the other obnoxious behaviour crept up.