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 😂

Making teenagers pay rent. Enforcing a schedule of chores. Banning swearing.

I don't make fancy cakes that look like anything on birthdays because I'm not capable of doing it; I just make cakes that taste quite nice. No one has ever seemed to care!

I refuse to put tracking apps on kids' mobile phones - honestly shocked how common and normalised this seems to be

I don’t smack or physically chastise. Never have,never will.

Make birthday cakes, plenty of great, reasonably priced cakes in the supermarket.
Packed lunches.

Painting. That's what nursery is for.

Used to refuse to do baking but caved on that on lockdown.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Christmas Eve boxes- ffs they can’t wait one day (“oh but Freddie needs a toothbrush and pyjamas anyway” ) Oh and matching pjs for the whole family’- sod that

Oh god the matching pyjamas! Makes them look like they're pet of some cult

Would never do controlled crying

I used to be anti elf on the shelf. Then lockdown happened and we were looking for anything to cheer us all up. They loved it.

Role play - yep did it. Didn’t enjoy it but DS did. Lord he loved playing knights and his face would light up when we did it.

Primary school sleepovers - yep done those.

There wasn’t much I wouldn’t do with or for the kids - but that’s because I had a very very deprived childhood so I feel unsure with parenting and don’t want to cock up (so I over compensate) 😂😂😂😂

Let me stress - there’s not much I wouldn’t do within reason. If the kids suggest it.

But stuff I would not do would fall in the camp of things which were naff like Christmas Eve boxes, matching outfits etc

Listen to nursery rhymes in the car. Nope, my car my music thank you!

I’m a nanny (with my own first baby imminent in a few weeks)

LOTS of parents think you pay the nanny to do the things you don’t want to do- no. I very much still have my own way of doing things!

-unless their legs are falling or they are gushing blood, for the love of Christ leave me alone when I go to the loo

-I will not do imaginary games like Frozen or Ninjago, or pretend you are my dog. I will play hospitals- I’ll be the patient and shit my eyes for five minutes lying prone on the sofa.

• if they squabble over silly things while I’ve told you I’m going to cook the dinner or sort out the laundry, they should be prepared to fight to the death, because I won’t intervene.

-I do not negotiate with terrorists

• I will never, ever give in or pander now matter how much they scream the place down, I have no embarrassment about tantrums in public.

• ‘I’m bored!’ gets them a list of chores they can do to help me, so they know better then to say it

• I will colour, bake, do arts and crafts, but if I get the stuff out

• above all- I will never, ever let them chase pigeons or other birds or terrorise living creatures in any way. I can’t bear seeing parents let their kids do that.

*if I get the stuff out, they better stay focused on it for more than three minutes.

Pretty laid back here- but if you wanna play with slime or kinetic sand I’m ringing nanny so you can take it to hers and play can’t stand the stuff!

Blimey @SmidgenofaPigeon, I think you’re me!

Too many. Off the top of my head...

Don't bake birthday cakes here either
Elf on the shelf. Hate it!
No reward charts

I'll buck the trend. I refuse to force my DS having to sleep in his bed

Let them have glitter ( as in , glitter in pots to use when crafting etc) anywhere in the house . Just . No.

No co-sleeping
No baking cakes here either, can’t bake to save my life
No elf on the shelf or Christmas Eve boxes
No family holidays solely focused on kids eg Disney
No pets
Used to have a “no screens on weekdays” rule but lockdown put an end to that…

We do lots of other things that others won’t though like arts and crafts, let them choose the music in the car, role play etc

This has turned into stealthy boast/ passive aggressive competition

@PandasCatsWolves has it

@PandasCatsWolves

This has turned into stealthy boast/ passive aggressive competition

I’m not seeing that at all.

Inevitably, someone will be piqued or offended by this thread. Perceiving it as an attack
I await all the elf on shelf and glitter queens indignantly protesting they are wholesome activities

Don't give my kids pocket money or make them do chores.

Elf On the Shelf
Christmas Eve boxes
Check my DS15 phone. I used to but he needs privacy and he's a real homebody so he's not out roaming the streets
Know the names of said DS15's teachers. I know his firm tutor's name but I seem unable to remember the others.

I regularly bribe the kids. Do x and you’ll get a treat