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 😂

@TheWashingMachine

I just couldn't bring myself to suck the snot out when they were babies and really bunged up, before they could blow their noses.

I don't know anyone who did. First I've heard of it.

Perciphone no need to be 'sad' for my DS - when I said I never played it is meant on the terms of 'role play' or setting up tedious train tracks, Lego etc - none of which he ever wanted to do anyway.

I just never saw the attraction on spending ££££s on theme parks - but that doesn't mean there are lots of other outings that we didn't do ... just not queuing up for hours and spending ££££s on 'organised entertainment'. We lived near the beach when DS was younger and had endless days out having fun ... swimming, crabbing, rock pooling, playing cricket etc .

Co sleeping with babies and small children, Christmas Eve presents.. Putting up Christmas trees weeks and weeks before Christmas,with stacks of presents underneath..

Mine are a bit older now, but I never -
Did Elf on the Shelf. Gives me the willies.
Or Christmas Eve boxes, Christmas stockings, wrapping Santa presents.
Or Picnics - can't see the point.
Camping - ditto.
Snacks when we were out.
Glitter as part of craft supplies - I feel this is self-explanatory.
Early bedtime - they all went to bed at 9ish.
Early, separate dinner for DCs - family ate together around 7, sometimes watching TV.
Allowed food or drink in bedrooms apart from water.
Let them see me cry.
Allowed anyone to dodge daily showering from age 7 on.
Let them mess with their food after they left the high chair.
Rationed their Hallowe'en candy.
Restricted their screen time.
Refused to let them get ears pierced at a young age.
Turned off the TV for mealtimes.
Did daily baths for babies/toddlers.
Bought new shoes for everyone every year. They wore a lot of hand me downs.
Let people wander into the bathroom while I was there. I locked the door.
Gave in to tantrums.
Allowed rudeness.

Also, no theme parks.

People who are saying “well I don’t allow rudeness” on a thread that’s meant to be about things you do that are unusual or deviate from the norm… 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”

Sleep training - I think it's a myth.

Elf on the shelf/Easter bunny - just why :o

Time out - could never work out how to make them stay, plus try to avoid punishment in general. I think you get better results from problem solving and empathy.

Forward facing in car before about 18 months but preferably 2/3 years. Just too risky.

Photo shoots - just not to my taste at all.

Designer clothes, even sports brand until they are teens, I don't get spending that much on someone who is growing and they look so naff. TBH I'm even fussy about hand me down ones

Stand around at freezing sports activities

Oh god yes and snot suckers. I absolutely refuse. I don't care if they're the pipette kind or the mouth kind. My children have not yet suffocated from a blocked nose :o Generally, they just develop a crusty bogey and then it gets sneezed out, which seems much more healthy to me than constantly emptying their nasal cavity of something that's supposed to be there. If they get really bad we stick them in a hot bath, the steam and water loosens the chunkier bogeys (gross).

Hilarious that climbing up slides is so controversial. I'd get them to get out of the way of other DC but otherwise, let them play how they want to play.

I can't be arsed with theme parks but that's because I'm a wuss who doesn't like adrenaline rides. DS1 feels the same way. We suspect DH will be taking DS2 when he is older though. We will stick to a nice Harry Potter Studio Tour or something along those lines.

@ScrollingLeaves

ExpressoDoubleShot “We don’t send or make thank you cards . Fussy affectation”

I disagree that it’s fussy affectation.

I disagree too. Of course no one has to do it but it's a kind and polite gesture, a good lesson in caring and manners and rewarding for the receiver. Your wording is really arsey, @EspressoDoubleShot and demeaning towards those who do things differently to you. I wonder if you really are as dismissive as you sound?

Formula feeding, cry it out, sleeping training, purees! (Baby is only a few months)

@CallMeRisley

People who are saying “well I don’t allow rudeness” on a thread that’s meant to be about things you do that are unusual or deviate from the norm… 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”

Lots of people are answering with basic parenting type matters 😂

Purchased rice cakes. Other parents would whip out this vile weirdly smelly but sugar free snack and I silently vowed never to inflict them in my two. Now mine are teens guess what they purchase and enjoy themselves?!

My dd isin her mid teens now, but I've found I've had a lit of good intentions which simply went out of the window. Always said, No Disney! But she found the princesses anyway, and is now a Marvel fan.

Things I don't or didn't do:

Role-play
Tummy time (she hated it)
Messy play
Enrolled her in tons of extra-curricular activities. If she found an interest, we'd encourage her
TV in her bedroom
Went cycling. We live in Central London, its too dangerous
Hired a tutor
Took her phone away at bedtime
Limited TV/internet use

Separate meals for kids. As young babies they got morsels off my plate, then once old enough to eat properly they were given whatever we had. Who the fuck has the time and energy to cook and sit through dinner twice every evening?

Xmas Eve boxes - don’t see the point
Elf on the Shelf - can’t face it
Bake birthday cakes - no point as I can’t bake to save my life
Go on scary theme park rides - poor dp gets to do this

As soon as she was old enough dd asked if dh could make her birthday cakes or even better Sainsbury’s 🙁. Sore spot for me. My cakes taste nice but look like a 5 year old made them however hard I try. Caught on film is one of dds friends saying “what an odd cake” as I brought it out. Just not my skill set.

@EspressoDoubleShot

Nursery from birth They never slept in same room as us

How does that work, I thought nursery was from 6 weeks?

Not RTFT yet so apologies if it's already mentioned but I absolutely refuse to take part in the parents race on Sports Day.
When dc were younger they looked sad I wouldn't join in. They're now pre-teen and look very happy when I politey decline a vest.

Never gone on a family skiing holiday which round here is seen as frankly kids being deprived and parents neglectful.

@EspressoDoubleShot

Premise of thread is deviation from majority. It’s not inviting face or angst It’s simply folk saying the things they do that aren’t the expected norm Reign in the faux angst & sympathy

The faux angst is far less jarring than all the painfully self-righteous or smug posturing.

Make consequence-threats that they do not then carry out. "This is the last time I'm going to ask..." (before asking again); "Do that again and I'll take it off you" (and then don't take it off them), and so forth. Future rods for future backs!

Feel guilty about enjoying myself.

@CheekiBreeki

Separate meals for kids. As young babies they got morsels off my plate, then once old enough to eat properly they were given whatever we had. Who the fuck has the time and energy to cook and sit through dinner twice every evening?

God, I wish I had enforced this. I've now got 2 dc who enjoy completely different home-cooked meals. I'm sending myself some

Played board games. If they want to do that they can do it with their dad.

Pushed them at sport. One DC competes a national level and some of the parents are just awful. I feel so sorry for their kids. I often wonder what those parents will do with their lives when their kids inevitably leave (most people top out by 18).

@lboogy I think the PP you’ve quoted means the baby slept in the nursery (ie the baby’s room) from birth, rather than they attended childcare from birth. Some people call their baby’s room the nursery.