Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Without thinking/Off top of head.. Regrets?!

55 replies

Wilff · 27/02/2023 17:01

If you had to say something straight away, at this precise moment...
What are you regrettable about ?

(Actually maybe top 3.. in order)

OP posts:
user50and · 27/02/2023 17:03

Drinking in my early twenties, acting like a dick and losing a really lovely boyfriend over it!

Copout21 · 27/02/2023 17:04

Marrying my ex

Wilff · 27/02/2023 17:06

Not being assertive enough when putting other (not worthy ) people before myself

OP posts:
Nimbostratus100 · 27/02/2023 17:06

not setting up a pension younger

Copout21 · 27/02/2023 17:06

Copout21 · 27/02/2023 17:04

Marrying my ex

Sorry, too hasty. Top 3: marrying my ex, not studying a 'professional' degree subject with clear career path, wasting years of my teens/twenties hating my body

lurkingfromhome · 27/02/2023 17:07
  1. Not wearing enough sunscreen when young
  2. Putting up with a series of terrible boyfriends for far too long when young
  3. Not doing a really big epic month-long holiday somewhere (ie before I had lots of pets and elderly parents to worry about and not spend too much time away from)
thenewaveragebear1983 · 27/02/2023 17:12

-Starting smoking (quit now, but wish I’d never started)
-not doing something creative/artistic at uni and having confidence in myself
-the years and years and years I have spent with ‘body image issues’ that have been a part of my life for so long , and still are, and I think probably will be forever. Such a waste of my time and suck the joy out of everything.

Ihateboris · 27/02/2023 17:18

Not contributing to a private pension.

Finding my biological father.

LakeTiticaca · 27/02/2023 17:40

Marrying ex
Marrying 2nd ex
Wasting a good education

KohlaParasaurus · 27/02/2023 17:42
  1. The way I spoke to and behaved towards some of my patients and colleagues when I was a junior doctor. I was an agreeable person before and after that period in my life, but the constant stress and lack of sleep turned me into a bad tempered monster. Over 30 years later I still find myself thinking of individual people I'd like to go back and apologise to.
  2. Spending money on fancy house and garden improvements and private school fees when my children were younger. In my defence, I loved my job so much that saving hard to retire early didn't enter my mind.
  3. Every piece of cake to which I have ever said no when I secretly wanted to say yes.
LindorDoubleChoc · 27/02/2023 17:43

Giving up piano aged 14.

Gaining yet another stone during menopause (I was already 1.5 stone overweight).

Losing touch with my friend M.

SquigglePigs · 27/02/2023 17:45

Waiting til my late 30's to have a baby. Wish I'd done it a few years earlier.

Losing touch with a close friend after she moved away.

Not getting my weight under control in my 20's. So much harder now!

SpecialK2023 · 27/02/2023 17:46
  1. I think I was a bit of a know-it-all condescending person when I was a younger. I cringe when I think about it now.
  2. Also too direct and assertive - I think it was a consequence of CSA but I was a bit of an a-hole and I really regret cutting people off for standing firm when I should have let things go.
  3. Im not sure I truly regret it but life with my DH is hard because of his circumstances and I wished I knew the full extent of what was to come.
0o0o0o0 · 27/02/2023 17:52

Listening to my dm telling me I had to tell my nan to leave her home. I knew it would be the end of her and it was.

Not having a career

Not being a better mother to my dc because I was traumatised.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 27/02/2023 17:54

Not telling staff at school what was happening at home.

Choosing instead to 'escape' with the first man who could at least pretend to like me sometimes.

Not asking for help to apply to university.

NastyNiff · 27/02/2023 18:00

Leaving Brighton; Leaving working in radio; Doing PhD

StaceySolomonSwash · 27/02/2023 18:00

Not learning to drive at 17. I've never managed it since despite spending hundreds of pounds on driving lessons in my 30s-40s.

Spent too much time listening to other peoples opinions as to my best course of action only to realise later in life that they only had their best interests at heart and not mine. Sounds odd but my parents always, always drummed it into me that other people know better and that was hard to break out from.

Boopear · 27/02/2023 18:04

Not taking that job in New York (imposter syndrome 😪)

IntentionalError · 27/02/2023 18:06

Starting smoking when I was a student.
Not looking after my teeth when I was young.

Newstartonwards · 27/02/2023 18:07

Not cutting myself off from my parents and my abusive family at 17 after A levels.
Wish I had gone to university cut contact, changed my name and had the years of therapy I have had in my 40s in my twenties and then forged successful friendships as a result.

Newstartonwards · 27/02/2023 18:08

Newstartonwards · 27/02/2023 18:07

Not cutting myself off from my parents and my abusive family at 17 after A levels.
Wish I had gone to university cut contact, changed my name and had the years of therapy I have had in my 40s in my twenties and then forged successful friendships as a result.

I mean I wish I had cut them off early

squashyhat · 27/02/2023 18:10

Not being more adventurous in my career choices.
Wish I had lived abroad at least temporarily.
Taking shit from boyfriends in my teens and early 20s

Wilff · 27/02/2023 18:35

Not being able to write down anything, knowing I'll feel regret over what I chose to write.

OP posts:
StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 27/02/2023 18:42

Not making a move on the tennis instructor at camp.
Giving up ballet.
Choosing Spanish instead of politics.

fitrare · 27/02/2023 18:47

Not telling my granny I loved her . The last day I saw her, I ducked my head in and gave her a kiss goodbye, thinking I’d see her again in a fortnight. 36 hours later she was gone . She wasn’t unwell . I never told I her loved her and how much I appreciated her . We were never very vocal about feelings or physically affectionate . I miss her every single moment of every day . I hope she knew how much I loved her .

Not relaxing more in my twenties . I wish I’d had more fun .

Not keeping being more patient, I could have been more tolerant of a very difficult situation .