Before I had kids I never understood...

[ellesabe]

...why it always took so bloody long for a family of four to get in/out of the car.

Surely you just put the kids in their seats and click the buckle in. Right?

Any more?

...that it surely can't be THAT difficult to shut a crying/tantrumming toddler up, right?!

That dummies are a girl's best friend. Closely followed by Google.

That it is possible to think about someone else 2,000,000 times a day

I used to judge parents whose toddlers had snot coming out of their noses all of the time. Until I had DS (1.8) whose nose constantly runs meaning that I am fighting a constant battle with snot and losing.

A childless colleague recently asked me if I realised that my son's nose was running and was I too busy to clean it. My first thought was "but it's fine, that's just a little bit of booger" (as it was in relative terms), and my second thought the realisation that this was karma for my previous judgy thoughts

Parents who got emotional at stuff on tv/in the news involving children.
Even a bloody home makeover show where they do a kids room has me blubbing at their happy, surprised face.

Gary I have that too with a news. I wasn't blase before and these stories made me a little sad, but now when I read a story or see something about something sinister happening to a child - especially at the hands of someone else - I feel a deep deep anger that I never had before.

Love this thread. Yesterday I took DS out in the sling whilst pushing the empty pram - ever hopeful that one day he will go into the pram without screaming the house down, who knew that all babies didn't love being in their prams!

That I would happily catch a liquid breastmilk poo in my hand to save the sofa needing to be cleaned when he projectile poo'd halfway through a nappy change.

I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would be so pah to shit on my hand, wall, stair carpet, bathroom radiator, settee etc etc... Thank god he finally got the jist of potty training.

Oh and yes yes yes to so many of the others.

why people with children are ALWAYS late for work. Surely you just up a bit earlier !

I think I could get up at 5am and would still be yelling at DD to get her shoes on at 5 to 8

Anyone who says they slept like a baby has never had one

Those of you smug about leaving the house, just wait it may hit you when they become teens, mine are far worse at leaving in the mornings now.

Dd1 used to take 20 minutes to put on a pair of socks.

Oh and real fear is when your children are at home and you've had 20 minutes peace to get on with jobs. (Sudocrem on carpets once, Vic on walls the other.)

That it woud be possible to be still alive and functioning having not had a full nigh aleep for 22 months and counting...

Why people walk about with raincovers on their prams when it is clearly not raining.

How difficult getting 2 boys up in the morning could be..

How you can be so tired out but actually achieved anything that day

.....'Not' was meant to be in there!

GoblinGranny - I suspect dd1s very young (but brilliant!) teacher thinks all those things

I don't understand the raincover one, why would you use one if it's not raining? I barely bother with it if it is actually raining, the hood of the buggy keeps most of it off unless it's lashing down and the raincover is a faff and causes DD to screech the whole time it's on.

I have to say I'm also confused by the raincover. Doesn't it turn the pram/pushchair into a mini greenhouse if it is sunny and not raining?

Although I must admit it does muffle the loud screams coming from dd when she is bored of being in the pushchair

I think the raincover is if you have it bundled up on top - still attached but undone and rolled up. I assume this is due to the changeable weather - showers just before bright sunshine then back to showers etc? I do this anyway. At the moment if I don't take it it is bound to tip it down!

For me the raincover masks some noise and avoids distractions so DS is more likely to take a nap or wake up when we go to Asda and the self service checkout tell us to the items are the incorrect weight.

Penelopelane I was going to say the snot thing too. PreDC I always thought 'I won't have snotty nosed kids'. Now I know it's nigh on impossible to keep them snot free at all times.

I never understood why parents were so precious about nap times/ bedtime. Couldn't they just skip the nap that day or let the kid go to bed an hour late? I know realise that it just ain't worth it!

Why parents let their toddlers go out dressed like 'that', because parents are in full control of what their DC wears and are able to drag clothes onto something flailing like a recalcitrant octopus.

Why parents don't just say 'no' to their children and that would be the end of it. I have a very persuasive 2 yo who won't take 'no' for an answer, though I was secretly delighted this week when after a long discussion she declared, "I'm not going to play with you because you said 'no'".