Tell me about your parenting screw ups?

[Overwhelm9]

Today I dressed my son in his nicest clothes for nursery thinking it was picture day. I only in fact just realised that yesterday (the one day he doesn't attend) was picture day. He has come home with his nicest jumper and jeans covered in flour from baking and of course there will be no photo this year. I'd definitely advise anyone else that this really doesn't matter in the scheme of things but I can't help feeling I really screwed up!

I just read a post about the fact however that we all cock up occasionally as parents and that we should normalise the ways we don't always get this rewarding, crazy and sometimes funny job right.

Anyone care to join me and share your parenting fails?

In a very similar, really not a big deal but to me at the time it really was story:

I cried big snotty tears when DD got her first school photos taken.... I knew they were happening had made a point of ensuring that her hair was neat and she had clean uniform etc.

Only to discover that all the OTHER girls in her class had special hair styles, bows, ribbons etc.

I felt like such a failure. My mum was absolutely AWFUL at things like this - she didn't have a clue about style or fashion, didn't care a jot about other people's opinions etc. In many ways, that was so good and I'm glad I had that role model BUT..... it meant that I was equally clueless. I had NO IDEA that making MORE effort for photos was a thing. I felt that I'd really let DD down, that she was going to be laughed at by the other girls etc.

Of course it was ridiculous and it was fine. But also, we now plan her hair style and are going for French braids this year....

A more genuine parenting fail is that I didn't clock quite how bad the bullying at DS' primary school was and I therefore didn't push the school hard enough. Culminating in a really terrible situation and real struggles for DS for a while. I will never forgive myself for that but at least he seems to have moved on and is thriving now.

I spent a lot of time recorrecting DS1 at about 16 months to move his favourite word from "fucks" to "fox"...

Swimming lessons- always a nightmare to get baby changed so i thought id be super clever- put baby in her swim nappy , costume and her clothes over the top - i then drove 15 minutes to the leisure center- when i got there my little girl was COVERED in wee and soaking wet - i didnt realise swim nappies only held in poo and not wee! Laugh about it now but at the time felt like the biggest failure 😂

Put my twins in uniform when it was non-school uniform day 😬I felt so so horrible as we were already a bit late that day so no time to change and I ended up turning up late to work because I had to run back to get 2 pretty sets of clothes with hair accesories! They were both about 5 so we were so so sad about it and I still feel guilty even now !

Bought my toddler his first wellies and went for a nice muddy walk. He was whinging and limping but I assumed he was just getting used to his new boots.

Turns out the toes were still stuffed with loads of tissue. Poor lad must have been so uncomfortable. I still feel terrible about it!

I forgot to pick up DD2 from school, despite picking up DD1.
I only got to the gate, the head teacher thought it was very funny when she asked me if I had forgotten something (and DH was giggling in the car outside too)

DS fractured his arm but it wasn't swollen or anything so I thought he was making a fuss about nothing. Felt very guilty when we finally took him to A&E several hours later. 20 years ago but I still feel terrible about it!

Walking to school earlier this week another mum pointed out that my daughters trousers were on backwards...not noticing feels worse!