Tell Asda what you wish you knew before becoming a parent - £300 voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

[PoppyMumsnet]

Sometimes, we wish we had the benefit of hindsight– knowing what to have said, what to have done would have made the situation a whole lot easier. Asda would like you to tell them about the things you wish you’d known about before being a parent to a baby/toddler. Would being a new parent have run more smoothly had you known certain things before? What sort of things would you have liked to have known?

Here is what Asda has to say: “Here at Little Angels, we understand how daunting it can be waiting for the arrival of your long awaited little one. That’s why we’d love you to share your top tips on anything from being a parent for the first time or what’s different when you have your second.”

So what do you wish you’d known before becoming a parent? Time flies by so quickly - maybe you wish you’d known to take more videos or photos. Perhaps you wish you’d known that children are much more expensive than you originally thought, so you could have planned better. Maybe you wished you’d known about a support network that you could have spoken to from the very beginning. Or maybe you simply wish you’d known how hard it would be so you could have mentally prepared yourself?

Whatever your story is, Asda would like to hear about it. All those who post below will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 Asda voucher.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard T&Cs apply

The biggest thing I wish I'd known is how badly sleep deprivation affects the body (and the mind!) I was expecting things to be tough, but with next to no sleep for 6 weeks ...

To learn to embrace rather than fight the chaos.
Because one day it'll stop. Or you'll realise that in all the trying to find order you missed the whole beauty of family.

I wish I'd know how much worry I would be suffering over the years from the smallest thing to the bigger ones!

I wish I knew how little free time I was going to have. I would have been less lazy before children and made better use of my time!

When I found out I was pregnant with my second child everyone gave me the saying of "they will be best friends" and having two boys is great!

But nobody really tells you the real truth do they? Nobody told you how hard it is when your eldest is sick and you have a clingy 12month old. Nobody tells you how you can cope with both! Nobody tells you that sometimes you have to try and comfort both at the same time and it's the most heartbreaking thing in the world because you can't just pick your eldest up and hug them like you should! Nobody told me how you cope with a child who gets I'll all the time or how you cope with your mental health with it because your so tired of your youngest being ill and you get so frightened your on tender hooks all the time because your eldest wasn't like this! Is it normal? At what point does your mental health go back to normal and you stop worrying? Everyone warns you about dangers in your home when it comes to a walking 11month old but nobody tells you about the dangers a 3 year old can cause when you have a 11 month old. The small toys, the lovable hugs that sometimes get to rough, the jealousy of a 3 year old towards a 11month old! Nobody tells you about these hazards and how to cope!
There is so much that's never spoken about when your pregnant with your second and sometimes people just need to be a little to honest to help other mums with two really know the ride there in for! Thank you x

Follow your instincts and don't worry about what other people say or think.

I wish I had been more confident and trusted my own intuition and instincts more, and also not been so obsessed by my DCs reaching milestones on time of before time and had relaxed more.

I wish I'd had more confidence in myself and been more relaxed about the 'correct' way to bring up a child. All you need is love!

I wish I knew about the sheer willfullness of my children sometimes so I could've prepared myself for the huge tantrums and stress.

I wish someone had told me to enjoy the short time that you can pop them down in one place and when you look back they will still be there!
I also wish someone would have told me how much mess a small person can make - my poor carpets!

The cost of everything! Think I'd have saved up and put money aside more for my maternity leave especially!

I wish I knew about Mumsnet when my first two children were born (although it hadn't been invented then!) It would have been great to know I wasn't alone.

I wish I had known how hard that first year would be, sleep deprivation is such a hard thing to endure and as a single parent I had nobody to share the burden of the night feeds with, I also wish I had known how much you worry as a parent, about literally everything from death to what those spots mean, to whether they have done their homework properly.. worry everywhere!!!

I wish I'd realised how much time and constant mental effort looking after DCs takes. DD needs attention all the time I love her to pieces but its wearing sometimes.

How fussy they are when it comes to feeding time and that at the age of 2 they still dont sleep great haha x

Other people will always judge your parenting... no matter what you do. Just do what is right for your family and carry on!

Your best is good enough.

Never cut anything without asking first.... Toast, bananas, anything... It doesn't matter how you cut it, a toddler will always want it the opposite 😆

I wish I'd known how hard it is. It wouldn't have changed anything but at least I would have been prepared. And it just gets harder as they get older. They also bring me more joy than anything or anyone else ever could, but also more worry.

I wish I hadn't spend hundreds of pounds on useless equipment before actually having the baby and working out what was best for us. As it is, I breastfed and co-slept (got more sleep that way), and carried her around in a sling for a while as it was so easier. Cot and moses' basket, bottles and equipment, expensive purée-ing machine thingy were pretty much never used. Also: learning to trust myself. Health visitors, friends and family are full of good intentions (mainly), but as a mum, you know best what works for your child.

I wish I had known how difficult breast feeding would be and that it was ok not to carry on with it.

I wish I had known not to worry so much about milestones and what age they reach them, as it really doesn't matter...they all get there in the end. I wish I had know how expensive it would be and saved up beforehand more or had a better paying job.

I wish I had known that there are as many ways to raise a Child as there are children.
That the nature versus nurture debate is very much in evidence when you have twins and they have such different personalities!
That I would spend so much time looking back on memories and looking forward - wondering what will happen in the future and having to keep reminding myself to enjoy the here and now.

I wish I'd known how much pressure it can put on a relationship when you become new parents

I wish I had saved more money so I could spend more time with them and not worry about the bills and having to rush back to work after maternity leave. I also wish that I'd known how rewarding it was and how amazing it would be.