Mumsnet users share the parenting moments where they've wondered "Is it alright if…?" with O2

[JustineBMumsnet]

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Parenting isn’t easy. The pressures of daily life make it even trickier, never mind the ages of your children, or whether you're a stay-at-home mum or a working one. Anyone who's been stuck with a teen on a bad day or a toddler … on any day, will know that sometimes you just need to do whatever it takes to get by so you can hold onto your sanity for another day. Even if that means flexing your parenting methods from time to time.

Here’s what O2 has to say:
"#IsItAlright to let them use a tablet at breakfast? We hear you. Parenting is full of #IsItAlright questions, challenges and dilemmas. That’s why we’ve launched O2 Family, to bring advice, safety tools and kid-friendly offers to parents across the UK. We don’t pretend to have all the answers. But hopefully we make it a little easier to navigate the everyday messy magic of family life."

So what does it take to break you and make you question your parenting prowess? Do you tell your children carrots are good for night vision so they eat their veggies? Always carry a packet of sweets to use as a bargaining chip when you’re out and about? Or do you volunteer to be seeker so you can sit on the sofa, eating crisps and shouting "I'm coming to get you!" every three minutes…?

Share the moments you've wondered #isitalright if …? and what drove you to it with O2 to be in with the chance to win a £300 voucher for the store of your choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

#isitalright if I take myself grocery shopping and leave dd with my husband? Because Im the only one getting up in the night and in the morning, my head may explode!

Biggest one for us was Is it alright to let my lad up to the park on his own now. He started asking at 7 but didn't really feel comfortable until he was 8.

I take the bins out ?

I live in a flat and I'm a single mum . I stressed so much about being able to take the bins out , I'd leave it for days and days until someone visited.
But I just hit a point where I was just like this is ridiculous , and just now try do it as fast as I can. I'm not able to carry him and the rubbish so I'll just have to make do until he can walk !

#IsItAllright if I insist the kids walk the dog with me after school.

i allow a bit of complacency on bed times at the weekend

I leave them in front of Cbeebies a bit longer so I can get the rest of the hoovering and cleaning done....

….I allow my son the freedom to explore the internet without parental controls/restrictions in place?

We had lots of preconceived ideas about how we were going to bring up our child. However some of these did change rapidly when faced with the reality.
The biggest change was ‘we are not going to let this baby change what we want to do...where we want to go and who we want to see’.
We ended coming home early from a holiday which we realised was not appropriate for our child and both being stressed on a visit to Paris where as soon as we stopped walking our baby started to cry so one of us had to patrol up and down outside cafes while the other took a breather and had a coffee.

Is it alright to tell the odd little white lie?

is it all right that every other weekend we told dc (13 and 15) that we were going to the tip and actually went to the pub for lunch?

#isitallright to say I used to be a dog/cat/superhero/pirate to distract them from telling grandma I let them watch an over 12 movie.

#isitalrightif I continue to use antihistamines on my 4 year old as he's never slept this well in his life?!

My son had started school in the September (end of April birthday so one of the younger ones) and was so exhausted at the end of the day that he'd fall asleep around 5pm, wake a few times in the night, then wake for good at 4am the next morning. I just couldn't get him out of this habit and for obvious reasons, I was exhausted too. Just before Christmas he had a really bad eczema flare up and, among other things, was given liquid antihistamines to take before bed. They made him sleep like a little log, right through until 7am. I was so thrilled with the extra sleep that I continued with the bottle until it was empty, long after the eczema had cleared up, by which time his sleeping pattern was the same as my other DCs and he's been a great sleeper ever since. He's 16 now but I still feel guilty and like I drugged my child!!

Is it alright if.... I hide in the kitchen eating biscuits whilst I pretend to be washing up?

To be honest, I question EVERYTHING.... the mum guilt is strong with this one!

is it alright if they dont go to bed early in the school hoildays

...that my youngest daughter loves horror movies! :)

#isitalright if I leave the baby in the case while I pay for petrol?
I decided no, and to find a pay at the pump

#IsItAlright to say that the batteries have gone and we don't have any spares for the most annoying noisy toy in the world?

#IsItAlright to say that the batteries have gone and we don't have any more for the worlds worst noisy toy in the world?

#IsItAlright if I tell my children not to eat more than a biscuit or two at a time and I have been known to polish a packet off!!!

#isitalrightif I hid my little ones dummy and tell him that its gone Jimmy Pip (our version of a bogey man but nicer) has taken it to break him of his dummy habit. I hope so because he is all grown up now, hope its not scared him for life

Is it alright to let my 8 year old watch Gremlins?
In hindsight, probably not.

Is it alright if I lie to my daughter for a bit of a peace and quiet? I already do it so I hope it is. Things like "can we go to the park?" "sorry babe the park is closed today so they can clean it"

is it alright if I tell little white lies

When is it alright to tell them Father Christmas doesn't exist as my DD still believed in Father Christmas at 13!

Is it alright if I let my two year old watch endless episodes of Bing when I have to do household admin??!