Tell us the parenting “first” you’ll never forget - Chance to win shoes for a year with Clarks

[CeriMumsnet]

One minute they’re tiny, the next they’re racing ahead of you in shoes that suddenly fit. We want to hear about the firsts you still remember - the ones that made you proud, teary, or laugh long after.

Maybe it was the first proper steps across the lounge, the first determined attempt at getting dressed on their own, that emotional nursery drop-off, or the moment they insisted on choosing their own shoes and completely rejected the pair you picked.

Big moment or small, sentimental or chaotic - we’d love the story. Everyone who shares the 'first' that still gets them by 21 March will be entered into a prize draw to win free Clarks shoes for a year (up to four pairs). T&Cs

The first smile, with me forever.

The first time my eldest started crawling. He crawled across the room and turned off daddy’s Xbox 😂

His first roll, front to back. So quick we almost missed it…then he didn’t do it again for weeks haha

The first time my DS1 slept through without waking for a feed. He'd been a colicy nightmare for months and we were so stressed and sleep deprived. One night I woke at 4am and had an absolute panic that he'd slept through the 2am feed. We were both trying see if he was still breathing and earnestly debating whether we should wake him up!!

First day at nursery - missed my constant companion so much - I felt like my baby had gone forever, I knew it was coming, and it was only 3 hours and it was for his own good - never cried as much.

Oh the first time he made his little sister laugh 🥹 there are only 19 months between them and for the first few months he took zero interest in her. Then he sang to her whilst doing a little dance and she erupted into the most amazing giggle, once he saw it he became obsessed with making her laugh. I breathed a sigh of relief for all the months I’d worried that he wasn’t going to take well to having a sibling. He’s 26 months old now and she’s nearly 8 months old and they’re each other’s favourite person, and I will never forget that day it all began

First time leaving him on his own at playschool. It broke my heart as he just kept crying and I had to stay. Fortunately, by the end of playschool, he made loads of friends and wasn't as emotional at being left.

So many moments. Some big ones forgotten. Some minor seared into memory forever.

The one that probably stands out is the first roll. I was a FTM with a 6 month old. There were all these scary stories on the news about a pandemic, and she was so late to this particular milestone (compared to all the previous ones) that I thought she'd never do it. Then she did it all of a sudden at a baby group. One of the last we got to go to as it transpired. NGL, but I burst into tears in front of everyone. It was such a relief.

My first was when I had gone out for an hour and left him with my mum, and when I came to collect him, he looked at me and with love in his eye, gave me the best gummy smile. It was the look of love which melted my heart and stays in my soul.

Definitely first giggle. How I wish I could have bottle and kept that sound. Or at least have thought to record it!

First paddle in the sea. DD was just toddling and DH and I held one hand each and she went straight for the water, no hesitation! Then she laughed a lot and did it again. Very happy memories of that summer holiday.

When DS had his first shave! My youngest dc and the only boy so it seemed such a strange,grown up thing.

I didn't expect to find it so emotional when my son started school - but I really did! He was so excited & raced off into the classroom, parents lingered & waved them in - then the Teaching Assistant came out & (kindly!) - shooed us away. I have a great photo of him on his way in looking really smart & clean - & then one at the end of the day where his previously white polo shirt is covered in yellow paint! He is beaming though, so clearly had a wonderful day!

Standing in his empty bedroom after taking him to university.

The day my daughter made her first steps

The first time my child told me that she hates me.

The first time I realised he was growing up. We were leaving nursery and he was about two years old. An ambulance went past and I said ‘Look a nee naa for poorly people’. He looked at me with with complete derision, rolled his eyes, sighed and said ‘No Mummy. An Ambalance (sic)’. I realised then he wasn’t really my baby anymore

Her first school trip when she was 3.5. They sent us a video of the bus pulling out, showing the kids. I saw her seated with her seat belt across looking through the window and I don´t know why but it made me cry! Later another mum said the same thing!

The first run- we have a photo as well. In Spain on holiday. DC2 just started walking before we went. Dh walked a head one night before going to the hotel restaurant for dinner, wanted to get a photo of dc2 toddling along next to me, except she saw the pool and suddenly tried to run. There’s a fabulous photo on our fridge of a manically smiling dc2 running towards the pool, with me with a look of sheer terror on my face a couple of steps behind trying to catch her before she launched herself into the pool fully dressed. (I caught her in time!)

The first time my son went to the beach and stuck his feet in the sand. His face was so funny, it was a mixture of shock and surprise.

Dropping her at the train station at 18 and she said "I'll call you when I get home"... and in that one throw away sentence realising "home" wasn't our house any more.

The first time he felt the wind of his face. He was so confused was very cute and funny

1st baby - when she took her first un-ventilator supported breath. When she took her second, we all collectively breathed out with her. Such an overwhelming moment.

2nd baby - when he laughed at his sister for the first time. She waited through 7 ivf cycles with quiet desperation for a sibling, and she is the best sister ever, but when he laughed at her, both she and I had this joint connected moment of... he was soo worth it.

First time they fed some kittens at a family member's house. It was so funny as my great aunt told them that it was fine for them to play with the cats. They were so scared at first but by the end they must have been best friends. At one point, my great aunt told them to give the cats water and DD2 (who was 3 years old at the time) had the genius idea to bring the water bowl to them with the water inside. So here she is plodding along and grinning because she's one of those people that loves helping others and at the end we all laugh because most of the water had spilt. She felt so bad but we told her it was alright lol.

The first time I looked down and saw their little faces looking back at me - no feeling like it.