Parenting guilts - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

shelliam · 09-25-2005, 08:10 PM

HI everyone,

I have a confession to make. I suffer from parenting guilt. Things like did DS eat anything green today besides those M&M's at grandma's? Oh well, maybe if we skip this nap They'll let me sleep in (yeah right). I always feel like I am right on top of things. Then usually at night I sit up and say uh oh, did I brush Liam's teeth. I would really like to hear some things other people have done so maybe I'll sleep better at night hehe just kidding I nurse.I am really looking foward to reading some funny things and hoping I am not the only forgetful mom.

P.S. anyone ever have a dream they forgot their kids at home and went to work I have it all the time.

BioAdoptMom3 · 09-25-2005, 08:48 PM

Oh my, where do I start?

When our oldest two were born we were told to tummy sleep them, so when our dd was born we did the same thing just because she slept longer and better.

When our children swim in the pool, they have had their bath!

DD had a doughnut for breakfast today!

I have forgotten to give our middle child lunch money three times already this year.

Often when any of our three children have had a fever the night before, or even in the morning, as long as it hasn't been high and they weren't feeling miserable, I have given them a dose of tylenol and prayed that no one would call me until at least after a certain time.

We didn't potty train any of our children, but let them train themselves. Hey,
it was stress free for everyone and it worked.

I have sometimes left my dd over in our Extended Day program at our school (I am a teacher there) so I could stay after a little longer and chat with my best friend.

We let our dd have her nighttime bottle until she was three years old!

We let all three watch way too much TV!

Feel better? See, you are not as BAD as I am!

Nancy

2fst · 09-26-2005, 06:45 AM

I have for gotten to change DS wet diaper from time to time until it overflowed.

I have also forgotten when I fed him last and he was crying to eat and I am thinking why? and then realize hey maybe he needs to eat!!

I give him water from time to time (3 months old) and the other day I let him taste vanilla ice cream on my finger.

Laur77 · 09-26-2005, 08:27 AM

I haven't dreamt about leaving the baby at home. But I always breast-feed in bed, and then put him back in his crib. I keep having dreams though, that I have fallen asleep while breast-feeding, and he is trapped under the covers! I usually sleep hugging a pillow, and I wake up thinking it's him, and I am crushing him. What a panic I wake up in.
As for the guilt, I think when babies are born, a woman's guilt factor goes up 100%. Has he had enough to eat, did I play with him enough, should I change his diaper more often, did he have enough tummy time, did I talk to him enough, is he clean enough, etc.....

andilyn · 09-26-2005, 09:18 AM

I have a 2 year old and a 3 month old and I am constantly guilting myself. But I figure hey, I've managed to keep my 2 year old alive and healthy, so I must not be doing all that bad, lol! But with my 3 month old DS I worry that I didn't do something "right", like I didn't give him enough interactive time with me, but with a 2 year old it's tough, or was I bad because I let him watch a cartoon for 15 minutes while I showered. But I know I am feeding them, keeping them healthy, and giving them a safe place to live, and most of all, I give them constant love, so that's all that matters to me in the end. All of my guilt feelings go out the window then when I think about all of the children in the world who don't get fed, or aren't loved. It just means we are such good mommy's when we have guilt feelings.