Things All Parents Do But Won’t Admit To

Hate every bite of breakfast in bed made by their children

Image Source: Ranker

Although it is a very sweet gesture, mushy cereal and milky tea is not our idea of a dream breakfast in bed. We can only hope that partners are willing to take the reins on this one and provide the children with some assistance so the breakfast is at least edible.

Throw a tantrum back at their child to see if they get a reaction

Image Source: ABC

All parents have experienced the point where they have tried absolutely everything to calm their child down mid-tantrum and nothing is working…so they decide to try throwing it back. Most of the time this actually works as it stuns the child into complete silence!

Give their children biscuits that are out of date

Image Source: Twitter

Parents might not do it on purpose, but every now and again they throw their children a snack and later realise it was out of date. But sometimes they do know they are out of date and still give it to them anyway…a biscuit won’t kill them after all!

Give their child an iPad when they need to get anything done

Image Source: CNET

Although parents are usually trying to reduce the amount of time their children spend watching screens, there is no denying that handing them an iPad is the easiest way to keep them entertained for hours so they can go and get things done around the house.

Being useless at helping with maths homework

Image Source: The Mirror

School was a fairly long time ago for most parents, so we can’t judge them when they try and help their children with their maths homework just to find they can’t actually do it either! Luckily they have google and online calculators to help them out these days.

Go through the Halloween sweets and eat all the best ones

Image Source: POPSUGAR

When children get home with buckets full of sweets after their parents have taken them trick-or-treating on a cold October evening, it only seems fair that they get the top pick. After they run upstairs to take their costumes off, this is prime time to pick out the best selection without them knowing!

Give their child the "I'm not messing around" look

Image Source: Healthline

When a child is misbehaving and the multiple lectures haven’t worked, there is only one thing left for a parent to do…give them the “I’m not messing around” look. We all remember this look as a child, which was a usually a sign that this was our last warning!

Order their children chicken nuggets and chips so they stop moaning

Image Source: TripAdvisor

Parents spend most of their lives trying to encourage their child to follow a healthy diet, but when you’re sat in a bust restaurant and they are moaning about wanting nuggets and chips, all parents know the easiest option is to let them have it and enjoy a peaceful meal.

Pretend to be in a deep sleep so their partner has to do the 3am feeds

Image Source: Sleepopolis

When you finally think you’re about to fall asleep and then…the crying starts. So instead of immediately rolling out of bed to attend to your baby with their feed, they lie there as still as possible in the hope their other half will get up first.

Let their child miss school because they couldn't be bothered to get them ready

Image Source: iStock

All parents are all guilty of this one at least once in their lives…sometimes the morning just doesn’t go their way, they feel exhausted and the best solution is to just let the kids skip school and put their feet up. It’s not something they do a lot, but sometimes it can’t be helped!

Feel relieved when they see another child throwing a tantrum

Image Source: Little Sunshine's Playhouse and Preschool

This one might seem a bit harsh but all parents have all experienced it before…there is a great sense of relief when you see another child having a big tantrum in the supermarket and being eternally grateful that another parent has to deal with it and not you!

Catch themselves doing the exact same thing they shout at their child for doing

Image Source: Best Life

You know what they say, your child is simply a reflection of your own behaviours…which is why parents often find themselves doing all the things they tell their children off for! It is hard to filter your behaviour 24/7 around them, but you soon realise children really do copy everything we do…

Lose their temper when they're trying to get their children to eat their dinner

Image Source: Healthline

Dinnertime is a never-ending battle, especially with fussy children who refuse to eat anything. Patience and sympathy can only take you so far when you’ve slaved away in the kitchen for an hour to make a delicious meal from scratch just to receive moans that your children hate it.

Scream when they wake up to find their child standing over them

Image Source: Scary Mommy

This is a regular occurrence for most parents...you flutter your eyelids open and then completely jump out of your skin to find your children standing next to your bed staring straight at you. At this point there is no way you can carry on pretending to be asleep!

Try and scare their child by pulling faces

Image Source: Flickr

Sometimes parents get a bit carried away when playing with their children, and they can’t help but pull a scary face when they’re playing the ‘bad guy’ in the hope they might actually scare them! Usually it doesn’t work because they are too distracted running around.

Opting for a child-free night in over going out

Image Source: Alpha Mom

Most people think parents would jump at the chance to have a night out if they can find a babysitter for their children…but actually, they’d rather take that opportunity to enjoy a peaceful child-free house for the night, snuggled on the sofa with a takeaway.

Make up a rubbish excuse for the tooth fairy not coming because they forgot

Image Source: Business - TIME

When you see the disappointment in their face when they find their missing tooth is still under their pillow and has not been replaced by a £1 coin, there is only one thing to do but make up an elaborate story about why she couldn’t visit and reassuring them she’d come tonight.

Lie about when they last showered

Image Source: Lynnette Sheppard

Parenting is hard work and looking after yourself can sometimes become the lowest priority…so we won’t tell anyone that sometimes parents lie about when they last showered just so other people won’t judge them. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with us!

Give evils to the person who bought their child a ridiculously noisy toy

Image Source: NJ Family

We can all sympathise with this one…when a child opens a present and you realise it makes the most annoying repetitive noise that doesn’t stop and you can’t help but give the buyer a death stare. We heard the best trick is to remove the batteries and pretend the toy is broken, whoops!

Have a panic attack trying to move when holding a sleeping baby

Image Source: Scary Mommy

After spending what feels like hours trying to soothe their baby to sleep, once they finally drop off all parents are then paranoid they will wake them up with the slightest movement. So they end up stuck in the same position for as long as necessary.

Let their children skip bath time because they're too tired

Image Source: Adobe Stock

Although most parents spend their lives arguing with their children that they are now allowed to skip their evening bath, sometimes the argument isn’t worth how tired you feel and so it much easier for them to just give in and agree to it in the hope they will go to bed early!

Taste testing baby formula

Image Source: TODAY

All parents have tried this at least once, the fascination takes hold of them! It must be strange to look at the little baby bottle and wonder what it must be like to drink out of it. But then you taste the baby formula and remember not to try it again!

Feel like a champion when they get their fussy child to eat one carrot

Image Source: Firstcry

The daily struggle of parents getting their children to eat just one mouthful of vegetables is something they can all relate to, especially if they have fussy ones. So when the day finally comes that they persuade them to eat one, they feel like parent of the year!

Let their children sleep in their bed when their partner is away so "they won’t be scared"...

Image Source: HuffPost UK

We all know who is really the one scared of sleeping alone…the parent! This is a great way to make the child feel like they are getting a treat by sleeping in the ‘big’ bed for the night when really their parent just wants the company when their partner is away.

Lose all sympathy for their childless friends when they complain about being tired

Image Source: Funvizeo

We can imagine how painful it must be for parents to have to listen to their friends whinge about how tired they are…when all they can think is “wait until you have kids”. But they keep their mouth shut and listen to them anyway, because what are friends for.

Wanting to punch people who give unsolicited parenting advice

Image Source: Woman's Day

There is nothing worse than someone else feeling the need to give a parenting lecture when nobody asked for it…it’s even worse when that person doesn’t even have children themselves. There is no right or wrong way to parent, so unless someone asks keep your opinion to yourself!

Shake their child when they're sleeping to make sure they are still breathing

Image Source: Parents

All parents check on their children throughout the night, especially during the newborn phase. But every now and again they convince themselves that they can’t see their chest raising up and down, so in full-blown panic mode they give them a shake to make sure they are breathing!

Lie about what time they put their children to sleep

Image Source: Healthline

There is a lot of judgement in the parenting world, especially when it comes to bedtime. Parents will often feel guilty when they hear others talking about putting their children to bed at 6pm, to which they agree that they do the same even though really they go to bed at 8pm!

Sway back and forth even when they’re not holding a baby

Image Source: iStock

All parents with a newborn can relate to this one…you have got so used to spending half your life swaying back and forth that it becomes a normal habit. You find yourself in the kitchen making a cup of tea and just swaying for no reason, but it becomes quite soothing.

Feel like parenting is slowly killing them

Image Source: Aletia

If you want to know what it is really like to have children…ask a real parent! Many people underestimate how much hard work it is to raise a family, so it comes as no surprise that most parents feel like the exhaustion slowly kills them as the years go on.

Let Them Eat Something In The Grocery Store Before You've Paid For It

Image Source / Real SimpleChildren get bored in the grocery store when they're in the trolley or they're wandering around with you. And if you're shopping for tasty treats, they're not going to want to wait until they're home until they bite into them. They may even do it when your back is turned.

Made Your Kid Wear Certain Clothes To Avoid Being Judged

Image Source / YouTubeWe all know that your kids should be able to dress in whatever makes them happy, or that you can dress your kids up however you like. That doesn't mean it's easy, though - and you might find you put your child in more 'acceptable' outfits that all the others kids are wearing just to avoid the judgement!

Given Your Kid The Expired Milk

Image Source / RedditThey want milk, they need milk - and you've just realised your milk expired yesterday and you don't have time to go to the store because, guess what, they're right infront of you waiting for milk. So you take a sniff just to see if it's passable and then let them have it.

Wondered Whether You Were Raising A Serial Killer

Image Source / Cyber StruggleNot because your child is portraying any disturbing qualities or anything like that, but purely because you know a lot of serial killers started out in happy families as normal children and the thought has to cross your brain at least once a day..

Found Yourself Answering The Kids TV Character When Your Child's Not There

Image Source / FamilyMindedYou're so used to talking to the TV with your kid - or watching them interact with their favourite characters - that it's now just a habit, and even when they're not there you find yourself having a full on conversation with the puppet on the screen.

Made Them Work For You

Image Source / Empire OnlineYou gotta put them to good use, right? And make them earn their keep after all. If you can use your kids to help you with work, especially if you have a home-based job, then it's free labour after all. And when you're so tired and busy and have to keep them entertained, it's a win win really.

Had A Nightmare About One Of Your Child's TV Program Characters

Image Source / The GuardianI mean, let's be honest, some of them can be terrifying. It's a marvel that kids themselves aren't actually scared of them. But lo and behold you find yourself having a disturbing nightmare and the next day you can't even look them in the eye through the TV.

Been An Immature Parent

Image Source / All Pro DadMaybe you did it as an experiment or found yourself having an impatient day - either way, you're trying out the whole immature parent thing instead of being the rule-setter one you usually are. Maybe you even want a turn at being the 'cool' parent because you're sick of being the strict one!

Ignored Your Partner's Call Because You Were Following Your Celeb Crush On Social Media

Image Source / Wales Arts ReviewJust five more mins in the bedroom or on the toilet while you scroll through their social media, thanks - and no, sorry darling, I didn't hear you calling for me (because I was too busy looking at the latest beach selfies they posted).

Used Your Fingers To Count For Simple Math

Image Source / Rocket MathI mean, this may not be exclusive to parents helping their children with their homework because most adults still count on their fingers even if they don't mean to. Doesn't mean you can't do it in your head, there's just something extra special about using those digits.

Place A Towel On Top Of The Pee And Just Go Back To Bed

Image Source / Wikipedia'That's a morning-me problem,' you think, as you put the towel right on top of the wet pee patch on your child's bed and ignore the fact that it should probably be cleaned up right now. But they can sleep on a nice fluffy towel until you can be bothered to deal with it.

Considered Putting Benadryl In Their Drink

Image Source / BENADRYLIt might have been a fleeting moment, but it was a moment nonetheless. Just to slip some Benadryl in their sippy cup so that you can maybe get them to lull off to sleep that little bit easier without having to entertain them for hours more.

Used Baby Language With Other Adults

Image Source / The GuardianMaybe you told your boss you need to go pee-pee, potty or made an oopsie when you spilled your drink. Maybe you find yourself using your baby voice with all your adult friends. Maybe you've even introduced new baby words in your bestie's vocab because you just can't stop speaking like that.

Happily Chosen A Long Nap Over A Night Out With Friends

Image Source / CNETYou finally have the night off. Someone is babysitting the kids, so that should mean party time, right? Wrong! This is prime opportunity to do nothing at all and catch up on sleep and you'll be damned if you're going to miss such a beautiful opportunity.

Considered Whether Parenting Was Actually Destroying Your Soul

Image Source / Children's HealthThere's no harm in having regrets as a parent. Every parent has wondered at least once what their life would be like without having kids. But you may have also sat there after not sleeping for 90 hours seriously considered whether this was going to be the death of you.

Cleaning Your Baby's Pacifier When They Drop It... Using Your Mouth

Image Source / Compliance GateIf there's anything that spends more time on the floor than in your baby's mouth, it's a pacifier - and unfortunately that's usually the case when they drop it on the floor outside while being pushed in their stroller. And what do you do when you need to clean it before giving back to them? Clean it the only way you can on short notice: with your mouth.

Not Wiping Them If It's Only A Pee

Image Source / WikipediaA poop needs cleaning up, there's no doubt about that. They need wiping and changing to a fresh new diaper. But if it's only a number one? Well, why bother. At least some of the time when a shortcut is needed. Diaper on - diaper off - no wiping when it comes to a number one only!

Eating Food That's Been Partially Consumed

Image Source / TwitterKids have the habit of putting things in their mouth, chewing them, and spitting them back out again - including food of course. And what do they like to do when they've done that? Hand whatever it is to their parent, of course! And what are you supposed to do when there's no bin in sight? Eat it of course!

Denying That Your Child Heard You Swear... A Lot

Image Source / Erasmusu.comNo sweetheart, I said a word that sounded like that but actually rhymes with it and please don't tell mummy/daddy! And yes I know I've said that word a lot before and especially when I'm angry but it's really nothing to worry about...

Using One Of Your Kids' Mugs To Drink Alcohol

Image Source / Amazon.co.ukNo you shouldn't drink in front of your children, but how are you supposed to ever unwind with a glass of wine when they're always around 24/7? Because of course you never get a break. So your large glass of red becomes a large sippy cup of red instead.