Jillian Michaels has said she was sorry for the advice she spewed to parents before she became a mom, namely, “to always put yourself first.” Now that she’s a mom, she says she “gets it.” Most moms can relate.
We asked real moms to confess the “know-it-all” things they said and thought about motherhood before they actually stepped into a pair of mom shoes.
I thought I knew it all
“Yes, I judged a lot before I was a mom and still now that I am a mom. Before I became a mom I babysat and had four younger siblings. I thought I knew it all.”
“Then I had my son who has tested me at every step, had a foster child that I could not bond with, and worked with autistic children who are difficult in easy situations. I wanted to be a mom with many children, but was only able to have one. Perhaps it was because I needed to learn to not judge,” confesses Natalie from Las Vegas.
I thought I’d be the perfect parent
Lydia, mother of one from North Carolina laughs, “I am famous for saying I was the perfect parent before Brady. It was so easy to judge others and say what I would have done in certain situations. I mean, I had that parenting thing down for sure! Now that I have a 5-year-old and am very often flying by the seat of my pants, I fully get it and how parents have to pick and choose the appropriate battles of teaching moments. Sometimes we also just let it go for survival sake!”
I would be able to control my kids
Kristin, mother of one from Orlando admits, “Before I became a mother I always made comments like, ‘Geeze control your child in public’ or ‘This is a relaxing atmosphere, leave your kids at home.’ Since having my first child, a little boy who is now 2 years old, I completely take those comments back. You never know whether your child is going to behave.”
I absolutely judged before I became a mom!
“I absolutely judged before I became a mom! After becoming a parent, I soon realized I had no clue. I would say this to other moms that stayed at home or worked part-time, ‘I don’t know how you can stay at home all day with your kids!’ Now that I am a mom, I totally get it.”
“I actually love being with my daughter and created a way for me to work from home, which was right for me. I am the new owner of FreelanceMom.com that helps other moms find the right opportunities and flexibility to be able to work the hours they want to work and experience all the wonderful parts of being a parent.”
Stay at home vs. work at home vs. work outside the home >>
I wouldn’t eat out so much
“Before I became a mom, I could not understand why women were more accustomed to eating out rather than cooking meals. How hard could it be to go in the kitchen and cook a decent meal? It wasn’t until I had my daughter that I realized the time restraint of day-to-day living as well as trying to prepare a meal with a child to tend to,” says Jessica, mother of one from Oklahoma.
We’re all doing the best we can
“Don’t we all judge in some way even beyond just being a mom? It is difficult to imagine how responsible you will feel and the instant guilt you will have once you become a mom. Women need to support women regardless of each of our individual choices. We are all just doing the best we can,” says mother JJ DiGeronimo.
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