never say never

When I became pregnant I secretly (and maybe not so secretly) made a list of things in my head that I would never do.

* My kids will NEVER sleep with me. They will sleep in their own beds from the day they were born.

* If my child is not hurt, or dirty, I will NEVER respond to them when they should be sleeping. A little tears never hurt anybody.

* My kids will NEVER eat candy or fast food. They will only consume broccoli, fish and other super nutritious foods, like tofu and brown rice.

* My kids will NEVER watch TV. If they do, they will only be allowed a certain amount of television.

And shall I say, I do ALL of these things? Hadley co-slept until she was two, Hayden much less than that. I am not strong enough to let my kids cry-it-out for long periods of time (nor do I think that was ever a good choice). My kids occasionally get candy and fast food, while not a regular thing, it happens. And my kids watch TV. Probably too much, but they do (in our defense, we are careful about what they watch).

What I have learned is that the "I never" list is unreasonable, but something every new parent does. Sure, there are some things we have stuck to, but lots that we haven't. I think what having children has taught me is to be flexible. And non-judgemental of other parents doings. We do what we need to do to get through the tough times. If flipping on NickJr so I can cook dinner is what I need to do, I do it! If a lollipop surprise on a shopping trip keeps little hands busy, then I do it. If I have screaming, hungry kids in the car and a Burger King is in site, you better believe, I will do it. Sure, all in moderation, but I realized that this is life and it's not going to be the perfect thing I pictured. I must be flexible, creatively problem solve and move on. But, do the best I can to raise happy, healthy, well rounded little people.

Did you have an "I never " list?