Second chance - Page 2

[woodchick]

I'd have bed-shared with DD1 from the start. I was too nervous to have her in the bed. I think we'd all have been happier.

(DD2 has slept with us from day one. We love it!)

[swd12422]

Originally Posted by LauraLoo

I would have *listened* to my gut and developed a thicker skin to shrug off unwanted advice. I would have worried a lot less and been much more patient with the process of early childhood. I would have spent more time than I already did hugging and kissing and playing, and less time in front of the computer trying to figure out where I was going wrong and where I might go wrong in the future.

All of this, but especially the bolded. My son is nearly 3 and so amazing, but I really feel like I worried and stressed so much about, well, everything, that I may have missed his babyhood just a bit. I wish I'd slowed down and just enjoyed him more, without worrying. Thankfully, I did take SOME time to cuddle and hug, so he still likes that.

[ABO Mama]

Mostly, things went ok. I think I did need some PPD support after the twins, and I wish I BF'd them longer (although 15 months wasn't too bad after a bad NICU start).

[mamabohl]

my biggest things...hmmm...to discuss parenting in depth with dh before becoming pregnant instead of flying by the seats of our pants and finding out all our differences along the way. Also, making sure there are no video games in the house, and possibly no tv, before having kids.

[puffingirl]

Accepted more help at the beginning, without fearing that I would be "giving up control". Allowed/encouraged pictures of me with DD as a baby (I was so exhausted and miserable in the first year that I hid from cameras and have very little memory or photos for it).

[Storm Bride]

I honestly don't know. I have things I'd like to have had happen a lot differently, but most of them are related to my secondary infertility, miscarriages and c-sections. I'm not sure what I could change...

I'd leave ds1's dad sooner, as that marriage negatively affected my relationship with ds1 (not in the long term, I don't think). Other than that, I really don't know. More patience would be good, but that's mostly a new phenomenon.

[Super Pickle]

I would have let my oldest struggle a bit more and would have given him more responsibility early on. I was always right there ready to help him with everything. I was more hands-off (though still AP) with his younger sibs and they have turned out more persistent, more competent, and more able to learn from mistakes than my oldest. I mean, he is a great kid, with his own gifts, and i have no concerns about him whatsoever, I just remember his being 2 and my helping him with everything instead of letting him try and try to do it himself.

[mum4vr]

Hmmm... I have 3 and have been a mama for 18 years...

No vax for anyone.

I would have stood up for my crunchy ways, and not been steamrolled by others early on (didn't take me long, but still).

FOR them... I'd have not ended one relationship, and never started a couple others.

Some behaviors w ds1 would have been nipped in the bud early (bc ya know, I'm still dealing w them now, haha)

I would take off work and school BOTH for far more than the first year for each.

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