There are many things I said “I would never do as a parent” that I am now doing. When my older sister had her first child seven years ago I remember thinking that her chosen sleep method was SO out of touch with modern pediatrics. She went with the co-sleep method and I just couldn’t understand how and why she wouldn’t just let Frankie, her first child, cry himself to sleep. Had she never heard of the “Ferber Method”?! Fast forward to six years later and look at me now. “Ferber” is a foreign word to me and the thought of letting Ilan cry and cry and cry and cry until he falls asleep just does not sit well with me. I couldn’t do it. And although I said I would never rock my child to sleep, that’s what I did.

I also said I would not let my child watch TV. The television corrupts the brain. We would read books, do arts and crafts, dance, learn Spanish, play outside, go for walks. There would be no time for TV! Fast forward to six years later and look at me now. TV is the ONLY thing that entertains hims long enough to allow me to take a shower and get dressed each morning. The TV, specifically, Sesame Street, is fabulous. It gives me short-lived freedom. And if it weren’t for the TV Ilan would never, and I mean never, have on a clean diaper. Diaper changes are a full-on battle between the two of us unless I turn on Sesame Street. I still don’t think TV is good for children, but I use it when necessary. And for me, diaper changes, showers, and some “down time” every now and then happen to be necessary.

There are many more examples of what I said I would never do but am now doing. I could write for days about it. But let me cut to the chase. Becoming a mother has taught me two very important lessons:

1) Never say never, and

2) Never judge others parenting styles.

Do so, and in seven years (or seven months, even) you will be saying the same thing I am tonight…”Look at me now!”.

-Victoria