I’ll never co-sleep when I have kids. Our bedroom will be our place to spend time together. Alone time. The tv will not be a babysitter. I won’t be an overprotective parent. My child will only eat fast food on special occasions. My children will not use any sort of technology such as tablets or phones. I’ll never let my kid throw a fit in a public place. 

Working as a nanny for several years before I had my children, I experienced all the ins and outs of raising children as a backseat driver. I found myself saying, “I’ll never do this and my kids won’t do that.” It’s easy for us to judge and critique when we aren’t in the situation ourselves. I remember hearing, “Just wait until you have kids,” a lot. And it’s true. I had my first child and everything I ever said went out the window, along with my sleep and sanity. I become a mother and a hypocrite. My daughter co-slept in my arms until she was 4 months old and my son, who is 6 months old, is still co-sleeping. As much as I hate to admit it, the TV is a big part of my children’s lives. I’m what people like to refer to as a helicopter mom. My two-year-old’s favorite food is French fries. And my kids probably know how to work my iPhone better than I do. 

Yes I’m a mother and a hypocrite. And so are you if you have kids because, guess what? That’s what kids do to us. They turn us into hypocrites, going against everything we have ever said about raising kids before we actually realized what having kids was all about. Yes, I love my kids and no, I wouldn’t change anything. But if I’m being honest, this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I am constantly fighting with myself between what is “right” and what is easy. Sometimes it’s just easier to co-sleep, if you want to get any sleep at all. It’s easier to give them fast food or turn the tv on for just a few moments of quiet, not silence because let’s face it, there’s no such thing. We all have this great idea of how we will raise our children, but in reality, we have no clue. As parents, all we can do is the best we can and try to make our children happy. Isn’t that what every parent wants?