'Let's just put on some Peppa Pig!': Rebellious moms confess which "parenting rules" they ended up breaking once they finally got a real taste of motherhood

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Ely Bulnes • Writer and Editor
Aug 3, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

Before you actually experience the trials and tribulations of having your very own kids, it's not uncommon to make all sorts of promises to yourself about what sort of parent you intend to be. It's easy to judge other mothers from the outside when you've never been in their shoes and think you'd never act that way or let your child do this or that. Most people who have no children and no experience with them have a tendency to imagine that they will have the most obedient and emotionally-regulated child in the world, and then they base all of their parenting assumptions on that hypothetically perfect baby.

Don't feel bad if you did this or find yourself doing it before you have kids. TikTok is filled with mommy influencers that conveniently edit out their kids' tantrums and their own cranky moments that wouldn't make for good "gentle parenting" content. Find out how real life moms broke their own, self-imposed parenting rules when they finally got a real taste of motherhood. 

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  • 01

    What's Mom "Rule" you've broken?

    00 "I swore we would only do Montessori wooden toys..."
    via Kaboompics.com from Pexels
  • 02
    PM_ME_HIGHLAND_COWS Before our kids was born my husband and I swore we would only do Montessori wooden toys, would make all her food from scratch, and no screen time.
    via u/PM_ME_HIGHLAND_COWS
  • 03
    Well, cut to today. Our house is awash in brightly colored plastic toys and our daughter is currently eating goldfish while watching Sesame Street with my husband.
    via u/PM_ME_HIGHLAND_COWS
  • 04
    Sorry_Data6147 This is a genuine question, absolutely no shade AT ALL, why does everyone want to do the Montessori wooden toy thing? I
    via u/Sorry_Data6147
  • 05
    have all kinds of toys for my boy but I wonder if they're better developmentally? Is it an issue with music and flashing lights?
    via u/Sorry_Data6147
  • 06
    PM_ME_HIGHLAND_COWS Its to encourage independent, imaginative, self play vs flashing lights toys which more or less "play" for the child in a lot of ways.
    via u/PM_ME_HIGHLAND_COWS

  • Whether or not a toy is plastic and colorful or wooden and beige isn't really going to stop a kid's imagination. I used to recreate America's Next Top Model with the most random toys. My Dora the Explorer was competing right alongside my Bratz dolls and the Anubis souvenir statue I stole from my parent's room. 

  • 07
    lightningface It's also just a false "Montessori" aesthetic. My son goes to a Montessori school. It is very colorful! Yes, they have some wooden materials for their work, but they have a lot of color!
    via u/lightningface
  • 08
    verydepressedwalnut You know what they say. If you want to see the universe laugh, tell it your plans!
    via u/verydepressedwalnut
  • 09
    Loud_Syllabub6028 I wanted to be more "go with the flow" and teach my baby how to nap with lights on and just take it as it comes so we could still maintain some semblance of a normal life.
    via u/Loud_Syllabub6028
  • 10
    Cheezburger Image 10537876736
    via Melpomenem from Getty Images
  • 11
    Nope. Full blackout curtains, noise machine - whatever will get this kid to sleep and let him sleep the longest.
    via u/Loud_Syllabub6028
  • 12
    Sleepy Snowfall I totally wanted to be a "vacuum while the baby naps" parent but after it taking hours to get my son to nap as a newborn I wasn't about to do anything that could potentially wake him up.
    via u/Sleepy_Snowfall
  • 13
    howlingoffshore Sometimes I yell :(
    via u/howlingoffshore
  • 14
    Quality Competitive83 Scheduling my day around her nap times because the distress that I had from knowing she didn't get adequate rest was unbearable. Also doing
    via u/QualityCompetitive83
  • 15
    contact naps even after she turned 1 yr old because I enjoyed them so much lol and not doing any CIO method for sleep training
    via u/QualityCompetitive83
  • 16
    DaughterWifeMum No catering to picky eaters. Guess who has an ARFID kid? Either she is given what she considers safe, or she either vomits immediately after a bite or simply refuses to eat.
    via u/DaughterWifeMum
  • 17
    Thank the gawds that she has at least one safe food in every food group now, barring meat. And she can get her protein from PB and cheese. Also,
    via u/DaughterWifeMum
  • 18
    I am very grateful for pediasure to ensure she is getting the vitamins and nutrients she might otherwise miss out on.
    via u/DaughterWifeMum
  • 19
    Cheezburger Image 10537876992
    via Courtney Hale from Getty Images Signature
  • 20
    LiteraryWorldWeaver Same here. We were all about healthy eating for our kids but our first was basically a non-eater so he got to eat anything that gets calories in to avoid failure to thrive.
    via u/LiteraryWorldWeaver
  • 21
    My kids eat a lot of junk food (but thankfully some healthy stuff too). ARFID would be so hard, but it sounds like you have a good handle on it.
    via u/LiteraryWorldWeaver

  • If you've never had to deal with a toddler who literally refuses to eat anything, you're not allowed to have an opinion on picky eater kids. 

  • 22
    Herb_Erflinger25 Pacifiers... I was firm on never using pacifiers. That changed quickly the day after he was born
    via u/Herb_Erflinger25
  • 23
    Cheezburger Image 10537876480
    via SAULO LEITE from Pexels
  • 24
    CleverGrrl404 Co-sleeping also. I refused with my first daughter but my second daughter we started the day we came
    via u/CleverGrrl404
  • 25
    home from the hospital. She's 6 months now and she sleeps well in her crib but we still co-nap when mama feels the need to cuddle lol
    via u/CleverGrrl404
  • 26
    mrg158 There is nothing wrong with having a relaxing day inside and watching TV all day! There are some weekends where you just need to get sh done and I'm sorry. Yes we could go to the
    via u/mrg158
  • 27
    playground or bowling or swimming or toddler yoga or hiking etc.. but let's just put on some Peppa pig and frozen and play with magna tiles because Mom has to fold five loads of laundry....
    via u/mrg158

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Babies funny moms toddler married with children mother motherhood parenting raising kids mom Parenting Fail parents
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