Parenting is about eating my own words

Once upon a time, I have said :

• I will never let my child throw tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants. I will STOP him.
• I will never let my child eat anything off the floor
• I will not spoil my child, and give him an alternative but the meal I have prepared for him
• My child will never have poop ride up his back like hers did!
• My child will never have screaming attacks in public

 The list can go on, I had plenty of those "I will nots". If there was a reward for paying people some good money for capturing what I said I will never do, those people would probably have a small little wad of cash in their hands by now.

Today, when I see other moms and dads in the change room cajoling a squirming baby on the change mat, I give him a knowing smile. And as that mother picks her baby from the pram and buckles her in her car seat, the pram and grocery bags still next to the car, waiting to be packed up in the boot. I am still waiting patiently while sitting in the car for a park. I have skin possibly thicker than a mule these days. I am able to comfortably ignore pairs of eyes looking at me, as I try to distract my screaming baby who is getting bored in his pram as we eat our lunch at a restaurant.

What's my point? Parenting is humbling.