Guilty Mom Confessions from CafeMom.com
Filed under: Opinions
Guilty Mom Confessions from CafeMom.com
I Let My Toddlers Go Naked in Public
"I let my toddlers run around the house, the front porch, and the yard without clothes on. So cute, so innocent and free!"
Photodisc
My Kid Watches TV Close Up
"My son sits or stands directly in front of the TV to watch his Baby Einstein videos and favorite television shows. It doesn't really bother me."
jupiterimages
I Let My Toddler Play Outside Alone
"I let my toddler play in the yard alone or without adult supervision. I live in a quiet neighborhood with mostly elderly neighbors and our yard is fenced in, so I let my 3 ½-year-old play outside with our two dogs, who bark at everybody that comes near our house."
Artville
My Toddler Wears Crude T-Shirts
"My daughter has a t-shirt that says 'Daddy's Little Squirt.' I love it; I think it's funny. But the other day at the mall, another mom pulled me aside and told me how offensive it was and that I'm defiling my child, especially since my daughter doesn't even know what it means. Well, I told her off, of course. She's my child and I'll dress her however I like."
jupiterimages
I Let My Toddlers Climb Play Equipment Unassisted
"When we go to the park or playground, I don't hover over my toddlers. I sit on the bench and watch. If they want to climb up the slide, I let them. I loved climbing up slides when I was little. It was challenging and fun -- and my mother never shadowed me to prevent a fall or little mishaps. This is how children learn -- by making mistakes. And if my kid is arguing with another child, I usually don't get involved unless one of them is going to get hurt. They need to learn to work out their own problems."
jupiterimages
My Kids Go to Sleep After Midnight
"I have three kids under the age of three, and we all go to bed after midnight and wake up at 11 AM the next day."
Getty Images
I Leave My Toddler Alone in the Bath
"My son is just about to turn 2 and he has been playing in the bath by himself for about a month now. He likes to take long baths, and it got to the point where I had stuff to do and I got tired of fighting to get him out. So now he takes a bath in the master bathroom while I'm close by in the bedroom folding clothes and picking up his toys. I don't go far, but I don't hover over him, either."
Rubberball Productions
My Toddlers Eat Pizza for Breakfast
"My kids have had pizza for breakfast. At least they are eating something and have food in their stomachs. I would rather feed them a non-traditional breakfast than have them be hungry!"
Getty Images
I Throw Away My Kid's Artwork
"If it doesn't make me laugh or cry, my kids' objects d'art have got to go. I'm a neat freak, so before I became a mother, or at least until the kids hit preschool, I was able to maintain a minimalist household. Now my house is gasping for air beneath an avalanche of construction paper. My kids generate a minimum of one piece of artwork a day, and that's conservative. Therefore, I throw the art away on the sly."
Getty Images
I Scold Other People's Kids
"If a child comes in my house and starts breaking the rules, I'll scold them if their parents refuse to. I treat all children the same. I demand respect as well as give respect."
Getty Images
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ReaderComments (Page 5 of 7)
5-22-2009 @ 5:34PM
undrgrndgirl said...good luck to the mom who lets her kids sleep til 11:00 am every day...this will do them no good when they have to get up to go to school...i too do better on swing or night shift, but the rest of the world doesn't operate that way! also to the woman who dresses her child in "rude" t shirts, i hope she'll be able to laugh it off when her daughter begins choosing her own clothes that say "boy toy" when she is 12! but then again she could have told the other mother that SHE was the one with the filthy mind - lol!
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5-22-2009 @ 5:20PM
Buzzby said...Letting toddlers go naked in public is NOT a good idea. In public you have no idea if there are perverts around getting a hard on looking at your kid's genitals. Even if you are there to prevent molestation, why let your kid's private parts be ogled by any pervert in the area. What if someone is taking pictures and you don't know it? Even around uncles or family friends I wouldn't let my innocent little child play naked. You never know who a pervert is until the act is committed. Then your child is damaged.
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5-22-2009 @ 5:28PM
Holly said...Some of the things on this list are pretty harmless, like letting your toddler run around naked, I think that's actually kinda cute, and safe as long as they are in a clean area. But dyeing their hair is very unsafe, and no matter what color their hair is they are always beautiful, and they should know that they are beautiful despite what their hair color is. One last thing, letting your child stand really close to the tv while watching it can mess up their vision and that's no fun.
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5-22-2009 @ 5:49PM
Elizabeth said...Some of the tings are stupid, and even dangerous, letting a little one play outside or in the tub alone id NOT ok. Also the one about favoritism. Maybe the youngest sees it and acts out because of she wants some attention. Kids pick up a lot of things and would notice things like that.
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5-22-2009 @ 5:38PM
Rheanna said...well, i must confess: i let my son run around naked a lot because we live out in the country, sometimes he eats popcorn for breakfast because thats all he wants to eat and its better than nothing, i let him play in the bathtub without hovering over him, so long as i can hear him. I'm not going to make "excuses" for why i do it, or try to justify it to anyone, because it's my life and we all raise our kids differently.Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but my son is 4 and plays in my mom's resort (literally...resort) sized swimming pool all summer long, and i just dont worry about him drowning in 6 inches of water as much as i do 12 feet. Or being injured from falling off of the huge boulders on her waterfall. i was raised to not be a sissy, and so will my son!
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5-22-2009 @ 5:38PM
ciecie said...The mother that favors her 8 year old over her 6 year old should be horse whipped! Is it any wonder why the 6 year old throws tantrums? And the mother that leaves her baby alone in the bathtub is just ignorant! Lastly the mother that would dye a todlers hair because she doesn't like his hair color is just selfish and would be teaching her child to not like who they are! Where did these people come from? Their own mothers must have been horrible, uncaring and irresponsible!
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5-22-2009 @ 5:47PM
Lauren said...I'm just 18...no kids but i DO have a three year old sister, and i find a lot of these just wrong!
Running around naked is dangerous. Not only from potential molestors, but also from the environment. Clothes are their to protect the child's skin from the sun, bugs, cuts, and other harmful ways.
Letting a child, espicially such a young one, stand/sit so close to the tevevision set is very harmful to their vision.
Playing outside alone is a horriable idea. I'm always outside with my sister whenever she goes out to play, we have a fenced in backyard and many dogs that don't appear to harm her inside, but you can never tell what dogs will and will not do. Anyone could just come into the fenced yard and snatch the child, they could hurt themselves on rocks, trees, and other items.
Letting children play unattended and do whatever they wish is NOT a good idea! If a child is playing on the equipment wrong, chances are the equipment wasn't built for it and they could get hurt. A child arguing with another who doesn't know how to control their anger or able to get them to understand how they feel could possibly result in harming the other child or mimicking what YOU the parent does when you get angry,
Children need to be able to have a sleep cycle. It won't be easy to train a child who was able to stay up to all hours of the night since they were little and then suddenly they're going to school and have to be to sleep at a certain time. They also need more sleep than adults do.
LEAVING A CHILD TO BATHE ALONE IS VERY IGNORANT!!!! I do NOT let my sister bathe alone, it's out of the question. Not only is drowning an issue, but so it slipping and falling and messing with the hot water tap AND they could accidentally get out and drink chemicals you may store in the bathroom along with the soap/shampoo/conditioner/etc.
Having them eat JUNK for breakfast isn't a good idea either. The nutrition of most Americans today is horriable and its apparently being passed on to the kids who will continue the harmful cycle. They could still eat a tasty breakfast without it being crap and it being instead nutritious.
If you must throw away some artwork, I suggest you do it so the child doesn't see. They worked hard on it and if they see you just toss it, they won't be inclined to create you anymore masterpieces.
Scolding other kids is perfectly alright. If they are under your roof even for a visit, they must be expected to follow your rules. But you must take into consideration the disipline techniques their parents use on them and find them out BEFORE they come over.
My sister is barley growing in her blonde hair at age three....I AM SO HAPPY!!! We've been waiting forever for it to start growing and it had, but then she got terriablly sick and had to be put on medications which made it fall out and now it's finally growing back. I don't care what color it is, so long as she has hair. Dying it because YOU don't like it is a horrid reason. Hair dye is harmful to even adult hair, imagin it on a child's head whose skull isn't fully developed and whose hair is finer and more delicate? It could do a lot of damage.
I haven't seen an argument for favoring a child over another. You might favor them on the deep inside, but you should love your children just the same if not for different reasons.
Don't make up punishments the child hadn't done or did a while back. It confuses them with your discipline and they'll eventually stop listening to you. AND they'll never learn to trust you if they think whatever they do will wind up being wrong in your eyes.
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5-22-2009 @ 6:55PM
Mww said...Just had to say that you are smarter and more informed than most of the "adults" commenting here and all of the parents quoted in the article.
At least someone's parent or parents did something right. Best of luck to you!
5-22-2009 @ 8:59PM
Angie said...Your parents should be commended for how they've raise you. You have more common sense than the majority of these posters and their supposed to be adults? Intelligence and common sense is a beautiful thing.
5-22-2009 @ 5:58PM
Liz said...There are NO second chances in life. Your toddler/child is totaly dependant on you for their saftey. Letting them alone in the tub, outside, or anywhere is horrrific! Accidents are the number one reason toddlers die. Drownning is at the top! DO NOT leave your toddler alone for a second, it could cost them their LIFE!
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5-22-2009 @ 6:20PM
Terry said...I agree with posts saying not to leave child in tub. I agree not to leave child unattended. As for the park, I think that one was that she let her child play without assistance, not supervision. Kids can be independant and it is okay to encourage that, but they also need to feel secure. Keep an eye on the child in the back yard. I wouldn't own a dog I couldn't trust alone with my child and a back yard is safe for a 3 year old. My neighbor let her 3 yr old run loose. She would walk into my house and I would turn around and there she would be. She would go out in the road and sit, knowing I would tell her to get out of the road. She was very onry, no supervison. Ended up preg at 15. But a good kid. We all have our own methods. A child staying up for daddy. What's wrong with that.. She said she let the child sleep in next day. It doesn't take long to adjust their schedule when school is going to start. I am guilty of saying it is later than it was so my son would go to bed. So...all in all, the title of the story does not fit the story. The moms were not feeling guilty.
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5-22-2009 @ 6:28PM
David said...NEVER LEAVE YOUR CHILD IN THE BATHTUB UNATTENDED. NEVER. NOT EVEN FOR A SECOND. Children can drown in just a couple inches of water, and they can drown without struggling, splashing, or giving any other indication that something is wrong.
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5-22-2009 @ 6:31PM
Tanya said...I find it very disturbing that a parent would think its ok to let your children parade around naked. I would hate to visit someone and have to look at thier naked kids playing. Thats why clothes were invented.
Also a 2 year old is way to young to take a bath alone. My son is 2 and likes to play in the tub for a long time too-but if am tired or have a lot to do , I just have to take him out early rather he cries or not.
I must confess when my oldest son was 2 I used to let him eat things in the grocery store-to keep him busy or from throwing a tantrum. I never saw anything wrong with it as long as I paid.
For the parent who favor one child over the other. You could cause envy and hate among your children. Who cares if one acts better than the other.That the case with most siblings. Each child has somthing special about them . Thier both apart of you, you should love them the same.
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5-22-2009 @ 8:29PM
Francine said...This is for the Confessionistas. Is there no end to your personal puke parade? When are you going to photograph your children's dirty diapers and display them for discussion? What makes you think any of this is important? When are you all pious pornographers going to remember that no matter how much and what you confess, you are all responsible and accountable for your actions? It's really simple: if it makes you uncomfortable, don't do it. Merely telling people in public what you do will not relieve the burden of your bizarre behavior. Shame is a valuble feeling. It tells you you were wrong. Grow up!
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5-22-2009 @ 6:34PM
Sherry Powell said...REDHEADS are the IN thing now. Blondes are so last year. BUT a child should never get a dye job! Come on get real... you can burn or scar them for life. NOT to mention screw up their hair.
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5-22-2009 @ 6:40PM
Diane said...This has provoked a lot of comments. We are so judgemental of how other people take care of their kids and while I think a few of these things are just plain wrong, there is always context to consider. If the mom who lets her child play outside is in constant sight contact through a window and the yard is small and safe, well, okay. If the kids who don't have clothes on are wearing sunscreen and are not near the road, again, okay. Who cares? Of course leaving a kid in the tub is inexcusable. Grab a magazine and sit on the toilet seat, if you must, but don't leave the room.
And please, parents: learn to spell and make your kids proud!
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5-22-2009 @ 6:48PM
Alyssa said...I am fine with most of these. Though, I would not do most of these with my children. The ones that make me cringe are the leaving the child in the bathtub (Ive seen far too many "oops" tub drownings working in the PICU); the mother who sends her children to bed early by making up things (serious trust issues - and what is that teaching her children about being honest?); and the woman that would dye her child's hair because she doesn't like red hair?!?!?! AH! That FLOORS me!!!! Talk about creating a child with self image issues... is parental love not blind? That mom needs to get over herself.
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5-22-2009 @ 6:51PM
Honey B. said...With what we know now about the proliferance of child predators, I would not want my children running naked. When mine were small we lived in a little town, owned quarter of a block, had no near neighbors and I did let them play in their diapers for a few minutes in our hot summers of the south. Usually, little sunsuits, though.
It's too bad we have to think of the sickos, but they are among us.
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5-22-2009 @ 6:55PM
Mww said...Wow. I am so happy my significant other and I decided to never have children. Some of these are ridiculous and others are just trivial.
But reading the comments people post just staggers the imagination. I teach children of all ages and some of these actions and comments are just insane.
For all the people "petrified" of child molestors and abductors you do know that there are far more good people in this world than evil right? Have any of you ever done the research about the number of these sick individuals, because while sensationalized by our media they are really not lurking behind every tree or bush.
As for the parents who "neglect" some of their children some of these things are reprehensible! Leaving a child alone near or in water is insane. We swam at age 3 and guess what, mom and dad were not what you would call over protective but they never let us out of their sight unless another adult was present while we were in the pool.
Dyeing your child's hair because you dont like the color. Wow. . .
Leaving your child unattended with a dog or dogs. . . Ummm, doglover here with 3 dogs and I dont let the dogs hang with my 10 year old niece since they outweigh her by at least 20 lbs each!
And I thought I distanced myself from people because they were just ignorant most of the time. Turns out it is because so many people nowadays are just insensitive, insecure, irresponsible, and reprehensible.
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5-22-2009 @ 7:02PM
Kaila said...I would like to know if the people writing the blog entry has kids, would you think?
I don't agree with everything these mom's has done, it's not something I would do, I hove over my son.
Who are you to say right from wrong?
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