Sometimes I feel that we learn more through our children rather than they learn from us. Here are the lessons I’ve learnt ever since I had my two lil rascals:
1. Never, ever swear in front of children and no, not because they will repeat it in front of you but because they will DEFINITELY repeat it in front of your bosses/ customers/ relatives and not in a cute kinda way but in a ‘ohmygodIwillwashyourmouthoutwithsoap’ kinda way.
2. Never buy too many toys for them and no, not because this will spoil them rotten but because they will play with those darn effing toys and leave it strewn all over the house so that you will either trip and break your neck, poke a hole in your foot after stepping into one too many or spend hours trying to clean up all the mess.
3. Do not threaten or even try to buy your kid into doing something and no, not because this is the wrong way to bring up a kid but because the said kid will threaten you right back or worse, pretend to be bought and once he get what he wants, he promptly forgets his side of the bargain.
4. Do not try to outsmart a kid and no, you may think you are older and wiser but trust me, your decades-old brains and physique is no match to a fresh, full of ideas and energetic five-year-old (or any kid of young age).
5.Do not try to outrun your kid (unless you are an annual marathon champion) because it is time that you accept that you will never ever have the energy and stamina that your kid has so you will definitely be left huffing, puffing and too outofbreath to send your kid to his room.
6. Do not spank your kid and no, not because it is wrong to resort to physical punishment but because no caning or spanking or any kinda physical punishment will get through to a kid who will probably only challenge you back or take off running which will lead to situation number 5.
7. Do not compare your children against each other and no, not because it will create sibling rivalry but because they will compare you with some other parent or worse, they will compare you with your worst enemy whoever that may be.
8. Do not dream of having a good night’s sleep ever again because from baby to toddler to even as a teenager, your kid will forever make you stay up late into the night either due to crying (when baby/toddler) or due to disappearance with some questionable characters (when a teenager).
9. Do not dream of having your own privacy at least for the next 10 to 13 years because your kid will haunt you, stick to you, pester you, make darn sure they are into every aspect of your life from your job to your time in the bathroom until they become a teenager and prefer not to be seen with you.
10. Do not dream of saving up for anything at all, not even that expensive Coach handbag you’ve been eyeing simply because your kids will bleed you dry and then some.
11. The nine-months pregnancy and even the hours of labor is NOTHING compared to the years, years and years of suffering you had to go through to bring them up.
12. You are now responsible for everything that happened to your kid or that your kid did and there is no escape. Ever.
What other lessons have you learned from motherhood?
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