I’ve learnt a lot of things since becoming a parent, but there are some lessons that are more amusing than others.  Of course, many of these experiences are also funnier after-the-fact, and they tend to be lessons that I’ve learnt the hard way at least once.  

Many of these experiences have left me saying; “I’ll never let that happen again!” 

Here are a few...

Always, and I mean always, check the kids’ pockets before doing a load of washing. Otherwise you may find a red crayon, pack of chewing gum, or god forbid a tissue in the wash . . . or worse yet, the dryer. 

Murphy’s law of travelling with kids states that if you should forget a spare outfit, or an entire nappy bag while travelling with a small child, someone will inevitably spill a glass of water on themselves, fall in a puddle, pee their pants, or worse. The further you are from home without the necessary spare items will increase the likelihood that you will need them as well as the severity of the clothing mishap.

The absolute best way to get your child’s attention is to sit down somewhere and look comfortable.

The saying “boys will be boys” often rings true at my house when I’m pretending to eat the mud pies made especially for me, or when I’m wrangling live bugs that were captured outdoors and released inside. However, sometimes little girls will be like the boys, too. My daughter, having two older brothers, loves playing dress-up and playing with her doll’s, but she also loves getting dirty with dump trucks and dinosaurs. A stranger told her she must be a princess. She growled and exclaimed, “I’m not a princess! I’m a pirate! Arrrrg!” . . . and that’s just fine with me!!

Have a great weekend NZ