Toddle Along Tuesday: I'll Never...

This week's Toddle Along Tuesday topic is "Things You Never Thought You'd Do" co hosted by Growing Up Geeky and Letters to Mo. Early on in my pregnancy, I was told by some very wise Moms that you should never promise yourself set expectations about parenting because you never know what will happen and who your child will be. No reason to set yourself up for guilt over some TV watching, sweets, and sleep habits. There's enough guilt to go around without looking for it. While I held firm to my values as a Mom, I went into parenthood with a clean slate of expectations and with full intention to roll with the punches. And roll we have!

We feed him what works for him, we cloth diaper, but use disposables when we need to, I breast fed until it wasn't working anymore, he sleeps with us when he's sick, watches TV now and then....and so on.

I know its not exactly today's topic, but lets just say I took some creative liberties. Instead of talking about the pre-baby things I promised I'd do or not do, these are the things, pre-growing up, that I will never let C do as he gets older.

I will never let C...

Say he can't do something.
Give up without trying.
Speak ill of his classmates, friends, family, and neighbors.
Go a day without a hug, kiss, and reminder that we love him.
Grow up without responsibility and accountability.
Feel worthless or undervalued because of my words or actions.
Use the word hate.
Be left out of a decision that impact him directly.

I can't control his experiences with peers, I can't control his perceptions of the world, and I can't control his perceptions of himself, but I can make sure he feels unconditionally loved and supported, while making sure to hold him to high standards of character. At the end of the day, that's all that matters to me. I don't care if he's an athlete or mathelete, but if he has character, he has everything.

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats 

those who can do nothing for him.”—Malcolm S. Forbes.

Link up with Toddle Along Tuesday and check out the other "I'd Never" lists!