Of course, you’re familiar with the seven deadly sins:
- pride
- greed
- lust
- envy
- gluttony
- anger
- laziness
They represent the worst faults a person can have.
But do you know the seven deadly sins of parenthood?
Parenthood is difficult in itself, but certain behaviors can make it even more so.
Indeed, if you don’t follow certain rules, you can create more work, stress and frustration for yourself.
So, if you have young children, stay away from these seven deadly parenting sins.
1. When the kids go to bed, stay up a long time.
We’ve all been there.
You’re exhausted from spending all day with the kids and when they’re finally in bed – instead of going to bed too, you want to relax and spend too much time awake.
Naturally, after the little ones have fallen asleep, parents finally find some time for themselves, but there’s a problem.
When you finally do fall asleep, it feels like literally 10 minutes before the child wakes up and demands your attention.
So you don’t get a good night’s sleep, and you never rest.
So forget about watching late-night TV series and try watching just one episode or relaxing for half an hour with a book, then falling asleep.
2. Stimulate the kids before bedtime.
It might seem like a good idea to let your kids watch TV before bed or play until bedtime, because during that time you might have to clean the kitchen or put the laundry in the washing machine.
But this will make bedtime a nightmare for you.
If children are having fun at bedtime, they’re too excited and stimulated and wonder why they’d go to bed when they can stay awake and watch the screen?
Also, don’t give your toddlers sweets before bedtime, as you don’t want them to be in the “twilight zone” of too much sugar at that time.
3. Leave dirty dishes overnight in the sink.
Everyone’s in bed and you just want to relax or just fall asleep, then you realize that the kitchen looks like Hiroshima after the bombing.
A real nightmare!
But do you know what’s worse?
Waking up the next morning and seeing the kitchen in the same state, with the added “joy” of crumbled food remains and stains that are now even more visible.
Remember this scene every time you think you’re too tired to clean the kitchen now and that this mess can wait until tomorrow.
Unfortunately, tomorrow will only be harder for you, because with this mess you’ll have a new one making breakfast for the little ones or looking for a clean bottle and clean dishes in your “crime scene”.
4. Leave things within easy reach.
If you leave anything precious or fragile and easily breakable within easy reach, any accident is your fault.
Toddlers have this ability to reach for things they shouldn’t, then hide them, break them and hurt themselves!
Or to put them in their mouths, which leads to much worse problems.
Another thing you shouldn’t leave behind are the sweets or snacks you may have eaten last night after the kids fell asleep…
There’s nothing worse than total depression and an explosion of anger when you have to tell your three-year-old not to eat chocolate for breakfast.
The very thing you accidentally left out.
5. Let the kids stay up a long time.
It’s Saturday night and you and the family have gone out for pizza.
And what happens?
You’re having a great time and you don’t even realize that the time has passed when the little ones should be in bed.
You think a little rule-breaking won’t hurt anyone, don’t you?
Unfortunately, your four-year-old is acting like a teenager and is already too tired, but also “curled up” and doesn’t want to sleep.
And when you finally do get him to sleep, there’s a good chance he’ll wake up in the night or much earlier in the morning, because his biorhythm (which is used to a different sleeping time) is disturbed.
So if you decide to break the bedtime routine, expect the unexpected.
6. Organize obligations and tasks by adapting to yourself.
Parents have a lot of responsibilities between looking after the kids, work, the house and finding time for themselves.
Sometimes we have no choice but to disrupt the kids’ schedules, wake them up early or forgo a trip to the park because you have to see a doctor or go to the grocery store urgently.
However, there are times when things aren’t necessary.
For example, did you really have to go out for coffee with your friends (for the second time this week) during the time your child was supposed to be napping?
Don’t forget that toddlers should be a priority, so create a program tailored to their needs and you’ll make it easier on the kids and yourself.
7. Drink too much!
Hangovers and children don’t go together.
Alcohol should have warning signs for parents, because sometimes you really need a reminder.
The question isn’t whether you’ll manage to get a minimum of quality sleep, but whether you’ll sleep at all.
Normally, children are quite demanding, they’re very noisy and they wear you out already, so if you’re also hungover, it’s all over for you!
If you have small children, any alcohol consumption is at your own risk!