Public Misbehavior
“The thing you learn very quickly as a parent is the law of karma: The minute you judge another parent for the behavior of their kids, your child will, in short order, do the exact same thing!” —Mimi Pultman, Chesterfield, parent to a 16- and an 18-year-old
Explicit Lyrics
“We thought we’d monitor what our kids listen to—especially those songs on the radio with filthy lyrics. Once we had kids of our own, we saw how things really are and how hard it is to keep any idealistic promises.” —Marianne, Chesterfield, parent to a 17- and a 16-year-old
Exploding Poo
“We were at the grocery store when my oldest son (then 2½ years old) said, ‘Mommy, I go potty.’ He had pooped all over the cart and up his back. In an instant, I grabbed him and walked straight out the front door, leaving the cart full of groceries. I did not go near that store for years!” —Kristi, Kirkwood, parent to a 19- and a 17-year-old and 12-year-old twins
Endless Questions
“I knew I would always answer every question my kids asked, no matter what. But when my oldest son started talking and questioning everything, it grew old fast. Finally, I just said, ‘Because I told you so,’ and if that didn’t work, I said, ‘Because I’m the parent!’ I still feel guilty.” —Angela, University City, parent to an 18- and a 16-year-old
Family Pets
“We were leaving on vacation and didn’t want to deal with a betta fish. Need I say more than ‘flush’?” —Karen, Wildwood, parent to a 20- and an 18-year-old
24/7 Yoga Pants
“I was at a child’s birthday party a few years ago with my daughter, and it just happened to be one of those days I was wearing workout clothes. The moms were standing around talking and asked me, ‘Are you a runner?’ Laughing, I said, ‘No, not really, but I planned on working out when I got up this morning.’ This was before the athleisure clothing trend.” —Camille, Chesterfield, parent to a 14- and a 16-year-old
