We just moved into a new home and I had a newborn and a 2 year old. I forgot to latch the door and when I went to change the babies diaper my 2 year old went out the door. I had to run out and find her where she went 2 doors down to pet the puppy. That’s how I first met the neighbors. Was my face red. I never forgot to latch that door again.

Imperfect parenting moments..I’ve had plenty of those. Recently I was in a rush to get out of the house and I was taking my 6 year old son with me to do some errands. We stopped by the video store to rent some movies and my son kept asking me for some candy as we got up to the counter and of course I kept telling him NO. So he proceeded to reach down in the candy bins and start to grab what he was interested in and as I turned around I noticed that he was flashing his bare behind to everyone in the whole store. His pants were down around his knees. I hadn’t made sure he put on his underwear and belt before we left, I had just assumed he had done it when I asked him to. (he likes to go commando) Needless to say I was pretty embarrassed and hurried to get my son and myself out of the store amid snickering people asap.

Gosh, which bad parenting moment shall I choose? First time I ever took my child out of the house, about 3 weeks old, I forgot her bottle AND her pacifier! That child screamed and squalled the whole time we sat in the doctor’s office! The others in the office could tell I was truly a new mom.  Their looks didn’t help matters.  I was a puddle of sweat and swore to never leave the house again without back up paccy’s in the car! YIKES! Great website and a great motivation for us “normal moms”.

The dumbest thing I’ve done to date is totally freaking out about the first bump on my son’s head and calling 911! I’ve now learned better now and if they cry and the bump swells out, then they’re okay and just need comfort and/or distraction from the pain.  Thanks for a place to post about parenting mishaps without harsh judgment like my family likes to give:)

I can be a little uptight when it comes to my kiddos (okay, okay…..my husband would say A LOT uptight). I question EVERYTHING.

My now 3 year old was diagnosed with a ruptured ear drum when she was 14 months (she never let on that she ever had an ear infection)….and it was caught at her 15 month appointment. They prescribed penicillin for this. She had an allergic reaction to the penicillin that caused us to take her to the ER. Later that same year she was diagnosed with ANOTHER ear infection and the doctor tried to prescribe penicillin again because he wasn’t sure what the reaction a few months prior had really been. I objected but he ASSURED me it would be safe….but she DID react and she REACTED badly and back to the ER we went.

I did a follow up with the pediatrician and they tried to charge me a co-pay for the visit to get her a new prescription. I flipped out a bit in the lobby…..told them they needed to stop messing around with my child and to trust another doctor’s diagnosis of such a serious allergy. While I was heatedly discussing this with the doctor…..my now 4 year old turned to the nurse and other patients and said “Mommy needs to chill out” (as my husband often likes to say). THAT was funny and it helped to break the tension we were all feeling.

Long story, short - I did not have to pay a co-pay…and the doctor apologized for prescribing it (which was all I really wanted…)  Now I have it marked on her medical records that she is allergic to penicillin and she has a bracelet she wears when she is with anyone but me!

I am still a new parent but I have to say the dumbest thing I have done so far was put diapers on backwards!  I couldn’t figure out why he was peeing threw his clothes all the time. I am not even a teenage mom I should have known these things. I’m a college graduate for crying out loud!!!  If I can’t master the basics of putting on a diaper, imagine when things get really complicated.

I was grocery shopping with my daughter and she had the string from her sweater in her mouth. It had been one of those days and I had asked her to take the string out of her mouth several times. When she did not listen to me , I pulled it out for her and out flew her tooth! I have never felt so bad!!

My moment came 11 yrs ago with my first child(I now have 4).I buckled my daughter in her car seat and left her sitting on the bed while I went out to warm up the car to go get hubby. It was the first night home with her and my hubby worked the graveyard shift at a motel. I completely forgot about her. I started to back out of the driveway when I looked in the back seat and realized I forgot to go back to get her. I felt horrible(even though I never really left the property).I never forgot a kid again!

Oh my gosh! You have a shirt that says, “I’ll Walk When I’m Good and Ready”???? I need that soooo bad. My oldest isn’t walking yet and we are so tired of the questions. This would be awesome! My most imperfect parenting moment was putting my oldest down to nap with only a diaper and t-shirt. HUGE MISTAKE! He finger painted with his diaper contents and it wasn’t pretty. I don’t think he’ll be the next Van Gogh, maybe the next Van Gross! lol

My kids were very excited to walk to school this morning for Earth Day!  The kids had been talking about this for weeks even though it’s a bit of a hike for us - just shy of a mile.  I have a kindergartner and a second grader and a pre-schooler. No problem I thought, I will throw my little one in the jogging stroller and give ourselves plenty of time to get there.  After some burnt breakfast and a missing shoe, we started later than I had planned.  About half way there my kindergartner said her legs were hurting.  She started crying and tried to sit on top of my little guy in the stroller.  He proceeded to kick her until she fell off and skinned her knee.  Now there was no moving her.  I finally lifted her up but it was hard to carry her and push the stroller at the same time.  I gave the responsibility to my second grader who decided it would be fun to go very fast.  He ended up hitting a rock and messed up the tire.  We still had a ways to go and school was starting in 5 minutes.  I was now dragging my preschooler by the hand, a broken jogging stroller and carrying my kindergartner when I saw a friend of mine driving by - I flagged her down like a crazy person.  She laughed at me sweating and exhausted.  Thankfully, she had room in her car.  She told me she had planned on walking too but her son (who is a big, slow kid) was taking so long that she realized she would be late for work if she continued.  I abandoned the jogging stroller on the side of the road and hopped  in, happy that automobiles were invented.