Ways You Almost Mess Up as a Parent

Modern Parenting…
There is no such thing as a picture-perfect parent. We have been taught about the importance of being “perfect.” Well, you know it’s a myth. If truth be told, everyone is bound to be messy sometimes as a parent and make mistakes along the way. Let’s just hope our kids understand and pardon us somewhere down the lane.

1. You Will Forget It’s Class Photograph Day

You’re always particular about your kid’s neatly ironed uniform and perfectly done hair. But one day you oversleep and send them off looking a bit rushed. And of course, that turns out to be class photograph day. The class photo becomes a permanent reminder of that morning.

2. You Will Completely Fail to Help Them With Homework

In the beginning, it’s easy to sit with them during homework time, but later on, when the young ones ask you for help with their Maths homework, you are completely clueless. You try to guide them and then realise they’re being taught in a totally different way and are doing a whole new style of maths. At that point, you’re completely OUT!

3. Salad Day Competition

Every mom, be honest – you know this one. You hand over their favourite snacks, feeling proud, and then your kid drops the bomb: “Mom, today’s the salad-day competition!” And suddenly, you have… absolutely nothing fresh to offer.

4. You will forget tooth fairy duties or Christmas gifts

Ever fallen asleep watching your favourite movie and completely forgotten to tuck a penny under their pillow or fill their Christmas wish socks? Tooth fairy or Santa duties totally slipped your mind, and the next morning, your kid is crushed. That’s when you become a storytelling pro, spinning a story about how the tooth fairy or Santa is on holiday, but you’re sure they’ll visit tonight. You’ve got this, master of magical excuses.

5. You Will Throw Away Something That They Will Ask For Later

Tell me I’m not the only one! Sometimes you toss out broken pieces of toys, thinking they’re useless… and then your kid asks if it was an important part of her doll or if she could’ve used it to fix another toy. Yep, that sinking guilt hits hard – but now you know exactly how to deal with it.

6. You’ll Give Them The Wrong Colored Bowl or Spoon

You know how toddlers can be about their favourite colour, especially when it comes to their beloved bowl or spoon. Yesterday, they happily ate all their veggies from a pink bowl, so today you try the same one. But nope – they want the red bowl, and suddenly the pink one gets tossed aside. Maddening, right? Don’t panic. Take a deep breath, clean up, and let it go—there’s really nothing else you can do.

7. You Will Make Empty Threats

Ever notice how kids can push every single one of your buttons, and you end up making hollow threats you don’t mean? You know, stuff like, “If you don’t get ready fast, I won’t drive you to school”, all the while, you’re dying to get them there. The thing is, every empty threat teaches them they can get away with it. So… pause and think, how many empty threats have you actually made?

8. Fail To Bake

Ever had that moment when your child suddenly announces they want their favourite cake baked by you—right in the evening? You raid the cupboards only to realise you have zero ingredients for any recipe in your trusted books, and let’s be honest, you’re too tired to spend the night baking. So, come morning, you grab a cake from the bakery, give it a little “mom touch,” and hope it passes off as homemade. Good luck, Mama—I’ve only pulled this off once.

9. Picking them up from School or Bus Stand Late

It’s almost time for the kids to come home, and your eyes are glued to the clock… but then something in the kitchen catches your attention, and suddenly, time slips away. Before you know it, you’re running late, and you know exactly what kind of chaos awaits because of this blunder. Ahhh… don’t even want to think about it, right?

10. Dot Day Celebration

Dot Day is all about connecting, collaborating, and creating—and it’s a perfect chance for kids to show their self-expression. Many schools even ask children to wear something dotted. So you bought a cute new polka-dot dress for your daughter… but on the day of the celebration, you send her off in her regular uniform. Now you have no idea how to apologize to your little girl. Don’t worry, you’re not alone, my friend did the exact same thing. No wonder she’s a friend of Messy Mom.

Sometimes, we all mess up, and that’s perfectly okay. As parents, we work hard every day trying to keep everything in order, but sometimes things just don’t go as planned. Trust me, almost every parent makes the same mistakes at some point. Don’t heap impossible expectations on yourself, some things just can’t be perfect, and that’s completely fine.

Related post: Letter to my son before he turns 13.

Got your own “oops” moment? Drop it in the comments – would love to read it.

An image source: Canva