A MUM who used to judge other people’s parenting has admitted having a baby herself has completely changed her outlook.
Shannon used to have pretty strong opinions about how were being parented.
Shannon admitted she used to judge other mums until she had a child herselfCredit: TikTok/@shannonrenniexo
Now, if giving son Jonah the iPad for a bit means she can have a vape break, she’s all for itCredit: TikTok/@shannonrenniexo
She’s also not bothered about giving him a sausage roll to eat in his pram if it keeps him quietCredit: TikTok/@shannonrenniexo
And doesn’t hold back when it comes to swearing in front of him eitherCredit: TikTok/@shannonrenniexo
But when she became a mum herself, to everything went out of the window – with motherhood leaving her “humbled”.
In a post on TikTok, Shannon revealed the “things I used to judge mums for until I became one”.
First up, those who gave their child an iPad instead of playing with them.
“Hah what? I need my break now,” Shannon responded.
While she used to hate it when mums swore in front of their kids, now she’ll say “about 172,773 swear words a day” within earshot of her little boy.
And despite the fact she previously thought her mum friends couldn’t be “that busy” to not reply to her text for days, it’s now a case that she can “hardly reply to my own man”.
She couldn’t believe those who used the excuse that their child was “just tired” to explain their behaviour, and now says that Jonah is a “little s**t” when he “doesn’t sleep”.
When it comes to “getting five minutes’ peace”, Shannon is happy to let her boy climb on furniture or eat a sausage roll in his pram – especially if it means he’ll stay quiet while they’re out shopping.
But that’s not to say she didn’t judge other mums who allowed that kind of behaviour before she had her son.
She concluded her post by saying that while she used to be baffled by those mums who didn’t have a routine, nowadays if Jonah “wants a at 8am he’s having it before breakfast”.
“Turns out I knew absolutely nothing – motherhood has humbled me,” Shannon wrote over the final snap, which showed her looking exhausted as she lay on the sofa with a sleeping baby Jonah on her chest.
“Be kind. This is light-hearted – motherhood humbled me,” she captioned her TikTok.
The comments section was quickly filled with people weighing in, with many admitting they could entirely relate to Shannon’s post.
“The vape break is real!” one giggled.
“Yep hahaha,” Shannon replied.
“I do every one of these.. apart from the sweet before breakfast lol,” another said.
Different parenting styles explained
There are four recognised styles of parenting explained below:
Authoritarian Parenting
What some might describe as “regimental” or “strict” parenting.
Parents with this style focus on strict rules, obedience, and discipline.
Authoritarian parents take over the decision-making power, rarely giving children any input in the matter.
When it comes to rules, you believe it’s “my way or the highway”.
Permissive Parenting
Often referred to as “soft parenting” or “yes mums/dads”.
Permissive parents are lenient, only stepping in when there’s a serious problem.
They’re quite forgiving and they adopt an attitude of “kids will be kids”.
Oftentimes they act more like friends than authoritative figures.
Authoritative Parenting
Authoritative parents provide their children with rules and boundaries, but they also give them the freedom to make decisions.
With an authoritative parenting style, parents validate their children’s feelings while also making it clear that the adults are ultimately in charge.
They use positive reinforcement techniques, like praise and reward systems, as opposed to harsh punishments.
Neglectful or Uninvolved Parenting
Essentially, neglectful parents ignore their children, who receive little guidance, nurturing, and parental attention.
They don’t set rules or expectations, and they tend to have minimal knowledge about what their children are doing.
Uninvolved parents expect children to raise themselves. They don’t devote much time or energy to meeting children’s basic needs.
Uninvolved parents may be neglectful but it’s not always intentional.
A parent with mental health issues or substance abuse problems, for example, may not be able to care for a child’s physical or emotional needs consistently.
To which Shannon said: “Sometimes you just need to choose peace over violence!”
And the person then responded: “Well I suppose that’s true!”
If Jonah wants a sweet at 8am, she’ll let him have it as routine goes out the windowCredit: TikTok/@shannonrenniexo
She concluded her post by admitting that motherhood has “humbled her”, in ways she never thought possibleCredit: TikTok/@shannonrenniexo
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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