When What Mom Thought I'd Enjoy as a Parent Goes Viral on TikTok

It all started with a list.

My mom, a seasoned parent of three grown-up children, thought she knew what I would enjoy as a new parent. Being the helpful person she is, she compiled a list of things she thought I would need or find helpful when raising my own child.

At first, I was thankful for her guidance. As someone who had never been a parent before, I was eager to learn all the tricks of the trade. But as I dove deeper into the list, I realized that some of the things my mom had included were not things I would enjoy as a parent at all.

The List of 39

Here are some examples of the things my mom thought I would enjoy:

• Waking up at 5 am every day
• Changing diapers every 30 minutes
• Taking a screaming baby to a fancy restaurant
• Getting puked on
• Having no privacy
• Worrying about my child's safety constantly
• Feeling guilty about not being a perfect parent
• Etc.

As you can see, some of these things are not exactly what I would call enjoyable. And yet, my mom seemed to think that they were normal parts of parenthood.

The Viral TikTok Video

One day, I was scrolling through TikTok when I came across a video that caught my attention. It was titled "Things My Mom Thought I'd Enjoy as a Parent That I Actually Do Not."

The video was made by a fellow parent who had also received a similar list from their mom. They read through the list and reacted to each item, giving their opinion and sharing their own experiences as a parent.

The video quickly went viral, with thousands of likes and comments from other parents who could relate to the struggle of trying to live up to their own or someone else's expectations of what parenthood is supposed to be like.

Taking a Step Back

After watching the viral TikTok video, I realized that it was important to take a step back and think about what kind of parent I wanted to be. Rather than trying to live up to someone else's expectations, I decided to focus on what was important to me and my family.

I started by making my own list, but this time it was based on things that I actually enjoy as a parent. Some of the things on my list include:

• Having cuddle time with my child
• Watching my child learn and grow
• Taking walks with my family
• Making memories through new experiences
• Etc.

These things might not seem like the most exciting or adventurous activities, but to me, they are what make parenthood worthwhile.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it's important to remember that parenthood is not always what we expect it to be. While it's helpful to get advice and guidance from others, it's ultimately up to us to decide what kind of parent we want to be.

Here are three key takeaways from my experience:

1. It's okay to say "no" to things that we don't enjoy as parents.
2. We should focus on what brings us joy and fulfillment in our parenting journey.
3. We should create our own list of things that we enjoy as parents, rather than trying to live up to someone else's expectations.

Let's embrace parenthood in our own unique ways and enjoy the journey!