A question for all Panda parents out here. Parenting is hard. Peer-Pressure-Parenting is harder!
From “Which sports are your kids in?” To “How much screen time do your kids get?”
If you could get one “do-over” item that you didn’t get Parent-Peer-Pressured” into, what would it be?
Here’s mine: Newborn swimming lessons. NO ONE ENJOYED THIS! Here you are in your postpartum bathing suit, with a newborn in a too-big swim diaper and you’re both FREEZING! You awkwardly get into the shallow end with other puffy, overtired, “dear god get me out of my house” new moms. You spend 23 minutes singing nursery rhymes and bouncing your corn chip-shaped baby into the water while simultaneously yearning for class to end and also dreading getting out. Then you walk your goose-flushed self back to the change room and start your hour-long shower/ baby shampoo/ lotion/ diaper cream / warm fuzzy outfit routine for the baby - and then realize you are still in your bathing suit with streamer-style dreadlocks dripping down your back… and now the baby is hungry. And why do we do this? Because 17 of your new mom friends asked you which baby swimming class you were registered in. So what is your “do-over” story - looking back now - that you’d never do again?
#1
Learn the three languages I currently want to have a mastery in—Japanese, German, & Russian. It definitely would make watching Vtubers much easier(Go Hololive!)
2points
#2
No TikTok
1point
#3
Story time with Snail! My city had a very bad storm a few years ago. I was home alone while my mom was walking the dog. An energy worker came to the door and told me to contact my mom because in his exact words “your neighbor’s house is on fire” No, not exaggerating, those were his words. (Spoiler: it was not exactly on fire.) This next part is hard to admit, and I don’t think I will ever forgive myself. Did I get my brother out of the house? Nope. Did I look out the window? Nope. Did I do anything remotely intelligent?! NOPE. I sat down and cried until my mom got back. Even though I was pretty young at the time, I am still furious at myself. Neither me or my brother were in danger, but I thought we were and still sat down and cried like an absolute idiot. And if we had been in danger and he had gotten hurt or worse, it would have been my fault. Now for what actually happened. My mom came home and got us out of the house, we spent the evening in my other neighbors house, and the fire department came. They determined that a branch had fallen on an AC unit and a bit of smoldering had occurred. My mom always tells me I was too young to know better, but I was around ten and should definitely have had some common sense at least. I am still very far from forgiving myself and would definitely fix that if given the chance. Sorry for the long reply, and if you think I’m stupid now I suppose I deserve that
1point
#4
Not say all those stupid things I said back in middle and high school
1point
#5
Aside from going full Biff from 'Back To The Future' and buying shitloads of stock in IG, FB etc?
0points
#6
I'd have finished high school. I got my GED a few years later, but I'm so mad at myself for dropping out my senior year. I was so close! Also, I wouldn't have had my friend convince me to cut my hair when we were both tipsy. But that was during the pandemic, we all did weird things. 🤷
0points