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    16 Things Parents Thought Before Kids That Make Them Go, "How Dumb Was I?"

    When they knew everything and also nothing.

    We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us what they judged parents for before they had their own kids and the responses were totally relatable and real:

    1. "I used to judge my mom so hard for staying in her pajamas on the weekends unless she had somewhere to be, but now I do the exact same thing! But I'm even worse because I stay at home with the kids, so I'm in my pajamas most of the day, every day."

    2. "I swore I would never make separate meals. But we all eat different things, so now it's two different dinners – one for my husband and I, and one for our daughter – and three different lunches. Apparently, I love cooking...and dishes."

    3. "The leash, for sure. But then we took our daughter to Disney World at 19 months and she no longer walked – she ran. We wanted her to have some freedom, just not enough to bolt in front of a motorized scooter or into the middle of a parade."

    4. "I used to wonder why some parents let their children look like a mess at the store. Now I get it. The 3-year-old wants to wear two different shoes, tights, a tutu, and a chicken feather top, and refuses to wipe the peanut butter off her face, and the 8-year-old insists her capri pants are perfect for a freezing winter day. Whatever – as long as I can get my grocery shopping done."

    5. "Talking about their kids' bowel movements – I don't tell you about mine, I don't want to hear about yours. But I had a baby, and now I get it."

    6. "When my daughter was first born, I told myself I would never give her a tablet. She's four now, and has a Leap Pad, and God forbid I forget it while grocery shopping!"

    7. "Messy house, living in leggings, and always smelling like spit up."

    8. "I used to judge parents for saying that they never had enough time to get stuff done because I was busy, too. I was so, so misguided."

    9. "Picky eaters. My sister would let her kids choose their own meals and they'd still whine and waste food. I thought: 'Don't give them an option! They won't starve!' Cut to my life with a 2-year-old who doesn't even like kid stuff like pizza and mac and cheese. And yes, he will starve himself because he's two and a stubborn asshole."

    10. "Sleeping with their kids. But now my baby sleeps right next to me while my fiancé sleeps on the couch. Oops."

    11. "Snotty noses. Bouncy, stringy, elastic, bungee cord, ugly boogers on kids' faces, and the parents using THEIR OWN FINGERS to wipe the snot slug somewhere...I may or may not have done this myself once I had kids."

    12. "Happy Meals."

    13. "Kids throwing tantrums in public places. Now that I have my own toddler, I know that kids throw fits anywhere and everywhere. If I see a mom riding out a tantrum in the grocery store, I just give her a thumbs up!"

    14. "Letting your kid's schedule rule your life. But now I know nap time is sacred!"

    15. "I used to judge the mom ignoring their crying kid. Now I get it, especially when my children are crying because we didn't get the other blue cart that is totally different than the exact same blue cart we're currently using."

    16. "Everything. I had babysat and thought I knew what being a parent was. Then I became the parent of the kind of kid who ends up in a zoo enclosure or runs around a store shrieking like a banshee. Now, I just embrace the madness and eat my past words...FREQUENTLY."

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    Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.