11 People Confess How They’re Different Now That They’re A Parent

Change happens! Especially when you become a parent. See how change can be good when you switch to GEICO. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.

We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community about how they've changed since becoming parents. Here are their honest and hilarious responses...

1. "I always said that my kids would never scream or run in the grocery store because they would know better."

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"Yeah. They do know better. Doesn't stop them, though."

—fiasney

2. "I never thought I would willingly grab snot with my bare hands..."

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"...and then voluntarily wipe them on my shirt."

—mirandar4dd7a2068

3. "I never thought I would tolerate picky eating."

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"Before I was a parent, the whole 'eat it or starve' technique seemed so easy. After 11 years, I’ve learned to pick my battles, and that this isn’t one that I want to fight. I can count the foods that my son will eat on two hands."

—heatherh58

4. "I always used to mock parents who would always have their child clinging to them."

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"Now I’m the parent getting told I’m spoiling my baby girl by holding and hugging her too much."

—Hattybob

5. "I never thought I'd breastfeed past a year or be a stay-at-home mom."

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"The entirety of my pregnancy, I said I'd breastfeed for one year and stay at home for six months then put my son in daycare and go back to work. But after he was born, I just couldn't do it. I didn't go back to work until the day he started kindergarten."

—gregnortonsmustache

6. "I never thought I'd check my baby's diaper with the 'sniff test.'"

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"But here I am — nose straight on her diaper."

—torib43b0663dd

7. "I always HATED when my mom would lick her thumb to spit-wash something off my face, and I swore I’d never do that to my kids."

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"News flash: It works! And I do it!"

—jenb4f9ea7454

8. "I love to cook and always imagined myself making wonderful meals for my family."

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"Flash-forward 13 years later and going on 4 kids... My toddler just ate half a jar of peanut butter, half a toaster pastry, and I’m pretty sure he took a bite out of the butter that was left on the counter. Oh well...can’t be perfect every day!"

—nursemomma4

9. "I never thought I’d let my children eat anything with refined sugar."

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"But when they wake me up at 5 a.m. on the weekend, they can eat whatever the heck they want to give me another hour of sleep."

—Clandahlina

10. "I never thought I’d be a 'Pinterest Mom.'"

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"But here I am searching every day for a project to keep my toddler entertained."

—haileyr4271795ab

11. "The things I say!"

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"For example, 'Stop putting slime in your brother’s armpit!'"

—alexnikole

Note: Submissions have been edited for length, grammar, and/or clarity.

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