re: Anybody here eat their words on how to raise kids after becoming a parent?

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Good luck with that. I was raised that way for much of my life by my stepfather. Today, I wouldn't piss up his arse if his guts were on fire.

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I was half-heartedly joking. We really don't have any video games, but it's only because the kids don't want them. I've been extremely lucky with my kids that I haven't had to eat my words from before becoming a parent.

And I 100% agree with the guy that said kids come hardwired with their own temperament. I know several families that have 1 child that is an angel and 1 that is a devil.

I'll add this, kids pick up a lot more from their parents than you would think. If you're a picky eater, they'll most likely be a picky eater, if you're an outdoorsman, you're kid will probably enjoy the outdoors.

Even if you're a pansy, at least act like a tough-guy in front of your kids.

Yeah, I envisioned a dictatorship. I mostly aim to keep it out of the ditch most days. People told me, but I didn't grasp how expensive it really is.

It happens. They go through a stage when they start to make decisions for themselves. It's all part of developing but it's a pain in the arse. Everything you want them to do/wear/eat/drink/etc. they'll disagree. You just have to pick your battles.

Not a parent but here are some tips from us non-parents:

Don't bring your baby on our plane. Nobody wants to hear that.

Strollers are not the duallys of the sidewalk. Get that crap to the side.

Keep your pictures to yourself. If I want to see a picture of your ugly kid I'll ask.

Don't invite me to its birthday. I have no love or fricks to give.

You sound like an Asian mother.

Let me tell you something and give you some advice on how to deal with it. When your child enters his/her toddler years, it will at times make going out in public a miserable experience. Grocery stores, movies, eating out, etc can and will turn into a total shite show when the little one decides to test the waters and starts to see how far it can push the insanity model of behavior to get what it wants. It sounds cruel and unusual but after raising four kids through the toddler stage I can tell you an easy way to nip that in the bud. The first time that your 2+ year old starts showing its arse in public do not baby it and try to find something like a toy or any other item to serve as a distraction. Instead, let it get its crazy time engine going good and then stand up and calmly remove it from its toddler seat and hoist it in the air like the beginning scene in The Lion King. Hold it high in the air above your head and say "here he is ladies and gentlemen...here he is." As all eyes turn and focus on the little prince/princess held aloft in your hands, a miraculous metamorphosis occurs. The child returns to a state of calm very quickly as humiliation supercedes its previous crisis of not being allowed to use the ketchup bottle as a battering ram on its seat tray. After the first time you do this all you have to do is threaten them with " well it looks like somebody wants to go up in the sky again. Does daddy need to show everyone in here how good you can cry?" The kid (excluding an autistic child) almost always decides it would rather color some more while it waits patiently on its kids Mac & cheese rather than show its arse and be humiliated. I call this method "The Humiliating Hoist" and just keep it in mind for future use.

My kids live off of Mac-n-cheese and the YouTube kids app.