'I made rookie errors when my kids were little. Don't do what I did'

"These are my three my biggest regrets. They seem so obvious now."

Unfortunately, parenting doesn’t come with a manual, but luckily one veteran mum has shared her top ‘don’ts’.

Lori’s children are all grown up now, and she’s taken to TikTok to reveal the rookie mistakes she made.

“Maybe someone can learn from my mistakes,” she said. 

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"It disappoints me"

She begins by admitting that she and her husband didn’t effectively teach their kids the importance of a genuine apology. 

“I don’t think we did a good job teaching them how to say sorry. Like a real sincere ‘I’m sorry,’” she reveals.

While it was something they emphasised when their kids were younger, it became less consistent as they grew into their teenage years.

“It disappoints me that I didn’t do a better job with that. I think that's an important skill to have,” Lori admitted. 

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Next, Lori reflects on emotions. She believes she could have been more open about her own feelings.

“I always wanted to protect them from carrying any burden I had to carry. I think I was a little too stoic,” she explained. 

This, she says, led to unrealistic expectations.  

“Now they think I’m just a rock and nothing bothers me, but really I was keeping it all inside,” Lori shared. 

Image: TikTok/ loriscowsandstuff

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"Biggest regret" 

Her final lesson, which she deems the most important, is a financial one.

Lori urges new parents to avoid overspending in the early years, as she wishes she had done.

“I feel like now, under 10, I would buy things that were second-hand. I would make Christmas really small. I would save that money for when it becomes more significant,” she advised.

She believes toddlers don’t understand the value of lavish expenses and won’t even remember them.  

“That’s a mistake I think we made. I wish that we just put more money aside when they were little so that we were more prepared for when they were older,” Lori reflected.

The comments section of Lori’s TikTok quickly filled with parents chiming in, either agreeing with her or adding their own lessons.

“My parents' biggest regret was focusing on 'stranger danger' versus body safety,” one commenter shared. 

“In the teen years, I worried too much about rules and not about the connection,” another added. 

A third suggested: “I would add that I think I stepped in too soon to help with problems.”

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Younger parents also reflected on Lori’s advice.

“I definitely did too much for my one-year-old’s first Christmas and birthday. I’m gonna dial it back next year,” one admitted.

“Mum guilt is so real, because I really don’t think most dads lie awake at night tolling over this,” another confessed.

Lori's reflections serve as a timely reminder: it's never too late to grow as a parent. 

Originally published as 'I made rookie errors when my kids were little. Don't do what I did'