What I wish I'd known before I had kids

Yesterday I mentioned the audio book I am listening to -- House Rules by Jodi Picoult. For any of you who may know someone who has a child with Asperger's Syndrome, I highly recommend this book. It is a window into the life of a parent who deals with the syndrome every day -- in this case, a single mom. It also delves into the emotions and thoughts of the sibling, as well as painting a portrait of the Asperger's child from his own point of view. I feel I have gained an enormous amount of understanding by listening to this book, and I trust that Picoult did her research and has given this fictional family an honest portrayal.

That said, I wanted to share a list from the book. The mom in the book writes an advice column and I especially liked this one:

What I Know Now That I Wish I'd Known Before I Had Kids

1. If you stick a piece of bread in a VCR, it will not come back intact.
2. Garbage bags don't work as parachutes.
3. Childproofing is a relative term.
4. A tantrum is like a magnet -- Eyes cannot help but lock onto you and your child when it happens.
5. Legos are not absorbed by the digestive tract.
6. Snow is a food group.
7. Kids know when you're not listening to them.
8. A brussel sprout covered in cheese is still a brussel sprout.
9. The best place to cry is in a mother's arms.
10. You'll never be as good a mother as you want to be.

                                                                -- Emma in House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Isn't that a wonderful list? I personally love it, even if it is a list a fictional character created for a fictional parenting advice column!

So here's my challenge to you -- If you were to write a list with the same title, what would you include in your lineup? Post a comment here or on Facebook and let me know! I'll compile a list of my favorite 10 responses and post it.

Keeping it real,

Hana