I always thought I would be a mom someday. However, I was not going to be one of those moms that drove a minivan. I was way to cool for that. When my first born arrived, I remained true to that commitment and drove an SUV that was so big I kept running into things because I couldn’t see over the dash board. It cost me $65 to fill the tank and I had to use a step stool to get behind the wheel – but hey, at least it didn’t have sliding doors.

When child #2 came into this world, I relinquished my “cool mom” status and finally succumbed to the convenience of the minivan.

Swearing to never drive a minivan is one of several declarations that clueless, childless women make. There are other preconceived notions that are often abandoned once the realities of parenting sink in.

I’LL NEVER…Let my child eat junk food
You start out okay. Buying the puréed vegetable baby foods and feeling triumphant when you child eats so many carrots that his nose turns orange. You feel confident that you can avoid the allure of the Golden Arches and offer your child tofu burgers instead. However, time constraints and an emerging picky eater make it difficult to avoid the drive-through temptation. An occasional chicken nugget will not ruin her chances of ever eating vegetables again.

I’LL NEVER …Allow my kids to watch TV
Before baby arrives, you’re prepared with classics like “Goodnight Moon” and are ready to introduce your little one to “Baby Einstein”. There is no need to infect their little minds with television and video games. You convinced yourself that you can entertain them with educational toys and interactive play. However, you quickly learn that it is difficult to do this consistently when there is laundry to be done. Now I’m not saying use the boob-tube as a baby-sitter. However, you can stop feeling guilty and make peace with yourself that an hour of television every now and then won’t have any lasting effects and it could save your sanity.

I’LL NEVER… Give my kids Barbies or toy weapons
Not wanting your little girl to have body image issues before she is 4 is the rationale you use for refusing to allow her to play with Ms. Skinny Minnie. However, you finally realize that playing with Barbies is not about role models or the proportions of her figure, it’s more about changing the clothes over and over again. And for the mothers of boys, how many times have you said that “my son with never play with weapons” only to have your sweet toddler grab a block and bonk it on your head. I finally gave up with Star Wars was introduced. No matter how hard I tried, a Care Bear could not compete with a Light Saber.

Now don’t be too hard on yourself. You are not a failure as a mother because jobs, errands, and life in general interfere with good intentions. More than likely, your child will turn out just fine even if you once said, “I’ll Never…”