I have a few childless friends that come over, we sit and chat and they (sometimes not so silently) judge my parenting! I'd love to go back to my pre-child self and laugh in my own face! No? Aww! But seriously though, before I had children, just like my friends, I knew better!

It's easy to decide you are going to do X,Y,Z before kids, but in reality it just doesn't work! However before kids you don't know that so you sit there, silently judging and making a mental note of how your children will/wont be brought up!

So here are my top 5 things that I got SO wrong before I had children!

1.No chocolate before 5 years old - You can give the idea up right now! Yes, they don't need it, but short of beating every family member away with a long stick, it's almost impossible to not let them have it. We managed just over a year with Kairi. Told people not to buy it for her, we ate her Christmas stash and we would just constantly explain that we weren't giving it to her yet, it was exhausting!

2. - Not having 'that child' or being 'that mum'- We all know 'that child' she's the one having a tantrum in the middle of Tesco, the one who's mother (who also wasn't going t have 'that child' or be 'that mum') is handing her a chocolate bar to calm her down.

3. Discipline - Before kids I believed shouting and punishment were the way to go. Now I believe in promoting the good, of course they still get in trouble for doing wrong, but I'm not going to shout, or smack.

4. Cots, Buggies and Formula - I put this down to working in a nursery as to why I had no blooming idea anything else existed! I truly didn't realise there was another way to do things and now look at me, crazy, crunch, breast feeding, baby wearing and bed sharing.

5. The Santa Threat - years ago, I wouldn't think twice about using it, but now I think its rubbish! We don't make threats that we can't follow through 'if you do that once more then you can't have those crisps with lunch today'is fine, but 'if your naughty then Santa wont deliver you any presents' what rubbish! Of course he will I didn't spend all this money too see you get nothing for Christmas!

Bonus:.Naughty - Its a word I hate! We use bad behaviour now, but years ago I would of said naughty!