20 Worst Preconceptions Parents Had Before Their Children Were Born

Parents are laughing as they remember 20 of the worst preconceptions they had before their children were born, according to a new survey.

A British survey by the famous toy maker Play-Doh interviewed 2,000 moms and dads and had 85 percent of them laughing when they recalled what kind of parent they thought they would be before they had children. They cannot help but think how silly they were to believe they would be firm on their "parenting vows" and never break them.

Fast forward to today, with children in tow, they have broken every preconception. At least 81 percent of these parents expressed that it was impossible to know the big challenges of being a parent until one finally got to have kids on their own. It becomes the "biggest learning curve" in their parenting lives.

20 most hilarious, worst preconceptions of parents

Moms and dads vowed to impose and limit screen time or never use the tablet as a babysitter. They promised never to shout at their kids or never to bribe them. They were firm in saying that they would discipline their kids so well they would never throw a tantrum in public.

Oh, how wrong they were!

Here are the "pre-baby vows" parents have breached from the parenting contract they created and signed, as summarized by Cheshire Live.

1. They will limit screen time.
2. They would never shout at their children.
3. They will never use a tablet as a babysitter.
4. They will never bribe their children.
5. They will read to their children every night.
6. They will never allow their kids to sleep in their beds.
7. They will never say, "because I said so."
8. Their kids will never throw tantrums in public.
9. Establishing a good bedtime routine will be easy.
10. Their kids will have good manners at all times
11. They won't give in to pester power.
12. They will be okay with their kids making a mess with their toys.
13. They will never allow their kids to eat crisps or snacks in their cars.
14. Parenting isn't as hard as people say.
15. They will be so okay with their children making a mess while painting.
16. Their kids will be presentable at all times.
17. Waking their kids up in the morning will be easy.
18. They would never be a competitive parent.
19. They will never boast about their kids on social media.
20. Their kids will be sporty.

The pressure to be perfect parents

The poll further revealed that 67 percent of parents feel overwhelming pressure to be a "perfect parent." There were a lot of moments in their parenting journey that they felt like they were a failure, and 72 percent mainly blamed social media for this, while 46 percent said that the pressure comes from fellow parents, 40 percent from family members, and 34 percent, ironically, from friends who do not have children.

Play-Doh did the survey to launch its newest campaign, "Parenting is Messy," encouraging parents to celebrate the "unspoken truths" of having children and to emphasize that parenting will never be perfect, and that is the beauty of it.

"Our research reveals the expectations versus the reality of parenting - and how many of the preconceptions we have about family life turn out to be completely wrong. Parenting is Messy, it is all about celebrating the less polished moments in people's lives as parents," declared spokesman Nicola Fox-Haggarty.

The study also showed the tips parents gave those planning to have children. Seventy percent said that there would be hard days, yet every day of that is worth it. Sixty-two percent said parents need not be embarrassed if their child suddenly has a meltdown in public because it is normal. Lastly, 59 percent said parents would miss the chaos and the fun of having kids when the children grow older.