PRIZE DRAW

and the winners are...

Karen Macaulay from South Uist :
I wish I'd known that... children aren't born bad or good, how they turn out is how they see their parents.

Julie Gitlin from Plymouth :
I wish I'd known that... parenting was going to be a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week job permanently on-call with no time for a lunch, tea or even toilet break!

Lynda Mckay from Ballymena :
I wish I'd known... that communicating with my children at the right level appropriate to their age is key to building a rewarding relationship that will filter down throughout all aspects of their interactions with others.

Ivan Lovric from Dalston :
I wish I knew quite few things about raising children, although, I think the most important bit is to ensure love and stability in the parents' relationship. Clear and constant communication and pre-planning in preparation for future life as an effective parent through being organised and, of course, how much fun having children can be. Also, obtaining clear understanding of support that is available to a parent, which can include; friends, relatives, government and various charities like Home-Start.

The other entries:

Ghilraen from St Albans :

"That you really do not need all those expensive baby gadgets! All a baby really needs is loving arms to hold her, breastmilk to feed her and something to keep her warm!"

Sylvia from Leeds :

"I wish I knew that when bringing up my first child who suffered from early childhood autism that my second child would have suffered. I took it for granted that my youngest did not have any special needs and so I feel that I did not pay too much attention to developing him mentally for adulthood. I realised this when my eldest went off to university and as it was just my youngest son and I left in the house I noticed that he did not understand a lot to say that he was 15 years old. I then had to spend so much time talking to my youngest to develop him as a person because he had the typical attitude of teenagers today. Because we had the time together he is now 18 years old and he has a much better attitude to life and more respect for himself and others."

Pam from Thornton-cleveleys :

"Before becoming a parent I wish I'd known how quickly each childhood phase passes, to forget the small stuff and cherish every moment."

Gillian from Brentford :

"That there are episodes of difficulty which you think at the time are insurmountable but love and understanding will get you through - accept that this process won't end with childhood!"

Sarah from Lymington :

"To praise up the good things a child does and playing down the silly behaviour works wonders."

L from Manchester :

"You don't need all the fancy gadgets, just love and patience."

Cheryl from St Austell, Cornwall :

"that just because I was a young mum (I had my daughter at 19 - she's now nearly 18) I didn't have to feel inadequate and prove to others that I could do it on my own."

Helen from Peterborough :

"that every other new mum in the country wasn't coping brilliantly with motherhood while i was struggling"

Eleanor from West Bromwich :

"I wish I'd known how much time and energy would be spent on someone so small! How getting ready to go out would never be the same again and how little sleep you can survive on. That said I wish I'd have known how I'd fall in love the way I did!"

Terri from Islington :

"That you don't have to do everything perfectly. Kids are amazingly resilient and they forgive the little things we do...like thinking the dirty dishes are more important than them."