Best parenting tip you ever got?

Hmmm....when DS was going through a particularly tricky passage of his adolescence, and I basically was still treating him like a young child to be managed into good behaviour, his headmaster pointed out to me that he (DS) was perfectly entitled by law to leave school and home, and there would be nothing I could do about it, if that is what he chose. So - basically - accept that you don't own your child, and work with this annoying, free person as an equal.

I know this isn’t quite following the thread but last weekend I was in a garden centre a mother with a daughter aged about 5, kept running about. Every few minutes mother shouted ‘if you don’t stop running around after I count to three we’re going back to the car. Mother would them shout 1,2, 3 child stopped then few minutes after child would run about again. Mother then starts the 1,2,3 it was very annoying for everyone around who kept staring as mother was making more of a drama of situ finally an older lady, brave, I though said to mother why don’t you engage her in what you’re looking for then she’ll be less bored. Mother initially dumbstruck to be given advise but then to her credit she did start engaging with daughter and got her to pick a plant. All was peaceful!

For small children-don't get into fights about food, have a spare of any special comforters
For teenagers-hang on, they turn back into humans eventually

🙄

If you raise a child without taking them to A&E you have probably been over protective. If you raise more than one child without taking any to A&E you are probably an appalling bad parent. Let.kids be kids. From my GP when I gave birth 35 years ago.

Not everything is open for debate.

Don’t get worked up over sleepless night. I spent my twenties up all night partying hard then showing up to work, why when you have kids do you suddenly need 8 hours straight. Babies like to party at night so better to relax and go with it. And never look at the clock and calculate hours of sleep - they are irrelevant. Made life so much easier all round.

This will pass. Might take a few minutes, might take a few years. But whatever it is, it will pass. It won’t always be this way.

Don’t compare. Most teenagers no longer use nappies. Most children can tie their shoelaces in secondary school just fine. Very few 10 year olds are still co sleeping - and if they are, so what? Ability to use a spoon doesn’t generally feature on work CVs. Special needs aside, they’ll get there in their own time.

And don’t give parenting advice to parents whose children are several years older than yours! Your toddler happily dusting and emptying the bin will not be immune to teen lethargy. Your friend’s stroppy sixteen year old was a very cute lisping preschooler. And your friend isn’t wanting advice she’s wanting to vent!

My gran always said to give your kids a say and if your saying no explain why never use because I say so. This came from her mother who parented in the 30's and reckoned it made kids know how to use their voice in a healthy way. It's been gold for me

From someone on here - peel all the backing off the sheets of stickers

A good nanny is easier to find than a good career.

Forgot this one from my granny "You can't spoil a good child with love." Always remembered it if anyone said I was doing too much for them.

Buy a big playpen (assuming you have the space, I guess). Put lots of toys/safe objects in it. Get baby used to being in it from early on and retreat to the kitchen or somewhere you can see said playpen from for a 20 minute "coffee break" from parenting in the afternoon. Feel no guilt. Baby gets used to playing alone and you get time out.

I suffered from insomnia when my DC was very little. On really bad mornings, I'd lie in the playpen and doze while my crawling DC played happily next to me.

From a midwife, "Remember that a mother's place is in the wrong. Don't worry about it."
From my mother about every horrible phase, "This too will pass."

Definitely a fan of "pick your battles"

And try to see playground or teenage social battles as part of your child's learning process. Obviously step in if needs be but allow them to figure out their own responses to demands/stress. Home can be safe, but you really can't hover over them at school all the time.

Hang in there. They WILL leave home eventually

Pick your battles

Absolutely another vote for sleeping through noise. It’s amazing the number of people that creep around hushing everyone cos the baby’s just gone down!
Walk away a lot sooner! I’m still not brilliant at this & tend to engage way too much with DD12. Because she has no siblings, she tends to try & pick fights with me & DH.
My DSIL always tried to explain why something was wrong rather than just tell my nephews & niece off.

I can't think of a snappy way to put this, but if you make different choices to someone else re parenting, they may take it as a criticism, but you don't have to respond. Be confident in your choices.

Also, if you have a child with SEN, find other SEN parents because they will get it.

Also you are having a human being, not a baby.