To ask the maddest thing your mother ever told you about parenting?

[1FineDane]

Just reminiscing and I was blessed with a very placid baby. She never really cried, she'd mooch, and I'd get up and pick her up.
After about 6 weeks watching this, my DM, finally unable to contain herself shouts at me 'YOU NEED TO LET THAT CHILD CRY - SHE NEEDS TO CLEAR HER LUNGS!!!'.

I was never an attachment parent type, BF for 5.5 weeks only, was a single mother, but got the advice to give attention during the day so that they associate day time with attention, and give no attention at night, so mercifully, taking that advice, she also slept through the night (5 hours from about 6 weeks which felt like a gift) and then it just got longer over time. So I was FAR from a fussy mother, but my mother seemed to want me to leave her mooching until she launched into full blown crying - so she could......... clear her lungs lol.

Any other belters you've received?

“Your children are just an extension of you”.

No mum they’re really not (and I’m definitely not an extension of you)

My mum told me (in the throes of PND) 'it- parenting- only gets worse as they get older'. Thanks, helpful. I've found the opposite to be true so far.

My mum was mostly great, but she she was obsessed with dangling toys in DD's face when she was a newborn because she was "bored". Pretty sure newborns don't get bored!

That breast fed babies' nappies weren't nasty as they smelled like freshly mown grass

Am I the only one who didn’t actually mind my babies poo?

Before weaning of course

Milk poo to me smells really sweet. Only my own child.

It just smelled like slightly gone off yoghurt to me when she was only on breast milk so I didn't find it that bad. Now she's on solids it smells of actual shit (not envy).

My mum told me when my son was 2 weeks old and starting to cry in his Moses basket, "I'm just going to leave him to cry a bit so he doesn't get used to being picked up straight away"

Eh no mum.

@Blondebombsite83 I thought OT activities like jumping and bouncing did help children with ASD when they had too much energy? I thought that was good advice.

Been given loads of stupid advice about how my (special needs) children just need a good smack, etc etc

My Irish mother in law said I should put a dab of whiskey on the bottle teat to get the baby sleeping, as "that's what we did in Dublin!"..she is 77 though so perhaps back in the day it was deemed ok!

DS liked a cup of warm milk at bedtime, and when we visited my mum , I found her adding a heaped spoonful of sugar to it. When I said he liked it fine without the sugar, she said crossly "Kids need a bit of sugar!" Might explain why I've had such trouble with my teeth for most of my life!

When laddo was a newborn (about a week old I think) my mum told me to put him down more and cuddle him less. I didn't. But then, by her own admission, she doesn't like babies, not even her own...

Not my mum but my gran who ifI had followed her advice my three would probably have been alcoholics before they could walk.

While pregnant I needed to drink a pint of guiness a day to get iron.
With bedtime breastfeed I needed to drink a glass of port to thicken the milk and help them sleep.
If they were teething rub whiskey into their gums to help the teeth come through.
Stomach upsets - small glass of brandy to 'settle' the stomach, if it didnt help then a shot of creme de menthe mixed with the brandy.
Nits - rinse the hair with vodka or gin.

She lived most of her life in pubs - landlady not alcoholic.

My mum was generally quite good with not giving too much advice, but with dd1 she did suggest giving her a chocolate finger at 6 weeks. They're the perfect shape for the baby to suck the chocolate off apparently

Ah granny.. not mum, mum knows my tolerance levels .

You should try Guinness if you anaemic that’s what they did in my day.
You should give him some rice that’ll settle him he’s hungry.. my 8lb baby at 2 weeks old.. nope he’s allergic to milk
Baby’s aren’t allergic to milk that’s all the eat.. no no no.
Whiskey for teeth and general nonsense.

The IL got me with
“You’ll be glad of that sickness it’ll keep you thin” hg wasn’t anything I was glad of.. nor did it keep me thin.

My Nan had breastfed her kids and would ring me to ask very quickly how feeding was going. She told me to keep a square of chocolate under my pillow to get through night feeds. I'm not a chocolate fan but based on the instant hunger I'd get when I fed, I think her advice was solid

Not parenting advice, but 3 days after i’d had an emergency c section, my mum turned up with a bottle of wine to have “with lunch” and the comment “will it help if I book you in for a blow dry?”

My gran told me she fed all four of her children on sugared water because it was just as good as breastmilk. 🙄

"I hope you have a daughter and she's just as vile, selfish and fat as you are."

:(

I've got some brilliant ones.....
"it's about time you started giving her rice.... Fill her up because you don't want her getting fat" said to me about my 5 week old, brilliant sleeper of a daughter

"about time you got some Tinned meatballs for her, that's what I weaned mine on" about my 8 week old daughter

"you need a lobster pot (playpen)" said about my daughter consistently from 3 months until now at 2 years. Despite the fact she was a late walker so playpen wasn't required and now she would just climb out lol

"oh I wouldn't stick that attitude" my daughter is fiery, I don't stick her attitude but quite how it's proposed I deal with it I don't know lol

" I don't know anything about looking after children." She has low self esteem but I am one of six....

I just needed a bit of reassurance. Found it on Mumsnet.

I do love my mum but her advice is very silly.
My DDs ears used to stick out as a newborn so my mum said, "keep a hat on her all day to flatten it"
Then from other family members (aunts etc)
-"You need to pierce her ears because it's nice and you have to." No thank you I don't have to and her ears are nice without earrings.
-"You need to give her sweets and chocolates otherwise she will steal when she's older."

Are**

When I found out I was having a little girl, I spoke to my mum about how much I'm worrying about her social life, sex, boys, drugs, peer pressure.

I'm 23 and I was sexually active at 15, my sister is 16 now and she still seems like a child to me, I just cant believe I was having sex at that age, younger even! So I'm terrified about my own daughter following my suit..

My mum who is so relaxed and laid back, said worrying is instinct. She said to this day, at 23 years old, with a mortgage and starting my own life, she lies awake at night wondering if I'm ok, she worries every time I go out, she said she cant relax when she knows I'm driving to work until she knows I've got there safely.. I'm only 10 minutes from work! She hates it when I go anywhere as she just wants to know him safe at home all of the time. She said it sometimes makes her feel sick.

I've always seen my mum as the most relaxed human being in the world, we've always had such an open relationship and able to talk about anything, shes always made me feel like shes the strongest woman in the world and could accomplish anything. I had no idea there was this worries side to her.

But she said it's all part of motherhood. You care more about your child than you do yourself.

So really, its the most wise thing my mum ever said, but crazy to me as I've seen a completely different side to her.