AIBU to ask about bizarre parenting advice you've received?

[squeakyballs]

It's been a long week with a teething DS and I though this would be a lighthearted way to get to the end of today!

I'll start. I'm British but live in Australia. We took our 7mo DS to a daytime birthday party recently. It was sunny and although mostly in the shade, I was putting sun cream on him to be extra cautious. A friend's mother who was there (native Aussie) advised us to put him in the sun for 30 minutes without sun cream to 'toughen up' his skin to the climate. She had done it with her children. She was being deadly serious, definitely not joking .

What whacky advice have you been given?

When mine were teething, I was told to put a stop of brandy in with his milk and rub some on his gums.

I was advised to stop picking up DD when pregnant. My DD was barely one at the time, recently mobile, and weighed about 9kg. Midwife confirmed I was fine to pick her up...

And we are advised to let our children have some sun exposure when I lived in the Mediterranean... But in the early morning- for Vitamin D. Not middle of the day in high summer.

When I was pregnant with DC2 my GP (as in Doctor not grandparent!) told me I had to stop breastfeeding DC1 or all my calcium would disappear from my bones suffice to say I ignored her advice and am still standing to this day

I had my DC in Cyprus and almost all the advice received was batshit. Quite the opposite to yours - dc should be kept pretty much inside for at least the first 4 months and when out car seat/pram covered with a blanket. Doesn't matter that it's 30c baby should still be bundled in blankets 'because it's still April' don't pick them up when they cry 'they'll get used to it' don't take a layer off when toddler is sweating running around as they'll catch a cold. Don't have bare feet (also when hot) they will also catch a cold from this. I'm sure there's loads more that I'll remember later

I've said it before here but was told if a baby went blue around the mouth that was wind...

My sons adopted, weirdly a lot of people told me to put my dirty clothes on him, not so he learned my smell, they actually thought if I did that he would end up smelling like me.

But the weirdest “don’t look him in the eye, it’s threatening” maybe she thought he was a dog?!

If i don't want fussy eaters, to wean at 3 months and simply puree everything I eat....including takeaway curry! The thought of a 3 month old eating takeaway curry fills me with horror! Apparently she fed all hers in this way and as teens they now eat anything...I have not, however, followed her advice and weaned at 6 months with no takeaway curry in sight.

I've said it before here but was told if a baby went blue around the mouth that was wind

@RuggerHug

That isn't bizarre advice, it's true.

Of course there are other reasons why a baby can go blue around the mouth and they can be serious but the wind thing is true.

Wrap child up in blankets to sweat out a fever.

I do think a bit of sun is good for children, I don't mean hours and hours in the midday heat!
My friend told me to let my son cry at bedtime (terrible terrible pull my hair out type of sleeper) she had no kids, and when she did and moaned to me about how her kids wouldn't sleep... Well you can imagine my smug face!

My MIL told me to put boric acid on the baby's head for cradle cap.

I’m pregnant and the other day my friend told me their number one piece of advice would be to put the tv in the baby’s bedroom. Never heard that one before.

My MIL was horrified by baby led weaning and couldn’t understand why we were giving him vegetables. She reckoned we should give him cereals and things to bulk him up a bit.

He was 98th percentile for weight and height, he did not need bulking up

A bit of sun totally ok but not at 7mo in the Aussie midday heat! DS has my very pale British skin....he would cook!

@Ridingthegravytrain wow! Male GP by any chance?!

@KatnissK can you imagine the nappies that you would have to deal with after giving a 3 month old pureed takeaway curry

@AaronBurrSirr did they say why?!

@RuggerHug blue/grey tinge around mouth is wind! My DD had it frequently in the first 6 weeks or so, sometimes it was really hard to get up.

On a scorching hot day when toddler DD was wearing her sunglasses in the garden being asked with real concern if she could see where she was going with them on.

An old friend told me I should play fight with my then toddler DS because he was a boy & therefore needed to ‘toughen up’. Twat.

The blue round the mouth wind thing is true though, both mine had this as babies (obviously with any other symptoms could cause concern but it’s nothing to worry about & you can see it come & go with wind!).

A relative who is a bit bonkers generally told us 'it's dangerous for bonding to let anyone else (apart from her) to hold her baby'
The baby in question is now 6mths old.
I thought it was because she didn't like me but apparently this rule applies to pretty much everyone.
Funny because my kids & I have bonded very well despite them being cuddled by 'the world and his wife' since birth.

@RuggerHug I was told this by a midwife, that a blue tinge on their lips means they are still windy!
I tried to tell my DM who wouldn't listen and insisted "baby had been winded enough"
DC then vomited several times over her

My best was being told to put my then 2 year old son (who's on the spectrum ) out in the garden and lock the door... so he could calm down and learn some rules! Worst thing was that this nugget of gold was given by my then husband!

My elderly neighbour telling me at 7m pregnant that I should eat less, especially carbs, from now on so the baby didn’t get too big.
My brilliant NCT trainer’s advice was to lie to everyone about everything.

@squeakyballs sadly not, she also hadn’t ever heard of cmpi. Fortunately she also has since left the practice!