Advice

[bobsmith]

As a man who can't have children, but has an active role in many family & friends childrens upbringing, am I being unreasonable to expect my well meaning advice to be taken as such and not to be told "You're not a parent, how could you know"

Does being a mother automatically make you a perfect parent? Should those of us without children just shut up, stop trying to help and just do everything you want us to do to make your life as easy possible?

I fear so....how handy you are TLES!

TLES ..(would blow kisses but that would be inappropriate)

Bob, if you like you can test out some of your advice here. We will rate it for you, based on experience.

Topics:

Toddler stops dead in road as you are crossing, what to do?

4 year old likes to go out naked and will not be deterred. How to instill a sense of humility?

6 year old will only wear odd socks and eat ready brek with spinach stirred in. How to develop aesthetic and culinary refinement?

MCP

Hob.........can you teach me to wear matching socks please??? have only worn odd ones since i was about 12.....,

TLEs you need limited choices. I can mail you every morning if you like and say "Now TLEs, would you like to wear the two stripey socks or the two spotty socks?" If you don't make a sensible choice I'll shame you by putting you on the mnet thinking step for 1 min for every year of your age.

Oh bob.

Please please PLEASE tell us some of this advice you have dispensed.

I feel sure Bob has special "I am not pleased" voice which would ensure immediate obedience on the part of his charges....

Hob darn it i would be there for 35 minutes every morning to start with until i break the habit...i know it sounds funny but DS2 is only 2 and now copying me ooppss

ohhh i just thought is Bob going to become all masterful with us??

BOB

OI

WE WANT TO KNOW

hehehe..poor bob..(hope he likes whips)

oh come on Bob don't you know its rude to leave ladies waiting!!!!

ooh bob! swoon!

MCP i shall put him in chains in my cellar then and we can all deal with him

Whips at the ready Ladies

bob is currently 'hugging'

Well, TLEs, you see if I had stuck to my own rule here with my answer to you then I would've asked you if you actually cared that much about it or whether you felt it was a mark of your DS's individuality before I told you ways to deal with it. I would have asked you what you'd tried if you were bothered and what worked and what didn't.

Bob, are you listening? to this..?

I think if you are a quirky odd-sock wearing person as opposed to an odd, sock wearing person then you are probably best spending your time practising tie dye with now him than wasting it on the norty step.

hehehe

This may be harsh but any advice described as "well meaning" is IMO nearly always advice that is wide of the mark or unwarranted and unwanted.
I am a mother to 3 DCs so I have had plenty of experience of various parenting matters but I don't offer advice unless it has been asked for - and what one person's experiences as a parent have been/continue to be is likely to be very different to those of another parent (as MN debates demonstrate).
It also very much depends on when and how the advice was given - as previous posts have said, if a childless person gives advice to a parent who is grappling with a toddler tantrum or having to deal with a willful child in a difficult situation, it is not likely to be met with grateful smiles and effusive thanks.

I think hobgoblin should have her own tv show...'twould be very useful.

But Bob's tv show would make essential viewing...

hm, what to call it?

Baby Boot Camp?

Hob i am definatly more quirky than odd lol and DS2 is not an individual - he is a male me....SCARY!!! in every sense. So i guess it was to be expected

bob doesn't love us anymore.

Has he bobbered off?

Shame.

I wanted to known what to do about tantrums.

ROFL at poor ol' Bob. Think he's got a SWMNBN complex.