Best parenting tip you ever got?

[giantwaterbottle]

Obviously I'm not being unreasonable to ask 🤷‍♀️

Mine was from some friends who had older kids.
Always double the sheets/plastic sheet in baby/toddler bed.

It's saved us in the middle of the night on countless occasions.

Even teenagers need regular cuddles. They're never too old.

Also:

Do your child a favour, and don't!

I keep reminding myself of this and trying to let my child do more things for himself!

Be kind to your teenagers.

Health visitor gave me this poem.
I hope that your child looks back on today and remembers a parent, who had time to play.
There will be years for cleaning and cooking, but babies grow up when you’re not looking.
So quiet down the cobwebs and dust go to sleep.
I’m playing with my baby and babies don’t keep.

@riotlady they really are awesome aren’t they?

I bought one the morning after being up till stupid o’clock wrapping presents. When you’re already knackered the last thing you need is a battle with sellotape!

Best tips were sleep related - consistent quick bedtime routine
put down baby awake
Be aware or awake times during the day so not under/over tired
Be consistent with how you react to night wakes

Two things I’ve learned recently
Don’t say “don’t do that” instead say what you want them to do “sit down / use your spoon / come down from that chair”. It helps give them clarity on what you expect them to do and also I feel better not saying stop/don’t/no all day

Also say their name before an instruction, sometimes they’re just not listening until they hear their name.

Off to read the rest now

It’s all a phase!

It gets better.

Don't judge other people's children.

It wasn’t just me and my husband learning to be parents. It was also my in-laws learning to be grandparents.

The have thankfully improved over the 12 years, but the first few were tricky.

Fed is best. Breastfeeding is great if you can, but do what's right for you and your baby. Don't let anyone pressure you into continuing to do something that isn't working

Listen to your children.

Never start a battle of wills with a toddler you won’t win!

Breast or formula truly doesn’t matter in the long run, what’s best is different from family to family. There is no universal ‘best’ that applies to all.

If you plan to EBF, get baby used to a bottle early on of expressed milk. Don’t fall into the trap of not bothering and then ending up with a bottle refuser (which can cause all sorts of major problems).

Sleep is important, and a routine is important. Do what you have to do to get adequate sleep, and don’t be guilted into ‘enjoy those newborn snuggles don’t put that baby down!’ by well meaning simpletons. It’s hard to survive let alone thrive if you’re never able to take a break with your baby sleeping in their own space. Sleep training is an excellent and safe option if you need it.

When people give unsolicited parenting advice smile and say ‘thanks, I’ll think about it’ blandly and change the subject: don’t get drawn into justifying or explaining your choices. We all parent differently, and what’s right for someone else might not be right for you.

@MidsummerMimi

Health visitor gave me this poem. I hope that your child looks back on today and remembers a parent, who had time to play. There will be years for cleaning and cooking, but babies grow up when you’re not looking. So quiet down the cobwebs and dust go to sleep. I’m playing with my baby and babies don’t keep.

God I hate that passive aggressive bullshit. Ignores the reality that unless you’re privileged enough to have support you can’t simply ignore chores, you still need a vaguely sanitary home, clean dishes, and a usable bathroom. It guilts parents who need to be able to put their baby down for a bit and crack on with housework, work or caring for other siblings.

Ask parents in the slums in Mumbai how much time they get to focus solely on playing with their babies and how much time is spent on survival.

@MidsummerMimi

Health visitor gave me this poem. I hope that your child looks back on today and remembers a parent, who had time to play. There will be years for cleaning and cooking, but babies grow up when you’re not looking. So quiet down the cobwebs and dust go to sleep. I’m playing with my baby and babies don’t keep.

Aw this just made me tear up! I was much better about this in the first couple of years - this is a good reminder x

@HopingForRainbow2021 I’m sat laughing at our polar opposite reactions to that poem 😂

This too shall pass...

I am forever grateful to the midwife who showed me how to breastfeed and told me, you both need to learn this and it requires persistence. I felt so rubbish it didn’t just happen as I was led to believe.

Also, don’t look at the clock, look at your baby to figure out what it needs. Respond to their cues and don’t set any expectations of what is right or wrong.

Use baby books as a guide, not a directive. Every baby is different and so are the needs of the parents.

Do what’s right for you and your baby, ignore everyone else.

Listen and trust your own instincts.

Put baby in cot and walk away for 5 minutes when feeling really stressed.

[quote WeatherSystems]@HopingForRainbow2021 I’m sat laughing at our polar opposite reactions to that poem 😂[/quote]
🤣 I’m a horribly soppy so and so! Though also in the middle of a 2 week wait on a FET cycle, so for now I’ll blame the hormones 🙈🤣

If child too young to have a mobile, if they are feeling vulnerable when at a friend's house and want to go home, have a special code. My son knew he could call me on his friends parents phone and use the code sentence "could you check if I left my bedroom light on?" and I would come and get him if he was in a situation were he couldn't say he needed to come home. It was such a reassurance to him knowing this.

Also, if my son did a piece of homework for example and it was a bit scrappy, I would ask him was he proud of it instead of telling him it wasn't good enough. Asking him was he proud of it was usually enough of a jolt to improve / correct it.

Also, no means NO! and repeated asking means no for now and also no for the next time you ask also!

When you're desperate for sleep and they want to sleep with you in your bed, let them!! They certainly won't want to when they're 18!!!
This advice came from a workmate when I was coming to work exhausted and felt the guilt of them being in my bed!

These are great!

@weasledee that was the best bit of advice I was ever given. From an nurse to retold her older colleagues advice. It's so true.
Parents are brainwashed into the idea that children should sleep independently, yet no other mammal pushes their babies to sleep independently, they'll out grow it in their own time.

It really isn't a battle worth fighting.

Nit comb their hair once a week every week through primary school and you'll never actually have to deal with nits.

Also second the weighted sellotape dispenser, as good as a second pair of hands in the right moment!

Wish I'd heard of the christmas stockings things earlier, that's genius.