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.

Don't always do things for them that they are capable of doing themselves. That way you are raising them to be self sufficient and independent!

You can’t pour from an empty cup. Look after yourself, too.

Pick your battles

Also...it's fine to mix breast and bottle feeding if both work for you...nct/nhs don't really talk about this, it's all a bit black and white one or the other

Bring them up to be polite and respectful as their friends parents will be happy to have them round to okay and hang out. Other parents don't want naughty and rude children in their house. However, equally, don't be so strict that you knock your child's spirit out of them!

I had a friend who was a keen sewer, her kids wouldn't go in the playpen so she put her sewing machine in the playpen and worked in there while they played within sight but couldn't touch.

I did this too, sat in there reading, it was referred to as Mummy's cage.

the analogy about the oxygen mask on a plane - you put yours on first then help your kid/vulnerable people; if you don't you are both at risk

as a parent you have to look after yourself and that means putting yourself first at times. it's not selfish, it's smart

My mum always points out that lots of things will solve themselves in time. I still like this one. So although I felt at one point like I was probably going to eventually have to drive to DS’s university to breastfeed him to sleep in fact it did stop. See also, refusing to poo unless I gave him a chocolate button.

Other things like rudeness or unkindness are a problem forever so I focus my attention on those sorts of issues.

Lovely thread

@JudgeJ

I had a friend who was a keen sewer, her kids wouldn't go in the playpen so she put her sewing machine in the playpen and worked in there while they played within sight but couldn't touch.

I did this too, sat in there reading, it was referred to as Mummy's cage.

Mummy's cage is brilliant.

“The days are long but the years are short.”

Really helps keep the difficult days in perspective.

I love the one about concerning yourself with how much laughter there is in your house. I’m my best self as a mum when I’m making the DC laugh and vice versa. It lifts the grey from the grumbliest days.

Get a mum coat with a hood!

“Babies are like weather. Just because it’s wet today doesn’t mean it will be tomorrow.”
So true. You can sort of predict a pattern but watch for the signs and be ready for the rain or enjoy the sun.
In fact the whole of “how not to be a perfect mother.” by Libby Purvis

You’ll find a way to muddle through. There’s no right or wrong way. Everyone is winging it.

• My dad, god rest his soul 🥰

"stop feeling guilty. guilt is a waste of time & mental resources"

me to me, April 2002

This one is important, my DS was an extremely picky eater, later turned into ARFID, and an autism/sensory processing diagnosis. I beat myself up over his food/nutrition, until my lovely GP pulled me to one side and said 'if all he will eat is biscuits, let him eat biscuits' smile and pointed out that as long as he was eating SOMETHING it was better than eating nothing.. and we had his whole life to work on the 'what' in his diet. he's 15 and still eats the same tiny list of foods.

Wait until he’s 30 🤪

it’s still a work in progress in this house ❤️

Quite a few covered here but one I'd like to offer up. If you say 'no' make sure it's a reasonable one, and if necessary, explain why you're saying 'no'.
For example, "Can I have a packet of sweets?"
No because you had two sweets earlier and they're not good for your teeth. You can have some more later in the week/at the weekend.
"Can I have Amy over for a sleepover?"
"No, not this weekend because we have to be up early on Sunday to do XYZ/at the moment her parents aren't letting her stay over at people's houses/you've had a lot of late nights this week and you're already tired."

As a child I used to HATE it when I was told no, then when I asked why was told, "because I say so."

Top tip given while I was pregnant "When your baby wont stop crying put the hoover on and open a bottle of wine....."

My best friend told me to stop stressing that I wasn’t perfect to my son. If I never admitted when I was tired or cross about something then I set him up for unrealistic expectations of other people as he went through life. I was told to admit I wasn’t perfect and he would be fine with it.

He was!

Keep a change of clothes in the changing bag for yourself. Chances are you will be vomited on at some point!

@GoodHairDay86 I second this, pick your battles.

I'm 20 months in and that's the best advice I've ever been given

Yet another vote for making babies get used to sleeping through noise.

Accept help. Say yes to offers of help. Seriously great advice

The days feel like years and the years feel like days.

I had PND and would really struggle with days with a newborn, they felt like they went on forever at the time but having that phrase in my head helped me remember that other people felt like I did.

@Fivetimes

The best parenting tip I ever got was don't have kids. My unborn children are eternally grateful that they have never known death, sickness, poverty, or sadness.

This is rather horrid on a light-hearted, helpful thread on a parenting site. Read the room.