Whats the best piece of advice?

[daisiesinaline]

Whats the best piece of advice someone has ever given you with regard to coping with babies and/or bringing up children?

My HV said to me when I had DS1 (he was a particularly difficult baby)

"If you are having a really bad day and feel like you are going to lose it, put him down in his cot and walk away. Go downstairs, make yourself a cup of tea/have something to eat. He will come to no harm and by the time you are ready to go back to him he would have either have stopped crying or you will feel calmer to deal with him"

I would like to thank my HV for that advice. It still sees me through with baby no 3. Thank you.

The best thing that dh and i have done with both ds1 and ds2 is to make sure they are in bed early (no later than 6.30) that way we have the evening together. This sometimes means that they don't go to sleep immediately and play in their cots with toys or that they chat to each other - ds1 (2) was teaching ds2 (11mths) to say 'daddy' instead of 'dada' the other night - also taught him to toss everything out of cot and bang on wall when bored but that is a whole other thread...

Another one picked up from a friend was that behaviour to be rectified if it would hurt either themselves or someone else...

Consistancy is the most vital parenting tool.