Those of you with strongly held views on feeding, weaning and other parenting notions, how will you feel if (when?) the guidelines change again?

[BroccoliSpears]

I say "those of you", but actually I count myself as someone with strong beliefs about what is best for my children.

For an easy example, I firmly believe that breastfed babies don't need water until after they are weaned, often arguing the case with various sticky beaks who insist my 4-month-old is "probably just thirsty". I wonder how I will feel if in 25 years time my daughter is rolling her eyes at my old fashioned ideas and calmly pointing out that research has shown that it is very important that babies under 6 months old get a little cooled boiled water when it's hot...

My OP is not about bf babies and water (that was just my example), but more how you will feel if and when the guidelines change away from current advice.

What if they decide babies should be weaned at 4 month again?

What if they discredit extended breastfeeding?

Hope this isn't a contentious thread. Just something I've been smiling to myself wondering what will have changed and how I'll feel in 25 years time.

I will strap that baby to dils chest at birth in my old lentil weavery sling and not let her take it off till that 6 months exclusive feeding has been accomplished

Flibbertyjibbet! Oh my sides hurt now. Since you will have all that free time (once your darling sons are stolen from you) you should write your memoires about all the knowledge you gleaned from raising them and then your dil will have no recourse but to bow down to your obvious superiority.

Well I am an old enough bat to be more inclined towards some of the parenting methods my mother used on me than some of the modern crap. But so far DS is alive and well. IN every generation, most babies survive whatever the parenting fads are, unscathed. But a few will die no matter how obediently their parents follow every scrap of advice. Because that's statistics for you: we all die sooner or later.

I have already thought of the title

'the mumsnet guide to pleasing your mil'

lots of info about how to show your gratitude for free childcare, recipes of dishes just like his mum makes, etc etc

and give them signed copies for xmas

Don't forget to put in test pages to see how they measure up...after they have read it, of course!