What's the BEST parenting advice you've ever been given?

[MrsMerryHenry]

May as well balance things out.

My boss just told me:

'the fact there is no right way to do things means there is no wrong way either'.

Within limits, obviously (!)

Every baby is different. You have to learn to be flexible.

When I ask my Mums opinion she says 'well what do you think' I'll reply and she'll say 'do that then'

my mum watched me leap up every time DS1 grizzled and do all sorts of waving, gurning , toy twirling shit and said

" Leave him alone. children have to learn how to just be"

It was great advice. I have children who play and draw and imagine and sit and watch clouds go by.

Thanks mum

oh and the mumsnet classic

'this too shall/will pass'

Very few adults have a bottle / dummy / are in nappies or eating pureed food with their fingers etc, so dont get het up about 'deadlines' for getting them out of this sort of thing. They are babies for such a short time.

1. You know your kids better than anyone else and your instincts are good guide.

1. Anyone who tries to force you to change an aspect of your parenting that "feels wrong" to you does not have to live with the consequences of that choice - you and your child/ren do.

"sometime between 3 and 6 months they need to learn to get themselves to sleep" - ties in very well with get a bedtime routine, even if 'bedtime' is a more of a symbolic notion initially.

"choose your battles" - coming into it's own again with the teenagers.

"Everything passes"- Thanks Nana, you were so right.

and the biggie, the only definite truth for me . . .
"Trust your instincts". And yet often so hard to do. Why is that??!!

Oh yeah, can anyone explain what "Dread is a fine country" means. Am having a mush brain moment and can't even begin to unravel it?

The housework will still be there when you have the time to do it.
You can't please everyone so you might as well please yourself (regarding unsolicited advice).
Remember you're general aim is to eventually put yourself out of business where childcare is concerned (teach them to do things for themselves and help run the house).

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Your mood effects their mood so
make sure you have time for you too.
My mum

Young babies need to nap after 2 hours of waking and no later - don't assume they are always hungry.
Gina Ford

Enjoy every minute it goes so fast.
Every old lady I meet.
I find that one cheers me up when im having a bad day with toddler, I think, thank god it goes fast!!

Most days are good days though and I do try to make the most of it.
That was just my own wee thought!

Bedtime routine, bedtime routine, bedtime routine......it worked

Put baby in her bed when she is awake.

wrt newborns:

"If she's crying, feed her!"

The problem with all the baby books is that everyone forgets to tell the baby what he/she is supposed to be doing!!

and from my mum:

A filthy child is a happy child

Electric elephant It takes 2 hours to digest a breast feed and 3 hours to digest formula. If you fed them everytime they cried, surely they'd end up with more wind than a set of bag pipes!
My best friend and my Sil did this, my best friends boy was still being fed every 2 hours at 8 months old and was one unhappy little boy.
My neice is obese (she's 18 months)!
I think it's good to think there may be other things than needing a feed and getting to know which cry means what.

bevlin - I didn't mean shove a boob/bottle in their face every 5 minutes.. I should have explained myself better.

If a newborn is screaming 90 after the last feed, chances are they need feeding again. It's always the first thing you should try IMO. 3 hours for formula? Ha - you didn't have my hungry DD.

and I did say wrt newborns. Obviously if an older baby is crying that frequently there's something else going on.