Share your parenting words of wisdom with Fairy Non Bio - £300 voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

Parenting - it's one hell of a journey and most of us have the sick-stained clothes, under-eye bags and laughter lines to show for it. But if you were going to distil down your experiences to one essential must-know fact, what would it be? Fairy Non Bio would like you to share your words of parenting wisdom for anyone embarking on this journey.

So, what are the essential things that you feel every parent needs to know? Maybe it's to enjoy the all-too fleeting moments of parenting joy, or know that you can never take too many photos. Perhaps you've had a moment of clarity when it comes to dealing with tantrums (toddler or teenage) or there are things you'd do very differently if you could have the time all over again.

Share your essential words of wisdom below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

babies, no matter boy or girl , will probably pee on you during nappy change, and if you're lucky that's the worst you'll encounter. I honestly never knew what good aim new born babies , especially boys can be!
no matter how frequently you change their nappy, there will be that one time youre not quick enough and you're lovely little baby has pooped all up their back, out of the nappy and sometimes right up to their nape!!
And lastly babies projectile vomit surprisingly far....and are great at timing these things

remember two sets of grandparents are better than one. Treat them the same - they all love the grandchild the same.

Believe in yourself and that you can do it and don't listen to the oldies who did this and that 30 years ago!

Don't read the books....you just seem to learn how to do everything!

Do not stress and go with the flow, you cannot control these crazy little creatures! I frequently find myself laughing otherwise I would be crying they are bonkers and always take photos to show them when they are older!

As with any relationship you need give and take. Be firm with important matters but let the children have some victories along the way, life runs much smoother if you listen and consider each request or demand before refusing.

Sometimes all you can do is just try and do the next right thing - the important thing is that you try...

Babies aren't born with a sweet tooth so don't fill them up with regular junk sugary foods.

The most important thing is just to be around. To show up. To make an effort, care, try, learn, improve, of course... but mostly, just be there for your children.

Take advice form others but dont compare your child to other peoples.

Parenting is so hard and there is no scripted way to do it, my two are so so different and respond to different types of parenting so i had to figure out to approach issues differently with them.
You will constantly question whether you are doing it right, and i think the fact that youre doing that makes you a good parent.

Don't sweat the petty things (and I've since learnt don't pet the sweaty things - you never know what they've been up to!!)

Our family words of wisdom are "panic ye not" and "this too shall pass" both of which can see you through anything, although I tend to tell myself these things with as much of a touch of humour as possible! I've got another one that I tend to use which is "feel the fear and do it anyway", it helps me keep my nerve when I'm terrified of any situation! When it comes to parenting specifically I think relax, enjoy it when you can, and hang on in there!

Trust yourself and be patience.

Everything is a phase.

choose your battles wisely. children rebel if constantly challeneged

Don't feel guilty if you don't love every minute of it - sometimes people will tell you to "enjoy this precious time" and you may feel you should be enjoying it more, when really you are just wishing for a good nights sleep and enough time to enjoy an uninterrupted hot bath or a cup of tea!! That's normal - there WILL be times you will love, and that will feel very precious, but parenting is a lot of hard work and it is OK to not love it all the time!

Don't need to have lots of money to have fun, children just want your time so just playing a game with them or chatting is what they need

Do what works for you...don't worry about comparing to others

just do what you feel right

1. You have to set the boundaries from day one. If you can't control the toddler you haven't got a hope in hell of being able to control the teenager.
2. Always explain why your child should or shouldn't do something and teach them how to empathise and see everything from multiple points of view.
3. Show your child the same respect you expect them to show you.

Always listen to what your child has to say, to them it is important and dont be in a rush to quieten them even though you may not have the time. They are after all little people and deserve to be listened to

Always listen to what your child has to say, it will be important to them, even though you may not have the time, just stop for a minute, After all they are Little People and deserve to be listened to, just as we expect it

Dungarees are the best thing ever for a baby / toddler still in nappies ! They're much easier to change !

Don't threaten a consequence you're not going to carry through and remember, they love you as much as you love them. They just don't always express it well - especially teenagers!

Try to be honest with your child as much as possible. Explain upsetting things, not just hide from them.

Take time to listen without distractions, remember they grow up fast so enjoy those moments. Even after a bad day remember all the good things as they should always out weigh the negatives and dont sweat the small stuff. Take photos of those fun days and most of all enjoy being a mummy!!