What’s the best parental advice you’ve ever received? £300 voucher to be won. NOW CLOSED

[PoppyMumsnet]

We’re working with the team at Legal & General to encourage Mumsnetters to get involved with their #ForeverAParent campaign.

The things you do as a parent will last your children’s lifetime, so Legal & General are asking the nation what it means to be forever a parent. Whether your children are six or 60 years old, starting school or starting a family, you’ll always be the person they turn to for advice when it comes to life’s milestones, that’s because you’ll forever be their parent.

Here’s what Legal & General have to say “Your influence, support and advice will stay with your children always - because being a parent doesn’t stop. We’ve been asking parents across the UK what being Forever a Parent really means to them, as each individual is different, and we’d love to hear your views.”

Share what ‘Forever A Parent’ means to you to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 Amazon gift card.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Standard T&Cs apply

That they’re only small for so long. Don’t get hung up about everything being clean and tidy, stop and play. I think about this sometimes when I hear myself say ‘No, I’ve just got to do...’

Best advice: Do what's right for you and your family. Don't worry about what anyone else is doing.

'Pick Your Battles' - there some some things are really just aren't worth the grief!

My parents told me to remember that I'm always doing better than I think I'm doing

Listen to the small things. Put down what you're doing and listen. If you don't listen to the small insignificant things they won't tell you the big things.

Leave your children to grow and mould into who THEY are and want to be, not what YOU want them to be.

Also, I had my DD1 when I was just 18, her fathers mother and a few others kept telling me what to do, it was upsetting and angering me as it was like they were saying you're too young to be capable. My DD was very well looked after. My mother said to me ' always remember you are her mother and what anyone else says is merely an opinion, not an order'. Best advice I've had and helped me stay strong. My DD's are now very strong independent women.

Don't expect to be good at everything first time - if you are that's brilliant if you are not then try try and try again

Trust your instincts they are usually right. You can never have too many wet wipes when children are around.

A strange one! My dad told me 'Never work with meat or feet'.

I got a job as a Saturday sales assistant at a shoe shop in my late teens... customers smelly socks and shoes were bad enough, but the ones who wanted to try on shoes without tights or socks always seemed to have some horrible verruca, athletes foot, toenail infection problem.

So, yes my dad was right (plus I'm a vegetarian now, so the meat advice was also spot on!)

Do not give any to anyone else!

‘If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it ‘.
I never buy goods on never, never and that way I don’t get into debt. I also pay off my credit card every month.
It saves a lot of stress and anxiety.
Yes it can be disappointing at times but the pros outweigh the cons for me.

"Appreciate them while they are tiny - blink and they've grown up" Given to me by a wee old lady in a supermarket when ds was a newborn.

More general parenting advice: have confidence that your children can do things - it's only by doing them that they will learn and become independent. Let go.

Don't use google to ask for advice on illness

A work colleague told me to look at things from the child's perspective. Suddenly my reasonable rules/decisions seem strange when you look it them as a five year old. It does help me understand why children can get so frustrated and throw tantrums.

The best advice I was given was to take as many photographs of your kids as possible

Pick your battles!

This one always stays with me "Choose your battles".

Everyone does everything in a different way, do what feels right and if you need help or advice ask for it :D

To believe that your little one (especially the first) is not as fragile as you think they are.

Many a mickle makes a muckle.

Enjoy them while they’re young! Is a piece of advice I heard time and time again. I can’t say I always followed it but now I have a teenager I know why that advice was told to me!

Forever a Parent - no matter how old the kids get I will always worry. There is always something there to make me fret

It's just a phase and pick your battles

Trust your instincts.
Never wake a sleeping baby.
Enjoy it, it goes fast.

Remember that this is sometimes the first time they have EVER done this. First time they've had to share, make friends, tidy up, etc.