Parenting Do's and Don'ts

We hear a lot of do's and don'ts as parents. And most aren't very helpful. But, here's some real advice on parenting from the Blogosphere! Be sure to visit some of these wise mamas!

DO get every minute of sleep you can

DON'T ever leave the toilet seat up for any reason. If you're not on it, it should be shut. Trust me.

-KLZ @ Taming Insanity

DO give your kids good advice that can see them through adulthood.

DON'T be surprised if they don't listen.
Oh and also, you can borrow my motto for success and use it to make kids you like: everything successful in life relies on your ability to harness your awesomeness and force it onto others.

-Dumb Mom @ Parenting by Dummies

DO Relax. Take a deep breath. A lot of the things we think are SO important now we will look back on in a few years and realize we really should have been worried about something else completely. {smile} It all works out in the end.

DON'T Try to do it alone. There is nothing wrong with asking for help. Reach out to your mom, your aunts, your cousins, your friends, the people you go to church with, that girl you knew that one time in high school but really didn't like. You never know where help will come from, and a lot of times it is from a place you would least expect. Motherhood is hard. You don't have to do it alone.

-Jennifer @ Momma Made It Look Easy

DO remember that this, too, shall pass.

DON'T EVER put your kids to bed late, thinking they'll sleep in later in the am. That never works. Never. In fact, they'll get up earlier, and be even crabbier.

-Gigi @ Kludgymom

DO do take a shower before your toddler wakes up.

DON'T don't forget to eat.

-Jessica @ My Time As Mom

DO listen to your intuition. Just because a book or a person says your baby should be sleeping, eating, crawling, walking, or doing cart wheels at 2 months doesn't mean that is what your baby will do. All babies are different...some need to be held more, some don't. Some catch on to the sleeping thing pretty quickly, and others need more coaching. You know what is best for your baby, so don't worry if it doesn't fit into a box. It's your baby, and you know what's best for him or her.

DON'T think that everything you do is either going to kill your baby/child or scar them for life. You hear so many things about parenting that will freak you out such as holding your baby will spoil them or if they go asleep in a swing they will never learn to sleep on their own. I am pretty sure our parents did worse stuff to all of us and we're still alive and kicking.

-Natalie @ From Corporate to Domestic

DO listen to those seemingly annoying advice-givers when they tell you that your children will grow up too fast and DO enjoy every moment of their mushy babyness. They will be walking and telling you “no” before you know it.

DON’T expect that your life will ever return to “normal” after having a baby. The lack of sleep, the bizarre excitement over your child’s poop, the world revolving around those sacred naptimes, the desire to wear yoga pants ALL the time, the necessity of large quantities of coffee to get through the day … THAT is the new normal.

-Tricia @ Mama Marchand's Musings

DO take time for yourself!
Last week I had reached my max. I have had a gift certificate for a pedicure since Christmas! That's right almost 6 months old! That shows you how often I get out. I needed a break so bad, I thought I might explode. The kids weren't able to say anything to me without fear of being lynched, and I was just plain mean. When my husband got home, I left. I got a pedicure and brow wax. I took my time, read my kindle, and sat in the drying chair for about a half hour after I was done. It was only an hour and half, but I felt good afterwards. When I came home I was a nicer mom. I need to remember to do these little things for myself before I reach a boiling point. Sometimes you just need a few minutes where no one is calling your name.

DON'T compare yourself to other moms, or your kids to other kids. No one knows your children better than you. Every child is different. Therefore, we parent differently. what works for some families may not work for yours and vice versa. So what if Suzy Q feeds her kids organic only, and your kids live on Ramen noodles. So what if Johnny is a baseball all star and your son trips over his own feet standing still. We have special talents and abilities as moms, and our children have special talents too. We can't all be perfect and excel at everything. So stop trying. Embrace our differences and celebrate them! The only thing we should all have in common is love for our children, and making the time to show them. That's what matters!

-Adrienne @ Stories From the Shoebox

DO document things--be that a blog, a journal or an obsessive amount of photos. You will forget things you never thought you would and looking back to reminisce is so much fun.

DON'T get caught up in what others think, in the Judgey McJudgerson's of the world. Someone somewhere will always have an opinion about what you should or shouldn't be doing. Just keep being your awesome self!

-Alisa @ Have Stroller Will Travel