Parenting Do's and Don'ts: Part 2

Last month, some fabulous bloggers shared their Parenting Do's and Don'ts. I loved your advice so much that I decided to ask some more bloggers for their advice. They are sharing that with you today: parenting do's and don'ts that you can actually use!  Be sure to visit some of these wise mamas!

DO feed your kids healthy things for their bodies like fruit.

DON'T let them eat their whole body weight in fruit say like watermelon or you will spend your whole night cleaning up the bathroom after said child because, "Mom, my butt threw up" and he couldn't make it to the toilet in time.

-Jen @ Buried with Children

DO what you can, and always remember that at the end of the day your best IS good enough.

DON'T sweat the small stuff. Motherhood is the hardest job in the world but also the most rewarding. If you worry about all the little things that don't matter, you waste precious time that would be better spent soaking in all the rewards being a mom has to share!

-Brandi @ Think Tank Momma

DO notice the candy-coated moments. They go by so very fast.

DON'T forget to keep your relationship with your significant other in the middle- it's truly the heart of your family.

-Galit Breen @ These Little Waves

DO make time for exercise 4-5 days a week. Even if you have to wake up super early or work out very late, your sanity will thank you for it.

DON'T beat yourself up over a missed workout. Just look at the next week and budget in your times that you can exercise - writing it down will help make it happen.

-Lisa @ Two Bears Farm

DO Take several timeout's for yourself. I may joke about being in timeout a lot on my blog, but seriously do it. Go get a pedicure. Lounge around during naptime. Have a date night out with your hubby. All parents need a break. Don't feel guilty taking one.

DON'T Be afraid to ask others questions. Something may happen in your parenting tenure that you think nobody else would have experienced. Guess what? Someone probably has. Ask around and you just might get some really great advice.

-Elena @ Mommy is in Timeout

DO find some mommy friends if you're a stay at home mom...join a MOMS Club or MOPS, being a new mom or stay at home mom can be a very lonely time if you don't have friends

DON'T let the one mom at the park who rebuffed your attempts at friendship keep you down or keep you from trying again...who knows, maybe she's had a crazy day or her kids are driving her nuts...we've all been there!

-Holly @ Holly's House

DO give your child limited choices(food, weather appropriate clothing, toys, etc.). I promise the child does not usually have their best interest in mind, they just want to fulfill their desires. You are the parent, limit those choices to help them make the right decision ( "The high is 5 degrees today, do you want to wear your blue sweater or red sweatshirt to school today?").

DON'T you believe for a a single moment that a child is completely capable of making all the right choices for all the right reasons. Sometimes they make those right choices purely by mistake. Remember their brains are still developing (even as teenagers/young adults), they will need you behind them for some time.

-Heather @ The One and Only Oka

DO learn to pee, eat, pull up your pants, fill out important paperwork, and do laundry all with one hand BEFORE you have a baby. Because that is how you will be doing everything from then on.

DON'T expect your childless friends to be as fascinated by your baby's poop as you are.

-Stephanie @ The Blue Zoo

DO remember that your children may be young, but they are very impressionable.

DON'T forget what you might inadvertantly promise to your kids; they are like elephants, they never forget.

-Tiffany @ My Crazy Kind of Wonderful

DO be prepared for plenty of life lessons once you become a parent.  Such as...boogers are an acceptable snack food when in a pinch, kids will not hear you ask them to clean up their room but they will hear you mumble the word "shit" under your breath even if they're in the next room (and they will repeat it exactly at the wrong time in a very public place), the family pets will need to be on a serious dose of anti-depressants, there is no point in having a bunk bed if you can't fling your little brother off of the top bunk, any and all forms of bodily fluids and/or bodily noises are worth a giggle or two (especially if discussed at the dinner table on Thanksgiving) and kids only require 2 food groups, chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese.

DON'T give into Mommy Peer Pressure.  Who cares about the June Cleaver Wanna-Be down the street who always looks stylish, has a winning smile and never seems to smell like baby puke.  So what if she hand knits all her kid's hats and gloves and bakes amazingly delicious cookies for all the school's bake sales.  

Your kids love you because of who YOU are.  They don't care what you smell like, what you look like or the fact that you haven't washed your hair in 3 days.  Kids don't need perfection...they just need a mom who loves them unconditionally and can dole out hugs and kisses like no one's business.

Besides, the June Cleaver Wanna-Be is probably a complete bitch behind closed doors and has no real friends.

-Helene @ I'm Living Proof God Has a Sense of Humor

Want to share your advice for the next edition of Parenting Do's and Don'ts?  Email me @ thingsicantsaymichelle at gmail dot com, subject "Parenting Do's and Don'ts." Include ONE do and ONE don't and your blog url.  Please submit by Saturday, 6/25.  Not all submissions will be used due to space constraints, but I'd love to hear from you.