Not All Parenting Advice You Get Should Be Implemented Without Weighing It Up

KennyLeichester | Feb 23, 2011 |

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The worst parenting advice ever

Parenting is a tough job; tougher than anything else you can think of. Wrong parenting can affect the whole life of your child and there is no way you can undo some of the mistakes you may commit even unintentionally. That is why it is important to take every step carefully. If you are a new parent, you may just be bombarded with advices. However, be a little skeptical in such a case. The advisor may not have any bad intention, but some of their advices may be harmful for your kid. Therefore, be careful.

Weigh each advice carefully even if has come from your mother. After all, she is merely a human being and to err is human. Moreover, what is good or bad is only a matter of perception. For instance dipping the pacifier or the nipple in alcohol such as whisky or brandy may sound logical to many because that allows the baby to sleep soundly for a longer period, which in turn helps in facilitates growth and allows you to have your rest. However, to many of us this may seem the worst parenting advice ever heard.

Earlier, it was believed that a baby should be left alone in his/her cot and that he should not be picked up or cuddled unnecessarily. In fact, a whole generation of babies was brought like that only. The reasoning was varied:
•    If you pick up the baby much too often, his demand for your attention will increase, which may interfere with your routine and create problems for you.
•    If you leave him in his cot most of the time, he will learn to live alone and be more independent.
•    Letting him cry helps to develop his lungs and make it strong; so leaving him in his cot actually does him good.
•    Picking up the baby only spoils him and does no other good.

May be all the above arguments are true; but has anybody thought about the psychological impact such an act will have on the baby? I do not know how much spoilt the child becomes, if he is often picked up and cuddled, but one thing is for sure, he grows up happy and confident because he has always known that his parents are always there when he needs them most.

Now, we think differently and try to be there with the child as much as possible, providing love and comfort as much as possible. This is another reason why breastfeeding is being so highly recommended these days. Along with providing the required nutrients in a formula that is easily digestible for the baby, breastfeeding builds up a close bond between mother and child effortlessly.

Feeding the baby cereal when he is as young as two months old, is another piece bad advice. The logic is that the cereal will keep is tummy full for longer period and he will sleep better and longer. Firstly, the digestive track does not fully develop so early in life to digest anything but liquid and so the cereal actually harms him a great deal. Besides, you need to feed it through a feeding bottle and to allow the cereal to pass; you need to enlarge the hole in the nipple. This may not only create a mess, but it also has a chance of choking the baby to death.

There are quite a few hilarious advices going around. For example, if your baby cries, you are supposed to pinch his lips. Then again, you are supposed to smack your baby’s gum with a spoon if you want to know if he is teething. If he starts sleeping during the day and keeps awake at night, all you will have to do is to wait for the next full moon. When he is asleep, grab him by the heel and flip him over. That will put him back on schedule.

Always remember that, in some cases, there is no scope for saying sorry and then carrying on with life and parenting is one of them. Putting honey on the pacifier may be convenient, but that may cause the teeth to rot. However, keeping the cat away from the baby may be worthwhile, at least until he is a little stronger. It is true that the cat will not take his breath away, but it may harm the baby in some other way. That is why you should weigh each advice individually before you accept or reject any of them.