What was the worst advice that you ever got as a mom (or dad)?

[MrsPinecone]

Heck, I'd sleep through the night if you put whiskey in my bottle.Yikes.

[Macaela25]

I got a lot of the "If you hold him too much he'll be spoiled". BS.

My favorite one wasn't advice, but a comment from an ignorant (i.e. idiot) teenager at church. After reading his birth announcement (DS was 11lbs 4 oz at birth) she said, "Wow, he's really huge...are you going to put him on a diet??"

Ummm, yeah sweetie. Let me switch my boobs over to diet mode. Better yet, doesn't Similac come in diet? Scary thing was, she was well old enough to have her own.

Funny thing is, I got a lot of the weird advice relating to childbirth. When my mom told a lady at church that I was having a planned c-section (since DS was so big), she actually teared up and said "Oh honey, I am SO SORRY you have to go through such torture...I would rather labor through a big baby an day than let some doctor rip me open!!"

What a lovely sentiment to ponder a week before surgery. My c-section was a breeze...they can take them all that way!

[couponfanatic]

Not me, but a neighbor.
(in the 70's) Heard if you gain a lot of weight it'll be a boy.
She wanted a boy, and thought you could kind of force things. So she ate 1 entire loaf of bread made into french toast every day for breakfast, for all 9 months.
And had a bouncing baby girl.

[Macaela25]

Originally Posted by couponfanatic So she ate 1 entire loaf of bread made into french toast every day for breakfast, for all 9 months. And had a bouncing baby girl.

Blecchhh...that makes me sick to think of it!!!!!!

[PrincessCoupon]

My son was maybe 9 months old. We were at Target -- when we entered Target, the sun was shining. When we left, the clouds had rolled in and it was spitting rain (not pouring, not drizzling, but the occasionaly drop of rain). Of course, I didn't have an umbrella. I picked up my son in one arm and my one light Target bag in the other and went to step outside and this lady touched my arm. I stopped and turned to her and she said, "You can't take that baby out in the rain! You can't let him get wet!"

To which I said, "He isn't the Wicked Witch, he won't melt"

I still laugh when I think of that incident.

[quiltingdiva]

Well, this wasn't necessarily advice, but rather and example of how stupid people can be.

I'm currently 22 weeks with my second. My first child is 11 YO, and I am tired of people looking at me when I tell them that I'm pregnant and giving me a look of sympathy followed by, "So sorry, was it an accident?"

Was WHAT an accident? Was it an accident that I accidentally slapped you silly for asking a totally stupid question like that? It's not like I'm freaking ancient...I'm only 30 for pity's sake.

We went to Busch Gardens the other day, and while I was waiting for DH and DD to get off a ride a lady sat down on the bench beside me and we got to talking about the rides. Then she asked me how far along I was and if this was my first. I said no and told her I had an 11 YO DD on the ride. She actually said and I quote, "Wow, were you waiting to have a built-in babysitter? I bet she's pretty angry at you right now!"

Once I recovered from her rudeness I did have enough sense for my inner smartass to come out and I told her that DD seemed pretty happy about it, especially since it would give her plenty of experience about babies when her own comes along in a couple of years. :wink068: That lady looked totally aghast and got up and left. What, what did I say???

(In reality DD is somewhat grossed out/somewhat aggravated, mostly because she's old enough to realize EXACTLY where babies come from. )

[ribitribit02]

Originally Posted by quiltingdiva "So sorry, was it an accident?"

That's messed up! Kick 'em in the shins. "so sorry, it was an accident."

[quiltingdiva]

Ooooo...I did think of a good one advice-wise.

This is a totally true story, I swear! (To put this in perspective, my DH's family is somewhat *ahem* more than "country" at times.)

We were visiting my FIL and MIL, and my SIL and BIL were there also. My neice was around 10 months old and she was chewing on everything and I was holding her. I asked if she had a teething ring in her diaper bag. I kid you not, my SIL went to the diaper bag and pulled out a rawhide dog bone and handed it to me. I just looked at it and asked what I was supposed to do with it, and she said, "That's what she chews on." WHAT?!?!?

They have two small dogs and SIL said that she got tired of trying to keep DN from chewing on the dog's bones, and she didn't like the teething rings, so she just bought her a new rawhide bone like the dog's and gave it to her instead. OMG

I just sat there in shock...I had forgotten about it until the other day when SIL (same one)and I were talking were talking to the minister's wife whose DD is teething right now and SIL told her to buy a rawhide bone that it really massaged the gums!

I have so many stories about my dysfunctional SIL and BIL I could go on for days....they are, well, I can't even begin to adequately describe them.

[SaraW]

My grandma was full of "great" advice. She would constanly "flatten" DS's ears to his head and make sure they were flat while I was nursing him. Ironiclly his left ear does stick out a little, but it so does Dh's, LOL. The doc said it is because he doesn't have the cartilage in that ear.

She also told me to band his belly tight or he will have belly problems. LOL

But my favorite wasn't technically about the kids it was durning labor from my father (who I do NOT get along with). During HORRIBLE contractions and before my epidural my dad showed up got an inch away from my face and told me "It's not that bad. It will be over in a minute."

I didn't even speak to him. I looked at Dh and said "Make him leave!" I didn't see him again until I was out of the hospital. LOL

[Timedess]

I guess I can honestly say that the worst advice I have ever listened to as a parent is that it is ok to follow what others say "because they're the 'experts' (or more experienced, or have blue hair, or whatever)", to the point of overriding my own gut instincts/intuition. I have received a lot of great IDEAS about parenting from other people, which is great- but anyone who prefaces their comments with things like "Let me tell you how it is" or "this is how you OUGHT to do it" needs to be kept far, far away from- as fast as possible! LOL! *I* am my children's mother, *I* know far more about parenting THEM than ANY other person on the face of the earth (except my dh, and I guess we tie there! ;) ), and there is no way that I'm gonna let anyone else push me into doing things or not doing things just because THEY said so. Humph! (I wish I'd know that from the get-go..... )