How to Deal With Unwanted Parenting Advice

If you are a new mom, then be prepared to face an onslaught of remarks, parenting advice and scores of suggestions pouring in, much of it out of the blue and unwanted. Whether the advice comes from a stranger, friend, mother or a neighbor it can have a negative impact on the mind of the new mom and make her feel down.

She is bound to think why people dole out advice so easily, and worse when nobody is even asking them for it?

It is the natural tendency of a woman (a stranger) to share an instant bond with a pregnant woman or new mom.

The other day I had taken my 2-year-old daughter along with me to the grocery store. She wanted candies, not one but many, which was obviously unacceptable. So, I tried to distract her by moving away from there.

Then a stranger standing beside me passes a remark that,- Why don’t you allow her to eat candies? This is their age to enjoy.

These idle remarks surely don’t offer any help. While it is easy to ignore the remarks of a stranger at the grocery store, with family members it becomes far more complicated. A baby brings joy and happiness; he/she is connected to you and the family too. You surely love your family, at the same time you do not want them to dole out advice that is always in favor of the kids because they love them.

Here are a few easy steps which would help you to handle unwanted advice without hurting emotions of the opposite person-

Value Their Intentions

In earlier days the doctors said — Start giving water to the child from Day 1.

Today they propagate — “Exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months.”

At the end of the day, it is your baby and you will raise your child the way you think is the best.

Listen to Them and Thank Them

Do not dump the diaper on your child — it will be hard to potty-train later and may cause urinary infections and rashes.

Accept the Advice, and Shift Your Focus

It’s been an hour since his last meal. Your baby must be hungry now. Why don’t you go feed him?

Every child is underweight and should look like — Khaate-Peete Ghar Ka…

Disregard

Your little one’s nose is too flat. Why doesn’t the maalish lady massage well to shape it up? I used to do it every day, look, my daughter has perfect sharp features. All you need is 10 minutes a day. But, Aaj Kal ke Bacchae….

Set Your Priorities

Wear a scarf. Cover your head. This will keep you and your baby warm. (And you are wondering which century are we living in! What about the mothers living in Switzerland?)

Self-Confidence is of paramount importance to have peace of mind and happiness. Happiness has a snowballing, radiating effect and contagiously spreads to the other people too. Every mom knows the best for her baby. Some infants need 17 hours of sleep, some sleep for just 11 hours. Both grow up to be healthy and wise.

Do Share your such Experiences and How you handled them during your parenting journey, in the Comments below.

Thanks for Reading. 🙂

Originally published at www.babygogo.in on September 13, 2017.