Things I Can't Say

Tips and Tales from an Introverted Mom

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.



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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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. 

Comments

  2. Love these! And the promises thing – oh god! My husband has the best of intentions, but he promises too much and everytime I hear him start to utter another "promise" I cringe.

  5. Great advice. I love don't let the kids eat a whole watermelon or their butt might threw up. LOL.

  7. Oh Sweet Lord! Helene makes me laugh . . . June Cleaver is probably a bitch . . . sooooo true and sooooo funny. June Cleaver is probably just a mean girl that grew up. 🙂
    What a great post idea shell! I enjoyed it . . . and I lived Jen's fruit induced moment with my kids too.

  11. so very true!!! I know for the longest time i tried to live up to everyone else's expectations i soon had to learn that you learn as you go and what works for some doesnt for others 😉

  14. Love these girl! I enjoyed some of the insight that these moms shared. Reassures me.

  15. Love, love, love.

    I nodded my head especially vigorously in response to keeping promises and offering choices.

  17. I love these!! I keep these tidbits in my back pocket.. because I'm sure I will use them!

  20. These are awesome! I can't wait to go check all these lovely ladies out. I can totally relate to the pets needing medication and the whole one handed thing (I'm still not very good at that)!

  21. These were great, thanks for posting them.
    I agree with Tiffany
    kids are impressionable and I'm always thinking about that before I do or SAY something…

  22. Such great pieces of advice! I love the heartwarming ones (don't forget to keep your relationship with your SO in the middle) as much as the funny anecdotes (ie, my butt threw up, LOL!!)

  24. You should totally compile these into a nice little ebook or something for Soon-to-be first time mom's. There are so many of these things that I wish people had told me when I was pregnant. Motherhood is tough, and there are more moms out there who try to pretend they have it all together, than there are REAL moms who don't mind admitting to their flaws. Love this little series. 🙂

  29. Love these. Especially the one about not being afraid to ask questions. As a first time mom I was asking everyone questions all the time!

  31. Such great advice…and Helene always crack me up…it's all so true what she says!

  32. This would be so neat, printed out and bundled for a baby shower gift for a new mom 🙂

  37. These are great!!! And Tiffany is so right…kids do not ever forget a promise!!!!

  38. Great post …am sending them to my daughter…Finally a few hours to blog hop and catch up on some of my favorite blogs. Have a great weekend

  40. Each one of these is a keeper! LOL – made me laugh!How about "when you bring the baby home from the hospital make sure somebody didn't let the new big brother eat all 20 something little gem donuts – or you'll be cleaning them up in the middle of the night! LOL

  42. I really needed some of that advice today! I've been going through a lot and it never seems to be good enough!

    Even though I'm on my second child!

  43. Love, love, love!

    These are awesome ideas–I may even print these and put them in a jar for when I'm having a baaaad day to remind myself of the do's and don'ts 🙂

  44. Love loved those! Some of those were so very timely for me. Crazy how many bloggers are out there that I have never heard of. You always seem to find the good ones.

  45. I love this Shell!!! What a fun idea! So many great do's and don'ts. Thank you for doing this.

  47. Fabulous advice all around.

    And "my butt threw up" is the best description of diarrhea I've heard.

    Ever.

    I hope to never hear it from my own kids.

    Especially now that they're in middle school…
    🙂

  49. I love the advice to give children limited choices. It's so much more productive when I ask my son would he like this or that for lunch than when I just say "What do you want for lunch?"

    Great advice.

  51. All of these are wondefrul but this one is the BEST advice!

    "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."