- The Best Advice:
- Frozen mini bagels make the world’s best teething rings.
- When out with a stroller — reverse through doors.
- To reset, put babies in water or bring them outside.
- Read the manuals for baby gear you get before the baby arrives.
- Use dye-free Tylenol so it doesn’t stain anything when they vomit it back up.
- The shoulders in the onesie are so you can pull it down when there’s a poopsplosion.
- The Winner: The most popular category of advice was what I call “It’s a phase,” which 16% of people said some version of.
- Just relax: A lot of responses centered around a version of “It will be fine” or “Do what works.”
- Value yourself: As parents, we are not always the best at recognizing that we — or our relationship — needs attention too.
- Sleep-related: Many of us benefit from advice on sleep. Bedtime routines, encouragement to sleep train, permission to co-sleep, and embracing the concept of “wake windows” are all helpful.
- The best advice givers: Moms, friends, pediatricians, and therapists are the best advice givers.
- A final note: “If one is to be a parent, one must adopt the disposition of a placid cow.”
Published February 27, 2023
Visit ParentData to read Emily Oster’s original post From the Archive: Your Best Parenting Advice
