I have been a parent for over 17 years. If we were counting cumulative years (3 kids at 11, 14, and 17 years)… I could almost say I have 42 years of parenting experience. Which, if you consider how VERY different each child is… I FEEL like I have been parenting 42 years.
Before I get to my list: 21 Parenting Do’s and Don’ts… here are a few general tips:
HOLD ON TIGHT.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA. YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE NO IDEA.
NO TWO DAYS ARE THE SAME.
BRACE YOURSELF.
CHERISH THE SWEET STUFF BECAUSE IT’S OVER BEFORE IT EVEN BEGINS.
And my BEST piece of advice:
DISREGARD MOST OF THE ADVICE SHOVED AT YOU.
In my experience as a parent, I have been given LOADS of advice – either directly (strangers are so helpful as are other parents who have no idea what it’s like to live with YOUR kid)… or indirectly (I’m looking at you random blog posts and internet commenters). I have definitely come across helpful parenting advice… but those nuggets are helpful when weighed against the knowledge I have about my children, and my kids’ individual personalities.
What works for one most likely will not work for another.
In my never to be humble opinion, parenting is like gambling… You might know a little bit, but really you just cross your fingers and hope you roll the right numbers.
I have found I have to approach how I parent my children similar how I approach making my childrens’ sandwiches:
