“You should give her a dummy.”
When it comes to becoming a parent, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of advice you receive from friends, family and pretty much anyone who knows you’re expecting.
Yes, whether you want it or not, you’re going to receive everyone else’s two cents about what it takes to raise a child and it will probably drive you mad.
That’s exactly what many mums have been talking about on Mumsnet as they share the most frustrating advice they’ve ever received.
“I have to say, I have been on the receiving end of more unsolicited ‘advice’, questioning and inappropriate behaviour from family and strangers in the last eight months than I have ever experienced before in my life,” wrote Merville.
“Do you not give her a dummy? Do you not give her finger food? I could settle her for you, I’m a great cuddler,” the mum recalled.
And with that came hundreds of others who shared their own frustrations.
“’You’re not changing her NOW, are you? You’re wasting nappies!’ Sorry, what? I’ll let her sit in a soaking nappy for a while longer, maybe if we wait long enough she’ll get nappy rash… idiots,” wrote another.
Another mum shared the three most common pieces of advice she’d received and they rang true for many others.
“With my six-year-old I frequently get:
“’Why do you bath her every day she doesn’t need a bath.’ She doesn’t wipe her arse properly and gets cystitis if I don’t so yeah, she does.
“’She doesn’t need her hair washed every day.’ It’s full of spaghetti/paint/ yoghurt.
“’She doesn’t need her lunch so early.’ OK, you deal with her at 12.05 then.”
What’s the most frustrating piece of advice you’ve received?
