Wives Tales & Bad Parenting Advice
“From the Mouths of Moms” is all about getting parenting advice from real moms who’ve been there. But sometimes getting too much advice can be difficult, too. Here are some old wives tales that we as moms hear all the time and how these moms respond to them.
![Wives Tales Moms are Sick of [From the Mouths of Moms] at B-InspiredMama.com](https://b-inspiredmama.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Wives-Tales-from-the-Mouths-of-Moms-at-B-Inspired-Mama.jpg "Wives Tales Moms are Sick of [From the Mouths of Moms] at B-InspiredMama.com")
1. It’s Too Expensive to Have More than One Child
“When I was pregnant with my 4th, I was asked why I was having more children and how I was going to afford college for them all. I wanted to say, ‘I will forgive you for asking me that question if you’ll forgive me for not answering.'” Becky from This Reading Mama
2. You’ll Spoil Your Baby if You Hold Her Too Much
“One that drives me nuts is ‘Don’t hold him/her so much. They will be spoiled!’ Never had that issue with my kids. Babies NEED to be held.” Kendall from Home Learning Journey
3. Never Wake a Sleeping Baby
“I heard this one all the time from so many family and friends. On the first night that my daughter and I were home from the hospital, she didn’t want to wake up every 3 to 4 hours to eat like the doctors said she should. But my visiting family just said she was ‘such a good sleeper!’ The next day she ended up readmitted to the hospital with jaundice from not getting enough nutrition. I wish I had woke my sleeping baby!” Krissy from B-Inspired Mama
4. Shave the Baby’s Head for Better Hair Later in Life
“I received the advice [to shave my son’s head] (he was pretty much bald until 2.5 yrs old) from more than one person – even a hairdresser told me to do that! No way was I shaving what little hair he did have!” Ness from One Perfect Day
5. Babies Are Manipulative
“That I have to let my kid [cry it out] to teach them to sleep because ‘she’s just manipulating me.’ Sigh.” Kathleen from Playing with Words 365
6. Clipping Toe Nails Hinders Walking
“If you use fingernail clippers on baby’s toes during the first 12 months of life, baby won’t learn to walk.” Kendall from Home Learning Journey
7. You’re Not Parenting Until You Have More Than One Child
“I’ve had several people tell me that it’s not really parenting until you have two! Really!? What the heck have I been doing for the past 2 years?” Amanda from Dirt and Boogers
8. Boys with Long Hair will Grow Up to Be Homosexual
” I’ve had several people tell me that since I let my son have long hair, play dress-up, and wear jewelry that he’ll grow up and be gay.” Andie from Crayon Freckles
9. Teach Baby Not to Bite by Biting Back
“[There was] a lady working behind the counter in a party hire shop. My son was about to turn one and somehow we got to talking about breastfeeding (as you do) and she said when her baby bit her nipples while she was breastfeeding, she would bite his arm to show him how it felt so he would stop!!! Excuse me??? I smiled politely and left the store!” Ness from One Perfect Day
10. Kids Get Colds from Not Wearing Socks
“Since my oldest two started school, my kids have had one cold after another. But I’ve heard that it has nothing to do with germs and everything to do with the fact that my kids never wear socks around the house.” Krissy from B-Inspired Mama
What’s the craziest wives tale or parenting advice you’ve received?
Do you have any clever parenting tips or fun kids’ activities? I’d love to share them with my readers. Just contact me for more information!
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Chelsea says
I had many newer moms tell me that I was a bad parent for giving my daughter peanut butter and certain fruits before she was a year. I’m sorry but I feel like if your child is going to have an allergic reaction it’ll happen no matter when try try it. I watched her very closely. It’s not like I said here have some peanut butter and walked away..
Alexandra says
After I got my son all I could hear about was breastmilk. No matter what it was about my son the solution would be breastmilk. When I gave birth to him, he was stuck and because of that he got a wound on his private parts. Squirt breastmilk on the wound. If his nose was blocked use breastmilk. In his eyes too. Even if his skin was dry. I know that beastmilk is important and all. But I got this advice because I was told not to use anything but breastmilk. I wasn’t even allowed to use baby wipes for his butt! It was dangerous. You didn’t know what was in the baby wipes or anything else for that matter.
They even wouldn’t want me to use the special wound liniment I got from the doctor on his wound.
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
Ha – I’ve heard breastmilk can help with lots of stuff, but not sure that’s the ONLY solution!
Melitsa says
Always interesting what people say and how it varies where you live in the world. Thanks for linking up to The Sunday Parenting Party. I’ve featured you this week and pinned to the board.
Mehh says
Never even heard of some of these thank goodness! 2 & 5 annoy the living daylights out of me…I had one mother with a 6 month old make a snarky comment about my newborn being spoilt because I picked her up when she started crying…it was weird…I thought the crazy comments were only for old ladies who had forgotten what the reality of child-raising was?!?!
Someone also apparently forgot to inform my (toenail clipped) daughter not to walk at nine months.
I had some ‘delightful’ old bags say some terrible things to me when I had a baby. I was called a ‘cruel mother’ for not picking up my daughter out of the pram the second she was crying as apparently she ‘had wind’ and needed held (she had just been held for the past 1.5 hrs and was having her <1 minute little cry before her sleep – and had just been fed and burped and rocked and soothed inside the house), a 'cruel mother' – yes these people actually used the word 'cruel' to a sleep-deprived new mother – for swaddling my newborn as 'they like their arms out'….ummm…not this kid, nor many other newborns I know…
Then there was the woman who told me I was damaging my child by allowing her to continue breastfeeding past the age of 1…not quite sure what 'damage' I was doing but not long after that the doctor's words were literally 'Thank God you are still feeding her' when our family contracted a very severe flu (that resulted in numerous deaths and hospitalisations of previously healthy people and knocked us flat for weeks). I too was thanking God when it was the only fluid and food she could take for days on end.
The biting back advice is terrible. My daughter tried biting me once whilst feeding. I did my best not to react and just calmly put her on the floor…away from the warmth and milk she had been enjoying to teach her that biting just meant the removal of cuddles and milk…she never bit again. It took a couple of goes for my friend but the same technique worked.
One other myth to do with teeth is that breastfeeding will hurt once they have teeth – it doesn't. It hurts if they bite or 'drag' their teeth, but these are issues that are able to be resolved (often quickly).
Meagan says
Oh my goodness! These just make me angry READING them! 🙂 I have always been a little shy, and NEVER speak my mind; but when I became a mama, I kind of let out the bitch. 🙂 I would have told them all the ‘shut up and mind your own dang business.’
Krissy @ B-InspiredMama says
Bhahaha! I know what you mean. Especially by baby #3 I’ve lost the ability to bite my tongue so well!
Joyce says
I love your solution for if the baby bites while nursing!
cathy jenkins says
my mother toldmeishouldn’thang laundry out, that thebendinga nd stretchingwould causethebabiescord to wrap around her neck. funny, only my first baby had that problem, but the subsequent babies, when iwas washing for a larger family and still hungout my wash, never had any problems. and my grandmother told me that our cat would suck our new babie’s breath out ofher lungs. i thinkthat one got started becausecats are attracted to thesmellof milk on babiesmouths.
Savannah says
@Cathy Jenkins – That cat one is hysterical!
Andi Bunny Spike says
I’m so sick of being told that cosleeping causes SIDS. I’m also tired of being told that wearing my baby in a carrier is going to make her too reliant on me.
Kate says
This wasn’t really “advice” but some of the things I’ve heard from people around the area:
– that patting them on the behind will “make their butt flat.”
– letting them lay on their backs/stomachs will make a flat spot on their skulls/foreheads.
Tasia Thoy says
The head one is actually true but only in extreme cases can it cause a problem… that’s when you see babies wearing those plastic “helmets”.