Handling Unwanted Parenting Advice: A Guide For New Parents

One of the hardest parts of being a new parent is getting unwanted parenting advice from everyone who has ever—and even those who have never—raised a child. It can be difficult to know how to respond to all of this advice, whether it’s offered with the best intentions or stems from harsh criticisms of your parenting decisions.

First of all, the hormone changes your body is going through as a result of having a newborn baby will cause your emotions to go through a major emotional rollercoaster.

When giving advice to new parents, care must be taken to avoid upsetting anyone or hurting their feelings. Here are eight effective ways to handle unfavorable parenting advice without breaking down in tears.

Stay Calm

First of all, the hormone changes your body is going through as a result of having a newborn baby will cause your emotions to go through a major emotional rollercoaster. Therefore, it’s important that you maintain your composure, especially when you’re holding your infant. Babies may detect tension in their parents’ bodies and respond by crying and becoming agitated.

Listen and Filter

It’s crucial to always pay attention to advice provided to you since some of it can be valuable and beneficial. Therefore, make sure to take into account advice given to you when someone is attempting to help and asks for your opinion. Also, consider whether the advice would be helpful to your family. However, if the counsel is obvious nonsense, disregard it immediately.

Consider the Source

Always consider the source of any advice you get. A stranger may feel entitled to give you advice on how to raise your child, which is not his or her place in the least. Your mother or father, however, is a different story. You should want to listen to the person who brought you and your siblings up in most cases. Know that it is important to take the source of the advice into account when deciding whether to take unwelcome advice seriously or dismiss it as mere criticism. Unfortunately, some individuals can’t help but feel the need to criticize the parenting decisions you make just because it differs from how they believe things should be done. Thus, always make an effort to pause and question whether the council is being given from the heart or out of criticism.

Pick Your Battles

When picking your battles is one of the most important lessons that all parents learn with their kids. The same holds true for parenting advice. You might not agree with the things that your kids are permitted to get away with at your grandparents’ place, but sometimes grandparents just want to treat their grandkids. If it doesn’t hurt, you will do well to just let it go.

Trust Your Mom Gut

When it comes to their children, mothers have a gut instinct that comes instinctively to them. Moms are innately tuned in to their children, which helps them to understand what their babies actually need when they cry or how to comfort them.

So, if you’re unsure whether the advice is appropriate, just go with your mom instinct.

Be Honest and Set Boundaries

Being open and honest with the individual offering unwanted parenting advice is a great way to help both of you. Try having a conversation with them, letting them know how it makes you feel when they tell you how to parent without considering that this is your journey and not theirs.

When picking your battles is one of the most important lessons that all parents learn with their kids. The same holds true for parenting advice.

These people often go too far and end up hurting your feelings. Being truthful with them means you won’t have to cut them out of your life. They’re likely good people whose pieces of advice come from a good place. They just don’t quite have the delivery down pat.

Educate Yourself

If you’re unsure about how to deal with a situation as a parent, educate yourself. Do your research. If it’s an urgent matter, you can use your mom-gut, as previously mentioned. But try to actually find out what would have been the best course of action after things settle down.

Once you discover the right solution, you can start instructing whoever’s on babysitting duty on what to do.

For instance, you could tell them that a recyclable cloth diaper is entirely natural and preferable to disposable diapers in many situations because they don’t absorb heat or chemicals. You may also explain that breast milk has an exceptionally high absorption level that benefits infants the most healthwise.

Ask Your Child’s Pediatrician for Advice

You can always bring up any concerns to your child’s pediatrician to receive a medical expert’s view on these situations. For all you know, undesirable advice may have an effect on your child’s health and behavior under the circumstances.

Give yourself a pat on the back! The fact that you’re here means you’re trying your hardest not to let things get to you and to search for solutions on how to move forward healthily. With the kind of mindset you’re showing, no harsh criticism or unsolicited advice should keep you from becoming the best parent you can be. This is your journey, so you do you!