This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and NicePak, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #NicenCleanatHEB http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV
Yes, I said the best advice. Because let’s face it, there’s nothing like getting pregnant to bring people from all corners of the world to give you advice. You’ll get advice on Facebook, in the grocery store (or you can start ordering the essentials online to avoid that last one), from the in-laws and most definitely from your own family and friends.
So I realize I’m not writing to some one who is currently lacking in quantity of advice. BUT, from my own experience having kids, I know the quality of the advice you are getting right now is highly questionable.
In fact, the most opinionated advice-givers are usually those who haven’t had kids before. So watch out for that. If you haven’t already gotten breastfeeding advice from a random uncle or been told how to help your unborn child sleep through the night from the nice old lady on isle seven…it’s coming.
How to get the best parenting advice
Even thought it probably feels like you are drowning in advice right now, there will probably come a day when you need some advice. How can you know when you are getting good advice and when you aren’t? How can you know who to listen to?
Wading through all the advice can be tough! But there are a few ways you can make sure you get better advice.
Ask specific questions from experienced moms and dads
If you need advice about something, be specific. Choose one or two things that you are deciding between and ask around for different perspectives on just those two things.
There are so many different ways to parent, that if you just ask for general advice, you’ll get thoughts so varied that it doesn’t end up being very helpful. Instead, keep it specific and ask away!
Smile and nod
Seriously, this is every new mom’s secret weapon. When you get stuck in an advice-giving moment that you really don’t want to be in, sometimes it’s easiest to not argue. Sure, you may have your mind made up about the topic, but there’s no need to fight it out with a stranger in the middle of the store. Instead smile, nod and let them know you’ll consider what they’re saying.
Better yet, ask them a specific question about something you’ve been wondering about since they were so willing to give you that unsolicited advice. Maybe you’ll get a good idea of what to do (or what not to do, depending on the person…) about something else.
Trust your instincts
Sometimes the very best person to ask for advice is YOU. Your instincts as mom are going to be kicking in, and it just might be time to start trusting your own ideas of what will work for your baby.
The thing is, none of the other moms you talk to will have ever had YOUR kid. So you can listen to their advice, thank them and then know that you can make the right decision for your own baby, even if it’s different than what your friends are doing with their kids.
My Best Advice: Keep It Simple
I’ll leave you with one last piece of advice. Keep it simple! This goes for everything from birth plans, to the nursery. With babies come chaos and unpredictability, and starting from simple will help you stay at peace even through all the ups and downs of motherhood.
One of the biggest ways we’ve always done this is by getting baby supplies the same place we get groceries, H-E-B.
This saves us time, and makes our lives a little bit less chaotic, and honestly you can get all the essentials down the baby isle!
One of the best things to grab next time you are in the store is Nice ‘n CLEAN Baby Wipes. They come in a variety of packaging size options so you can grab a small pack when you’re on the go but left your wipes at home or one of the larger packages when you are stocking up for the nursery.
You can go with scented or unscented/sensitive. Both are made with 100% plant based fibers, and with 99% purified water and naturally derived ingredients. Remember, SIMPLE. These Nice ‘n CLEAN Baby Wipes are perfectly gentle for your baby’s hands, face and bottom.
My daughter was extremely prone to rashes and it was products like this that helped comfort her, and keep her feeling her best.
And best of all, the packaging material is quieter. Which may not seem like a big deal if you haven’t changed a diaper at 3am just yet. But that is a BIG DEAL.
Clean, simple, quiet. There’s nothing better to bring into your home with your new baby! Pick up a package the next time you are at H-E-B!
Do you have any gentle advice to share with other new moms? I’d love for you to leave some kind words of encouragement in the comments for other moms to read!
Erika @ www.NewParentProject.com says
This is such a wonderful post! We are expecting our first child next month, and we will definitely be implementing some of your advice. I love it – keep it simple! :)
Thanks for sharing!