I get nervous preaching about stuff Every mommy must know because it subtly implies that I know everything that mommies need to know. If anything, I frequently tap into my community of mommies for their wisdom. Some days, I feel like I am crowd-surfing along on the outstretched arms of my support team.
Here are ten things I learned from other parents that may or may not be in my new book:
Never make a delighted baby happier (our pediatrician).
A hands-free baby carrier is vital (Whitney).
Never wake a sleeping baby (Weissbluth).
Breastfeeding hurts (Whitney).
Say “yes” a lot more often; be prepared to defend your “no” (Devra and Aviva).
It’s not failure, it’s research (Rachel and Andy).
The only way out is through (Meggan).
Bananas stain (Molly).
Kids are just as delighted with the box as they are with the toy inside (my mommy and dad).
Feed the meter (Karp).
Of course, as soon as I finish this list, I want to add a lot more to it. I’m still learning on the job and trying to remember that no matter how messy my house or lame the birthday parties I throw, my kid just wants ME. In the meantime, big kid is still — and always will be — on the frontier of everything I know firsthand about parenting.
So, what have you learned from other mommies that I need to know?
[photo by means of flickrby Bjørn Giesenbauer]