JFF: What Is the BEST Mommy Advice You Have??

You arent raising a baby, you are raising an adult. You only have 18 years to prepare them for the world. One day they may be taking care of you, what you put into it is what you will get out.

Always keep the husband/wife relationship first...children learn so much from how you treat each other and how you love each other.

Teach them to say "Da Da" or "Daddy" first. Put the ego aside and do it. That way at three in the morning when baby is yelling for "Daaadddyy", you can let Daddy know the baby needs him. "Listen, he's yelling for you, he needs his Daddy. " Daddy's up tending to the kiddo and you get some shut eye. ;)

When you don't know what to do, choose whatever is kindest to your child.

Be honest withyour children...
If they want to talk to you, listen !!!

- its okay if a baby cries.
- don't have baby sleep in a completely quiet environment. noise is your friend.
- warm showers, even just 5 mins, work wonders for stress and attitude.
- get dressed EVERY day in fresh clothes. you can't face the world in a bathrobe. (well, you can, but ...)

you cant compare your child to another.....theyre all different and do things their own way in their own time....

Never compare your kids to other kids.

Wow, what great advice you've gotten so far! I agree with every post so far!

Let a sleeping baby lie!! Seriously, LET THE BABY SLEEP!!

And take tons of pictures and videos! Time flies. Our youngest is only 3 months and I am cherishing those first pics and videos because she has changed so much already!

My advice would be to remember that we all make mistakes and that's okay.

When the baby wakes up at 3:00 am, endure the crying and change the diaper first. That way you can put the milk-coma baby right back to sleep after they eat!

Oh... and all of those baby outfits are adorable, but they make diaper changes a pain! ONESIES and rompers are the way to go!

As parents we're all doing the best we can. That's all anyone can ask of you. Makes every day stresses a bit easier to handle.

It is called an accident for a reason

Take advantage of every moment you have with your kids. Life is short...play with your kids and snuggle with them because that is what they will remember.

The best place for baby to sleep is wherever baby will (safely) sleep. Carseat, bouncy seat, swing, in bed with Mommy and/or Daddy. Seriously, do not stress about the location. Just let baby sleep!

Just keep loving them. If you do everything out of pure love, you're already doing something right.

When the poop starts coming out of the diaper, it's time to move up to the next size.

And, don't do something once that you don't want to do a million times.

Don't sweat the small stuff...

And remember...in the long run...most of it IS 'small stuff'!

Let little boys learn to pee outside first!

Trust your instincts.

It's all over in a blink, no matter how long it seems at the time, it's a BLINK

Don't bluff

Noise is your friend

We all become experts in exactly one kid, each and every single one of OURS. And it doesn't translate to any other kid.

To LAUGH as much as possible.

Alot of parents take this job of raising kid's WAY to seriously.

There actually is major room for error, and most the time there is nothing you cant undo or try and tweak once you get there.

It's ok to laugh behind their backs. They are little you when you cant remember, so of course they will try and be smarter then the YOU now.

I love the commercial campaign right now..''It gets better''...They are talking more about homosexuality in the commercial ...but I think if Parents could bottle that feeling and thought process and think about it as a parenting campaign too that would be great....I think alot of parents get wrapped up in the here and now of rearing kids....It does get better...

I think about it like this...I want my kids to think of me as a parent now...and a great friend later in life. I want them to come to me with their troubles and know that I will listen and be there. The way I do this is by treating them like people now...who have feelings thoughts wants and needs.

the best advice I got when I was pregnant was to NEVER rock your baby to sleep and to put them awake in their own crib/bed so they learn to put themselves to bed. I was so lucky, my kids slept 12 hours straight from the first week they were home and have always been really good sleepers. So now everyone who gets pregnant, I pass on that info. As much as you think you need to "bond" and have your kids sleep in your bed, I think its much more tramatic for the kid when they get older and you have to kick them out!

scratches, bumps and bruises heal- sometimes they teach
never leave a room, hang up a phone, or drop them off without an I love you.
Own up to your mistakes- there will come a day when you have to say "sorry I was wrong"
Listen, really listen as they get older they dont always need you to "fix it" they just want to talk it out.
Never forget you are starting with kids but raising adults,

Speak respectfully to your children, even when you are angry.

Children learn by imitation. When your child does something you're not happy with, or says something inappropriate, look to yourself first.

Always be honest with your children and respect their privacy.

Dirt never hurt! Don't freak out when they get dirty. It was not their intent to get dirty - it was just their intent to learn and explore and have fun. The dirt just happened.

Don't try to give your child everything in the world, or "do" everything in the world. Otherwise, what will they have to look forward to as they grow?

Live simply. Simplify your home, your routine, your life.

Establish a rhythm for your child/family life. It will make your child feel secure and happy.

Don't even THINK about using Pull-Ups. BIGGEST waste of time and money.