Welcome to parenthood... the land of unsolicited advice... From the second you announce your pregnancy 'til.. well, does it ever end?... people, well-meaning and know-it-all alike, are quick to share their parenting advice with you. As a new parent, you might be overwhelmed and/or anxious with what to do with this new plethora of information. Do yourself a favor, and give this a read before putting too much weight on what other people think.
DON'T listen to people's opinions of your child's name. This is why people somewhere along the line decided to not share the name of their little bambino-to-be. The fact that I spent nanosecond(s) caring what people would think of Beulah's name when I was pregnant is laughable now, as I could give two you-know-whats what anyone thinks about my precious baby girl's name. But pregnancy does weird things to your brain and can trick you into thinking you care. Do you know that I have actually had grown-a$$ adults border-line make fun of my kid's name? Try picking on someone your own size, and also learning some dang manners!!!
DO listen to people's polite OR rude advice on carseat safety. The guidelines on car seat safety don't discriminate and are not ever to someone's discretion. I have found that people that have an eye for car seat safety are often very passionate about sharing the rules. Swallow your pride, and listen. Car seat safety is no joke.
DON'T listen to extremes... "ALWAYS" do this or "NEVER" do that. "NEVER use Tylenol" (Check out all the comments on my http://www.pinterest.com/pin/28358672628299347/ - people so make me laugh.) or "Always put socks on your baby" ... Unless it's obvious and correct, like "always feed your baby" or "always put your baby in the carseat when you are in the car."
DO listen to your friend's (or strangers on Amazon) reviews on products. There are about a trillion different baby products out there. Learn from your friends! Scour Amazon for the 4 star sippy cup. Because all of them but 2 (slight exaggeration) LEAK. EVERYWHERE.
DON'T listen to people's opinions on how to feed your baby. This isn't just breast milk vs. formula. Or cow's milk vs almond or coconut milk. It's also about when to introduce solids or whether or not you want to put rice cereal in the bottle. First time you complain about not getting any sleep I guarantee you someone will suggest putting rice cereal in your cherub's bottle. Just do what you want to do and how you want to do it with feeding your baby. Assuming safety of course, and your pediatrician's recommendations.
DO listen to your pediatrician. If you aren't listening to your pediatrician, you need to get one you can listen to. There are many different approaches to caring for your little cherub, but some pediatricians will just not go for parents opting not to vaccinate (I'm choosing to keep my opinion on THAT to myself) or things like that. So, just choose a pediatrician who you can listen to, and listen to them.
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