Parenting a newborn is difficult. Your baby can’t communicate its needs. Instead, it cries and cries and cries until you try a million different solutions. Even then, they might not stop. New parents are usually open to new ideas. But beware of terrible parenting advice. Plenty of parenting tips were common knowledge before scientists discovered they were harmful. Here are 15 outdated parenting tips you should ignore.
Tough Love
A common sentiment when raising your child is that tough love strengthens them. The idea is to be strict and firm with your parenting while helping your baby better handle the world’s challenges. However, this has proven detrimental to the child’s development. If they do not develop a healthy attachment with a parent, they could have serious psychological problems as an adult. If your baby cries, figure out its needs no matter how long it takes.
Feed Your Baby Oreos
Some of the oddest advice older parents give involves feeding your baby solids. But this is not a good idea. Some older parents suggest feeding your infant Oreos. The belief is that chocolate and sugar have calming properties that calm a fussy baby. Doctors do not advise you to feed your newborn Oreos in solid or crushed form. Don’t be ridiculous.
Give Your Baby a Tan
Babies look pale. However, that doesn’t mean you should let them out in the sun. Babies have very sensitive skin that burns quickly. Expose your newborn to moderate sunlight, and don’t worry about giving your baby a nice tan. This is one bizarre recommendation that we wish was never conceived.
Feed Your Baby Donuts
On par with the Oreo tip, feeding your baby donuts is not a good idea. Any solid food before their teeth develop is lousy advice. Unfortunately, some thought feeding their newborn donuts was a good idea, believing the sugar might stop them from crying. Babies cry because they are trying to communicate something, and that rarely ever means they are craving sugar. Just don’t.
Crying Doesn’t Always Mean Teething
Babies cry for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes, it makes sense—they’re hungry, tired, or need to be burped—other times, they cry for no reason. In any case, it is your responsibility as a parent to figure it out. One piece of bad parenting advice attributes all crying to the pain of teething. Common sense tells us that this cannot always be the case.
The Magic of a Rooster Feather
This parenting tip sounds like witchcraft. Some parents believed that a feather from a black-footed rooster could help soothe the teething process of newborns. Rub your baby’s cheeks with one of these feathers, and the pain magically disappears. You don’t have to be a doctor to realize this is bogus voodoo. For the sake of humanity, don’t even think about trying to see if this would work.
Let Your Baby Self-Soothe
Older generations of parents usually suggest this tip from a different generation. They believe life is about pulling yourself by the bootstraps, toughing it, and overcoming adversity. But ignoring your baby’s needs is a bad idea. They can develop unhealthy coping mechanisms that they will carry for the rest of their lives. Comforting your baby does not mean they will grow up to be incapable. They will be able to develop healthy and lasting relationships and good coping skills.
You Must Be a Stay-at-home Parent
With the rising cost of childcare, this tip might seem essential. However, the belief that a parent must become a stay-at-home parent is based on an outdated premise. In the 1950s, it was believed that women had to stay home to take care of the chores and raise their children. This is no longer a stringent norm. Many parents today successfully balance work and home life without the need for a stay-at-home parent. You work mama!
Put Your Baby to Sleep with TV
This piece of parenting advice is also irresponsible. Thinking that putting your baby in front of a television screen like it was melatonin was sound advice makes me disappointed in humanity. It is normal to put on kids’ shows, but using them to help your baby fall asleep is not right. Hold your child in your arms and lull them to sleep by rocking them gently and singing a lullaby. Do this if you ever consider following through with the above advice.
Pour Water On Your Baby to Stop it from Crying
I can’t believe this was once good parenting advice. Whoever thought pouring water on your baby was a good way to get it to stop crying has problems. This tip isn’t only harmful and dangerous; it’s downright cruel. Don’t ever pour water on your baby, no matter how long he or she cries. This should never even be a thought that pops into anyone’s head. AVOID!
Spike Your Baby’s Bottle with Coffee
One piece of parenting advice I’ve heard involves mixing a little coffee into your baby’s milk bottle. Coffee is a stimulant that raises your heart rate. Giving coffee to a baby whose heart is not fully developed is dangerous. Its little body is not meant to handle the caffeine. New parents essentially run on Coffee, and that is okay, but don’t ever put some in your baby’s bottle.
Use Whiskey When Your Baby is Teething
This old-fashioned piece of parenting advice comes from another generation. When your baby is teething, people believe that you can ease the pain by pouring whiskey on your finger and sticking it in your baby’s mouth. We understand that anything seems like a good idea when your child won’t stop screaming, but this is not a good idea. The legal drinking age is 21. You’ll be setting your baby up for a life of crime. Just kidding, but still, don’t.
Holding Your Baby Will Spoil Them
Babies must be soothed, comforted, held in your arms, and gently rocked. The idea that having your child would somehow spoil them and make them an ungrateful brat is absurd. This fear is based on generational pride and a mentality that hardships build resilience, strength, and character. Children need to develop a healthy relationship with their parents, and if you withhold from showing them warmth and support, it could lead to other issues later on.
Cozy Socks
We understand this one. Cozy socks are great. However, believing your baby will stop crying because of their socks is ridiculous. It might help, but usually, a baby will cry because it’s hungry, tired, or gassy—all of which comfy socks fail to alleviate. In colder temperatures, however, this is a good tip. But again, it won’t fix all of your problems.
