Parenting Advice: From Your Friends or Parents?

Momversation turns 200! (And you thought we didn't look a day over 185.) It's our 200th episode, and we're asking a fundamental question. Who do you turn to for parenting advice? Do you ask your parents? Do you ask your friends? Or do you pore over the internet, begging the computer to spew forth its wisdom? Giyen Kim of Bacon Is My Enemy aks, Who do you ask for parenting advice?

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ZestyBee
2 yearss ago

My mom's college education was in early childhood development, and she taught preschool for twenty-some years. Since my daughter Koi is three, I've been going to her for advice consistently, mostly for techniques on how to communicate with this little creature I created. She's really good about not giving unsolicited advice too, which I appreciate. As Koi gets older and we pass out of Mom's formal area of expertise, we'll see how much I go to her with other questions. As for my friends, I'm the first one to take the plunge into motherhood. I sometimes ask for opinions, but I anticipate I'll be the one doling out answers throughout the next decade. ^_^

Melissa_B.
2 yearss ago

I get advice from my Mom all the time and 90% of the time it's helpful. But what I really could not live without is not so much the role that she plays as Mom-advisor but how fantastic of a grandmother she is. She is a run in circles at the playground, changing poopy diapers, taking him to the doctor, and standing in for me at school function hands on kind of grandparent, it's awesome!!! But that's who she is as a person, not just because she's my Mom, she would do the same at the drop of a hat for many of my friends. So I think that I just happen to have a Mother who can act like a great friend.

Jojo
2 yearss ago

My parents did the best they could with us. I, however, never ever ask them for parenting advice (ever). They made a lot of mistakes despite themselves. I want to do better. I take what was good from my upbringing and use it with my daughter. I also observe friends and their parenting techniques and glean what I think is good. Otherwise, I read a lot of parenting books.

SilverXeno
2 yearss ago

I ask whoever I happen to be with when it strikes me that I might need help with something. I *didn't* ask my friends to try and make my kid try hamburger, or to take the pacifier from the toddler when I saw them on Saturday. They took it upon themselves to "fix" my kids. I know that sounds weird...and I just sort of watched with fascination and then with joy...b/c THEY FAILED TOO!! Lol...As awful as that sounds, I knew that *I* as their parent was doing the best I could...and failing miserably. Then my friends tried...and they failed, too. SO I felt like my best...was really not any better or worse than someone else's best. :) If an issue comes up, and I am with people who I think might have been there/done that already...I will say, "Hey...did you ever have to..." If I am with my mom, she answers. If I am with my friends...they answer. I have recently moved away from my mom...so I haven't asked her anything at all for about 4 months. I *only* have my friends right now.

MeMyselfandMommy
2 yearss ago

There are times that I really want my mom's advice. There are times that I ask my friends for advice. There are times that I ask complete strangers for advice at http://memyselfandmommy.com . Some of the best advice I get is from my blog. My mom, grandma, auntie, friends and strangers leave the best advice on my blog. There are also times where I do not, even if on the verge of breaking down, want my mom's advice, my friends advice or strangers advice. Sometimes I just have to suffer alone and figure it out in my own way.

cooper
2 yearss ago

Parenting is one of the most difficult jobs yet one of the most extraordinary things we can ever do. In connection to Tiger Nike commercial, I could say that parenting really happened. Yeah, I watched the Tiger Woods Nike commercial. After I saw it, I cared even less about Tiger Woods than I did before. I do not think it's possible for me to care even less about Tiger, the affairs, or the Masters Leaderboard any less than I do now. I wouldn't waste a payday advances worth on going to look at the Masters 2010 in Augusta. You know who I'm rooting for? John Daly. Exactly why is that? Simple - he's a jerk, he misbehaves, drinks and smokes profusely. He's the villain in golf, and I LOVE to root for the bad guy.

marowe_B
2 yearss ago

Rush is go

bwankel
2 yearss ago

Happy 200th! I have asked my mom a few fundamental and basic things, but for the most part I turn to friends. I feel like so much changes in just 5 or 10 years in regards to what parents "should" or "should not" be doing, that I may as well just ask my peers. (Plus, I don't think my mom was a terribly great mother, but that's a story for another time.)

SilverXeno
2 yearss ago

Just b/c the "expert" advice & opinion changes every few years doesn't mean there aren't still some basics that last. Just sayin'. :)

thegirlmama
2 yearss ago

I am one of the few of my friends who actually have children, so I have to admit that I run to my own mother. In fact, I think my husband and I would have imploded in a mess of insecurity during those first few months of our daughter's life if it hadn't been for my mother. But, then, she's always been a remarkable mother. I could go to her with anything that was on my mind and told her pretty much everything (until I went to college and then, well, you know...she didn't need to know EVERYTHING). I would love to have a relationship with my daughter like I've had with my mother, so I figure that taking her advice is one path to that kind of relationship.

Parenting Advice: From Your Friends or Parents?

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