Whats the best piece of advice you never got but had to learn yourself on being a mom?

what is a thing or two no books or other moms ever told you but you've come to know by actually being a mom yourself...Whats the best piece of advice you never got but had to learn yourself on being a mom?
In my 3 and a half months of motherhood...:) I've learned:





#1. Books and other moms don't know YOUR baby so trust your intuition.


#2. You do not need diaper cream all the time. Just make sure baby's bum is clean and DRY before you put on the new diaper. Use a little cornstarch, NOT talc. And if you do get a diaper rash make sure babe's bum is dry before you apply the cream or else you just trap the moisture making it worse.:)That was my unfortunate experience...


#3. Really listening to their cries does make a difference, and babies don't always HAVE to burp. So don't freak out if they don't. Just try for a bit but if no burp happens and they seem content don't worry. Plus not all babies like to be interupted while they eat...so if you stop after the suggested ';burp after every ounce'; and the babe screams bloody murder...they just want their babba back the burp can wait.





#4 You will ';GET IT'; ALL of ';it'; everything gets settled eventually so always breath and don't panic. :)Whats the best piece of advice you never got but had to learn yourself on being a mom?
The severity of a poopy diaper can be summed up by how many wipes it takes to clean up (one-wiper, two-wiper, three-wiper...my worst ever was a six-wiper).





I thought of another one: A newborns fingernails may be sharp as razors, but when you cut them it feels like you're clipping skin they are so soft.
Dont sweat the small stuff! You can drive yourself crazy trying to keep a toddler clean and it doesnt work- so a little dirt wont kill them. If the furniture doesnt get moved when you vaccuum -no one will see it!! Finger painting is more important than washing dishes. Ants always escape the ant farm. And no child who promised to take care of their pet ever does!
to pick my battles...not everything matters...will it matter in 80 years from now, or not ? the lighter side...how high maitenance they are....not what you think...more like nail trimming, ear washing, teath brushing, floss, rinse and flouride, hair cuts, bandages, fevers, diareah, on and on and on....best investment my husbad and I have done in other human beings...yes, 1 mom, 1 dad, 7 kids ages 3-15 good luck
To stop and hug them regardless of what I'm doing at that moment. My children are now grown and the things I NOW know is that the dust can wait, but those little arms couldn't...
Choose your battles (as someone else said). I've learned that what my kids wear and how their hair looks isn't nearly as important as the pride they have in dressing themselves and the independence that they've created. I've learned that a t-shirt full of paint is worth the price of a masterpiece created in joy. The house being clean is nice, but not at the price of our family's happiness. I've learned that nearly everything can be put in the oven on warm, and if the time spent with kids is good, nobody cares that the chicken is a little tough, or the rice is dry, it'll be a gourmet meal to them because it was made through love.





I've also learned that other moms at the grocery store are more than happy to judge you on your parenting based on a two minute viewpoint of your kids strewn with paint and dirt while you run to the store for milk to cook supper.
Don't worry about a clean house! It's not the house that matters, it's your kids!