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One of my husband’s coworker suggested to leave our baby cry for hours and hours, every day, at the same time, until he falls asleep on his own. This is while music plays throughout the house — as loud as you can stand it — so you can’t hear the baby cry. I’m sorry, but that’s just plain cruel. I’d rather rock him to sleep, even if I’m exhausted at the end of the day. Would not miss that special mommy and baby time for anything in the world…
-Alicia, Ajax

I don’t know if you could really call this advice, but it is definitely the oddest idea I have ever received. When I was pregnant with my first child, my neighbour (who I really didn’t know all that well) told me she wished she had never had her son circumcised because of diminished sexual pleasure for him. I took it as a “learn from my mistake” story.
-Angie, Saskatchewan

A friend’s mother-in-law suggested we put the baby in her car seat to carry her around the house and avoid touching her as much as possible so we didn’t get her used to being held.  We did the opposite, of course, and held her as much as humanly possible.  She’s now a lovely, affectionate 2-year-old.
-Cristen, Michigan

That I should drink 16 glasses of water a day while breastfeeding my child. As if I would have that sort of time to a) drink ALL that water, and b) go to the bathroom that much in one day! I understand that you need to increase your fluid intake while nursing, but c’mon!
-Colleen (pictured with son Brady and husband Jay), Whitby

The worst advice I received was from my mother, who told me, when my daughter was first born, that: 1) I should let her cry a lot as it exercises her lungs (?!), and 2) I need to bind her legs so they’ll straighten out(!). Of course I didn’t do either of those things!
-Athena (pictured with daughter Victoria Elle), Toronto

I have to say the funniest advice I got was from a woman my mom is friends with. Max was about 4 months old and not sleeping well. She said to start solid foods, that it would help him sleep. My mom said, “Oh, like cereal…” and she said….”No, like Kebob… Shish-Kebob, they love it.” My mom politely told her that he didn’t have any teeth yet, so Kebob wasn’t really going to work….but thank you anyway.
-Kareen, Toronto

 My daughter Jayde suffered from colic. My father’s suggestion was to put a tablespoon of brandy in with her formula or dip her soother into brandy. He said it’s what his mother did to calm his siblings down. Sure it did. They were too drunk to do anything else.
-Cindy, Courtice

The best advice I ever received BEFORE we had kids and I give this advice out now to newly married couples: Go on a really nice vacation once a year before you have kids because vacation won’t be the same once they come along. My husband, Josh, and I saved up for a nice vacation every year. We went to Cuba, Japan, Mexico, Florida, and British Columbia. We don’t regret spending that money one bit and cherish those memories with just the two of us.
-Laura (pictured with daughter Kylah and son Liam), Uxbridge

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