10 Mommy Myths
We've heard more than our fair share of mom-shaming and unsolicited parenting advice. Do this, don't do this, why are you doing that, blah, blah, blah... It's exhausting! Where do you even start to figure out what's true and what's not? Keep reading... đ
1. MYTH: âGood mothers know what their babies cries mean.â
HA! We WISH we spoke baby! That would make things a whole lot easier⌠The truth is, some moms are able to instantly recognize what their babyâs cries and whimpers mean, and some moms canât. But, if you fall in the latter category, you certainly are NOT a bad mom. After all, not all babies are consistent with their noises! When babies cry, most parents end up running through the usual suspects: Wet? Hungry? Gassy? Tired? Lonely? Sick? Hurt? Angry? Mystery? REPEAT!
We recommend trying to get into a routine. That way it may be easier to understand noises based on context. Some squeaking around afternoon naptime? Maybe sleepy. A bit of whimpering around feeding time? Maybe hungry.
2. MYTH: âDonât pick up your newborn too much or theyâll always need your attention.â
Newborns always need your attention period. Theyâre newborns. According to Maurice J. Elias, Ph.D., author of Emotionally Intelligent Parenting, your child ââŚhas to gain confidence that you will respond to their needs.â After that point, Dr. Elias says that âYour job is to pull back a bit and let baby figure out that they can survive, for a few minutes at least, without someone rushing to their side.â Having built that trust initially will be critical for this stage and beyond.
3. MYTH: âYou should rely more on your maternal instincts.â
Yes, moms may have an uncanny sixth sense at times when it comes to their children, but research shows now that much of what we have thought of as âmaternal instinctsâ can actually be attributed to maternal anxiety. Worry is essential to motherhood and is absolutely normal. This isnât to say you shouldnât trust your gut feelings, but simply ensure that your intuition isnât being clouded by panic. Remember to take a breath, ask for help, and always pay attention.
4. MYTH: âIf you donât attach right away, thereâs definitely something wrong with you.â
For some moms, there is an instant attachment, for others, it takes a bit. Some new moms are just too exhausted, too ill, too anxious, or too scared to let themselves fall in love immediately and that is OKAY! Donât automatically assume or let anyone tell you that youâre suffering from postpartum depression because of this. If you have ANY concerns, please reach out to your doctor to discuss.
5. MYTH: âIf youâre flexible, your child will take advantage of you.â
"Be more strict." "Your kids have too much freedom." Boundaries are great, but flexibility certainly has plenty of room in parenting. After all, kids are unpredictable. Take the pressure off of your shoulders a bit and learn to go with the flow. There is no such thing as perfect parenting. Everyoneâs s
tyle should be just as unique as their child.
Check out these 13 benefits to flexible parenting!
6. MYTH: âDonât introduce fruit first or your child wonât like vegetables.â
This one always makes us laugh. Trust us, itâs 100% a myth. Just focus on feeding a variety of healthy new foods and your kiddo will get used to eating both fruits AND veggies.
If youâre still convinced that this one is true, you may just have a picky eater.
Check out our article on overcoming those picky behaviors!
7. MYTH: âGet your child potty-trained as early as possible.â
Sorry parents, you canât force potty training if your kiddo isnât ready. There are some behaviors that signal that your child is ready to potty train like fewer wet diapers and more regular bowel movements, but if youâre not seeing those, it may still be too early.
Think your kiddo may be ready for potty training? Check out our Potty Training Guide!
8. MYTH: âYou canât bond if you donât breastfeed.â
We really donât like hearing this one. Moms have so many ways to bond with their babies. For health reasons, if youâre fortunate enough to have the choice, we always encourage breastfeeding, but we respect and support moms who are in ALL situations. Whether youâre breastfeeding or bottle-feeding there are some surefire ways to bond during a mealtime: keep the room quiet and calm, donât be afraid of skin to skin contact, communicate with your baby (eye contact, humming, etc.), and sniff that sweet little head (it releases oxytocin)!
9. MYTH: âYour child should be walking and/or talking by age X, Y, or Z.â
Ughhhhhh. We really donât like this one either. Please donât fall into the trap of comparing your childâs developments to other childrenâs. There is a WIDE variance in walking and talking for children.
Research simply shows no correlation between the age at which the children reach these milestones and their intellectual or motor performance between the age of seven and eighteen. In short, by the time they reach school age, children who start walking or talking later than others are just as well-coordinated and intelligent as those who did so earlier!
If you have concerns about your childâs developmental progress, just give a holler to your Pediatrician.
10. MYTH: âYou have to read to your child every day to make them smarter.â
Nope. Your childâs academic prowess is not exclusively dependent on you reading to them every single day. Rigorous demands like that cause more stress and will take the joy out of any activity. Yes, reading is an important skill in language development, but donât put any undue pressure on yourself or your child to read every single day. All it takes for children to understand and appreciate the importance of reading is consistency (set quiet reading times a few times a week), fun (let your child pick the book), and setting the example. Theyâll be fine. We promise.
Please know you're doing JUST fine mama. There's absolutely NO need to give into any pressure that others put on you. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to your doctor. We are ALWAYS here to help! đ
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