Dear Liz, Christina, and Tammie,
First of all, congratulations! Hope this finds you well. This is a very special time in your lives. I hope everything goes ok for you guys and you all give birth to healthy and beautiful children.
When Her Bad Mother sent me an email asking me to pass along any parenting advice I had, I was somewhat hesitant. Who am I to give advice? As a general rule, it's probably a good idea to do the exact opposite of anything I recommend.
Anyway…
The best piece of parenting advice Ella and I received was sleep when the baby sleeps. Seriously. Put everything else on hold for a bit and take a nap. You need your rest for the long nights and care of your child. Sleep!
The worst piece of advice Ella and I received was too much advice. Everybody's got an opinion on how you should raise your child. If you listen to enough people and read enough books, you'll get contradictory views on every facet of child-rearing. In the end, you have to make your decisions based on what's best for you, your baby, and the rest of your family.
And finally, here's some TOP SECRET SPECIAL ADVICE from me. I know everyone wants unique names for their children. I named my daughter after one of my favorite bands. Sure, we get some looks when we tell people her name, but I sleep like a baby knowing she'll be the only VanHalena in her kindergarten class.
People try alternate spellings. They name their kids after flowers, fruits, and animals. I know someone who scoured an anthology of 18th century Portuguese landscape artists trying to find a unique name. But I have discovered a treasury of names no one is using. It's so hot that celebrities haven't even started doing it yet!
Name your children using classic dog names. Rover. Spot. Fido. Duchess. Sport. Patches. Lassie. Benji. Puddles. Precious. They all have a nice ring to them, no? You'll never run into another Puddles on the playground. And you'll never have to pull a "that's Fido with a P-H."
Once again, congratulations and I wish you all well. I hope this was helpful.
Hugs, Kisses, & Pregnant Belly Rubs,
Chag
Song of the day: Hazy Shade Of Winter by Bangles
Advice For Mothers-To-Be
