14 Outdated Parenting Tips Modern Moms Had Better Ignore

• 2019-01-03
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Grandmas are a storehouse of useful information. They are always ready to help us and give advice on any issue. Often their experience helps us avoid mistakes, however, there are still some recommendations we are better off not following. In this case, it’s better to trust your logic, common sense, and modern experts.

We at Bright Side decided to illustrate some of the strangest pieces of advice and superstitions for young mothers that some people still believe in. The bonus at the end of the article will prove once again that people’s imaginations know no borders.

1. You shouldn’t put new clothes on the baby because the fabric is too rough.

The main requirement for a baby’s clothes is that they should be made of natural fabrics (for example, cotton or linen). These fabrics are pleasant to touch, don’t contain “chemicals,” and are easy to wash.

2. You shouldn’t kiss the baby because there are many germs in your mouth.

Doctors and psychologists continue to debate about this topic. Some claim that oral and viral diseases can be transmitted through kisses, others say that kisses are necessary for the development of a child. Most mothers don’t listen to experts and understand by themselves that the baby needs love, and kisses and hugs are one of the best ways to express it.

3. You shouldn’t buy toys until the baby asks for them by themselves.

Babies need toys long before they learn to speak. Toys help them to get to know the world around them better. A 3-month-old baby will definitely show interest in a bright musical mobile hanging over their bed. And a mother’s task is to keep this interest and offer various toys that are suitable for different baby ages.

4. The baby can get sick if a mother eats ice cream during pregnancy.

Ice cream and the cold that it gives doesn’t reach the baby directly. It receives only nutrients from the ice cream like proteins, fats, and carbohydrates via the umbilical cord. There are no special diets for pregnant women provided that their pregnancy goes well and has no complications.

5. You shouldn’t pick the baby up when they are crying to avoid their getting used to it.

It’s important to remember that babies usually cry for some reason. While babies can’t speak, screams and cries are their only way of communicating with the outside world, and they feel protected and loved in their mother’s hands.

6. If you massage the baby, you can damage their liver.

Pediatricians recommend giving a light massage to babies almost from the first days of their life — it relaxes their tensed muscles and is simply pleasant for the baby. Of course, only verified and painless techniques are used in a therapeutic baby massage, which is why mothers shouldn’t worry about the baby’s liver or other organs.

7. You should turn the kid’s clothes inside out if they are sick with chicken pox. It will prevent poxes from itching.

When having chicken pox, they will itch in any case no matter whether the clothes are inside out or not. In order to help the kid, it’s better to use more effective methods to relieve itching like washing them more often or using antihistamines.

8. You should rub the baby’s gums with garlic to make their teeth cut faster.

A baby’s stomach is very sensitive which is why it’s not recommended to give your baby fresh garlic until the age of 3-4 years. However, you can add boiled garlic to the baby’s food starting from 8-9 months. Regarding cutting teeth, special chewing devices can help with this process. They are safe and don’t traumatize the baby’s gums.

9. You shouldn’t teach your kid to wear bright and colorful clothes, otherwise they will have tattoos and piercings when they grow up.

Psychologists say that tattoos have a connection to a person’s self-expression, their desire to stand out, assert, and isolate themselves from their fears. The connection between tattoos and wearing bright clothing in childhood hasn’t been proven. By the way, people used to get tattoos even in ancient times when they had no opportunity to wear things made of bright fabrics.

10. You should thoroughly wash your breasts before feeding because there is always so much dirt on them.

Frequent breast washing, as well as antiseptic treatment, can harm the mother and the baby. The protective layer of useful bacteria will be washed away from the skin and the baby won’t get it with the milk, while the mother has a high chance of getting cracks on her breasts.

11. You should swaddle the baby to help their legs grow straight.

Today experts have the same opinion that tight swaddling only causes discomfort for the baby and doesn’t affect the shape of their legs. And the bad news is that tight swaddling can cause dysplasia. Pediatricians recommend free swaddling or no swaddling at all.

12. You should tie up the baby’s lower jaw if they sleep with an open mouth.

It’s likely that the baby simply can’t breathe through their nose. It’s necessary to clean the sinuses, humidify the air in the room, but not to tie up their jaws with a kerchief — this definitely won’t help the baby fall asleep faster.

13. You should let the baby suck on a herring’s tail if they are suspected of having dysplasia.

Hip dysplasia is a disease that can only be diagnosed and cured by a doctor. You shouldn’t self-medicate and try folk remedies — it can worsen the situation. Moreover, fish (boiled) is a food that pediatricians recommend including in a baby’s diet no earlier than 8 months old. Raw, smoked, or salty fish isn’t included on this list.

14. You should put hoods on your baby, otherwise they may end up having lop ears.

The shape of the ears and earlobes is determined genetically. Therefore, a hood is not going to treat the baby’s lop-ears but conversely, it can promote overheating. That’s why it’s important to watch the air temperature in the room and to not put clothing that is too warm on the baby.

Bonus: The weirdest superstitions we didn’t dare to depict

• If the baby doesn’t sleep well, it means there is fluff growing on their back, which disturbs sleep. You should make a bread ball and roll it on the baby’s back to tear off this fluff.
• You shouldn’t give fish to kids until they learn to speak, otherwise they’ll be dumb.
• A baby shouldn’t sleep with the lights on, otherwise their eyes might lose their color.
• When milk starts to come to the breasts, you should find a janitor in the maternity ward and ask her to knead the breasts.
• If a baby is crying, you should urgently call a doctor because healthy kids don’t cry.

What wild pieces of advice for taking care of a baby have you heard? Please share them with us in the comments! Let’s laugh together!

Illustrated by Alice Perkmini for BrightSide.me