Things I've Learned Parenting

Now that I've had my two kids, I thought I'd assemble a collection of tips and tricks I've learned along the way. Experiences may vary, but this is what worked for me and my kids.

Pregnancy:

1. It's such a joyous surprise to not know the gender of your baby until it's born. I'd recommend this to anyone, because most surprises in life aren't good ones. You CAN have too much pink or blue, and it can't be used for a second child of the other gender.
2. SeaBands help take the edge off morning sickness. True story.
3. Maternity clothes are never, ever flattering. They'll be baggy until the very end.
4. Walk, walk, walk. It's hard to go through the marathon of childbirth unless you're at least somewhat prepared physically. (I took a 2 mile walk in 90 degree heat to jump start my labor, at the advice of my doctor just a few hours before - I also had been walking daily all summer.)
5. Get a video of your bump while baby is moving around inside of you. It's fun to watch it after the fact and remind you of the little wiggler inside.

Labor:

1. Forget about a birth plan. The most important thing is to get the baby out safely, so trust your doctor and go with the flow.
2. Get an epidural. Trust me. You'll still feel plenty of pain, but it takes the edge off the contractions.
3. Forget any notions of modesty or anything embarrassing that might happen. The nurses have seen it all, and you WILL have at least three people staring at your crotch while you make ungodly noises.
4. Let them take the baby to the nursery for the first night. You need sleep and you'll have the rest of your life to deal with the nighttime wakings.
5. Have time with just your new little family before being inundated with visits.

Baby:

1. People like me can actually function on minimal sleep.
2. Baby clothes are sized with an unwritten "Up To" ... Months. My kids grew out of 3 month clothes at 3 months, their 6 month clothes at 6 months, etc. I've also known of 3-month-olds who wore 9 month clothes. Sleep and plays with zippers are awesome for the number of times you have to change a baby.
3. Crisco and Vaseline work just as well for diaper rashes, and are much cheaper alternatives.
4. Baby spit up or blowout on clothes? Wash, then leave out in the sun to dry. No more stain!
5. When putting a baby to bed, a consistent schedule, dark room and white noise worked for me.
6. There are few things better than laying on the couch with a baby sleeping on you.
7. ... But don't let them sleep in your bed at night. You'll never get them out.
8. Nursing's great if you can do it. I'm proud of my little ladies, which fed my kids exclusively for ~23 months total.
9. Hold off on offering fruit to your new solid-food-eater. Go through all the veggies first - you'll have a much better eater (until they turn 3 or 4, anyway).
10. It's so easy to make your own baby food. Steam, puree (immersion blenders are great), put in ice cube trays, freeze. Portion out as needed. I would make 2-3 batches on the weekend to feed the baby through the week. I didn't buy a single container of retail baby food, and I work full-time.
11. There is some wonderful voodoo in Baltic amber teething necklaces. Both of my kids wore light/yellow ones from about 10 months on (older one took it off after getting all his teeth) and they didn't experience any sleepless nights, major discomforts, etc.
12. A quality daycare is a blessing.
13. Start repeating this mantra immediately... "It's just a phase. It's just a phase".

Toddler:

1. It's all downhill after the first "No!"
2. Just because you haven't witnessed your kid doing something doesn't mean they can't do it. They are ninjas.
3. Standing back and watching your kid carefully lets them take calculated risks. Like Iris sliding down the stairs on her belly like it's a ride. She's a pro now, and we are comfortable letting her go up and down on her own.
4. I hope you enjoy the challenge of learning a second language. Because that's what it's like having a toddler learning how to talk.
5. At this age, they are cling-ons. When I'm home, Iris sticks to me like Velcro, which is frustrating when I want to get something done. But I know that all too soon, she won't want to snuggle with me anymore, like Felix.

Pre-Schooler:

1. Finding what challenges your child to do something is more effective than yelling, bribing, etc. Felix is competitive and will clean up his toys much faster if you race him.
2. That being said... I'M NOT YELLING! I'M MOTIVATIONAL-SPEAKING WITH INFLECTION! I try to not yell, but sometimes I just need to be heard when they've got selective hearing.
3. Give your kids a choice. They just want some control over their lives.
4. Sticker charts work... sometimes. Giving tokens with which they can purchase treats works.... sometimes. Taking things away works... sometimes.
5. 2-years-old though (TBD) is a challenging time. You just have to go with it and hope that tomorrow will be easier.
6. Even though your patience may be wearing thin, it's important to listen to your child's stories through to their completion. I'm truly hoping that listening respectfully to Felix will pay off when he does the same for us. Someday.
7. I'm glad I've done things to strengthen my connection with Felix, like flashing him an "I love you" hand sign when I leave him at daycare.

Me:

1. Parenting is hard work, especially when parenting styles or triggers differ. I think Nick is way harsh about some things, and I get myself into trouble by trying to step in when Nick's in the middle of what I think is an unnecessary lecture. I know that it doesn't send the right message to the kids, and I'm trying to get better about it.
2. I need time to myself. I can't be Mom all the time.
3. As much as I wanted to, I realize it wouldn't have been a good idea for me to stay home with the kids.
4. I've learned to let small things go, like little messes.
5. I've got a stronger stomach than I previously thought.
6. I need to get the kids to bed early to have some much-needed adult time.

Any advice you'd like to share? Add it to the comments!