Here’s a common scenario that many expectant parents have definitely experienced: relatives, friends, and even strangers giving an endless list of unsolicited advice regarding child rearing. This can range from having a birth plan to deciding what minky baby blanket to get. While they may all mean well, it’s truly difficult to figure out which bits of advice ring true. After all, no two pregnancies, birth, and babies – yes, even twins – are exactly the same. That’s why it’s easy for a lot of first-time parents to become victims of all these common parenting myths and misconceptions.
The great thing is that parents and their children can actually learn together. As your children grow, your parenting style can change as well depending on what you think is appropriate for their needs. Here are some of the most common myths about parenting, along with the truth behind them. Hopefully this will help you and your partner overcome the early stages of parenthood.
Myth # 1 – If your baby pulls on their ears, they have an ear infection.
A lot of us have learned from our parents and grandparents that a baby pulling on their ears is suffering from an ear infection. This, however, is simply false. When a baby does this, it’s usually only because they are checking out this new body part that they have not noticed before. Sometimes, it’s also because they have started teething. For the little ones, teething is similar to having a massive toothache that you can actually feel from your jawline all the way into your ears. Babies who are having multiple teeth come in on the same side of their cheek may experience this kind of pain. Therefore, it’s common for a lot of babies to pull on their ears when this happens because they think doing so will get rid of the pain. Before asking your doctors for some antibiotics, make sure there are other signs of ear infection.
Myth # 2 – If you hold your baby too much, you’ll end up spoiling them
This cannot be further from the truth. There’s no such thing as “holding a baby too much” when it comes to a newborn, especially if it’s during the earlier stages of their life. It’s important for parents to hold their newborns and respond to their cries as soon as possible, as this is a crucial part of their development. This simple gesture lets a baby know that they are loved and cherished by their parents. Spoiling them by doing this is simply not possible at all.
Myth # 3 – If you let your babies use walkers, it will help them become better at walking.
Although baby walkers may no longer be as popular, it’s still important for many parents to understand that these do not have any advantages to a child’s walking abilities. In fact, several studies have been conducted which showed that walkers actually may cause a delay in a baby’s learning progress. This is because many of them end up hanging onto their walkers longer instead of trying to walk on their own.
Final Thoughts
Having a baby is a scary yet exciting thing, and knowing how to navigate new parenthood can save you a lot of headaches in the future. We hope that these myths debunked will help you to make better decisions for your new child!