Parents Share the Worst Parenting Advice They've Ever Received

As moms, we often look for the wisdom of other parents to help us on our child-rearing journeys. Raising kids is not for the faint of heart, and we often welcome tricks and tips from seasoned professionals. A lot of what these moms and dads have to say is great and welcome advice that we can put into practice immediately, and we are happy to have it.

Of course, some of it is totally ridiculous and leaves us absolutely stunned. A recent thread in the Reddit Parenting forum asked for the worst parenting advice, and the comments section did not disappoint. Some of this will have you positively shaking your head.

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The advice starts rolling in when you're pregnant.

The second people find out you are pregnant, they have something to say. Sometimes, strangers just want to get their two cents in, like this person.

"During pregnancy I was told not to lift my arms above my head (by a stranger at Target). She said baby would get tangled in the umbilical cord," the woman wrote. "Same woman was also horrified I was wearing flip flops. Not only is it a tripping hazard (fair), but 'your feet are so fat you'll break the shoes and step on a rusty nail – hopefully you've had a tetanus shot.'"

Or maybe your mom has something crazy to say.

"I was obsessed with cold drinks when I was pregnant and my mom told me my baby would get cold if I drink cold drinks LOL," another comment reads.

Don't forget granny.

"Technically not advice I was given but this was what they told my grandmother when she was pregnant 'start smoking. It will help with the morning sickness,'" someone else commented.

And then there are mothers-in-law.

These poor parents had to deal with the stress of babies and their MIL.

One wrote, "If the baby starts grabbing something with their left hand, move it closer to their right hand and keep encouraging them to use their right hand. This way you can train them to be right handed instead of left handed, and life will be easier for them. A gem from my MIL."

And there was this strange bit of advice: "Make sure you put shoes on the baby earlier so that their feet don't get too big. This was a genuine concern for my MIL as she didn't want babe to struggle finding shoes when older."

Talk to moms about mom stuff. And make money doing it.

This person had a whole panel of experts to help.

The advice came from several family members.

First, there was some parental wisdom: "My dad: since you'll be having so much free time at home, you really should be packing a decent work lunch for your husband. He'll be really tired, hearing you get up for your baby in the night!"

Then she had her aunt. "My aunt: make sure you go to a little extra effort with make up in the morning. You'll be looking run down for at least two months after giving birth and you don't want your husband's eye to wander," she continued.

And, of course, those grannies and gramps are always good for a laugh.

"My elderly family friend: don't waste so much money on those reuseable nappies. Just cut a few of your husband's old work shirts down to shape and get some safety pins! (For the record, I love our nappies, the snaps are far safer than using a safety pin anywhere near our rolling baby!! Plus, my husband wears clothes until they are threadbare so that would be literally useless!!)" the comment continued.

Some people think babies and booze mix.

Sure, we've heard these things before, but they always seem a tad sketchy.

No one likes a crabby baby, and several people think giving the baby a bit of the hard stuff might help.

"Rub (alcoholic beverage) on their gums when they're teething seems to be a common one. Cause being drunk is totally going to make the kid forget he's in pain," one person wrote.

This person heard the same advice. "Everything from put wild turkey on their gums for teething to my grandma saying her kids were walking, talking, and potty trained by 19 months. I still get a kick out of remembering her losing a battle of wills to my then 2 year old," the parent commented.

Some of the advice was just totally off the wall.

This person had someone concerned about the baby getting too bored: "Let them watch tv bcuz the NEWBORN baby will be bored ... I said yeah he's watching Lucifer then we're gonna move on to Shameless 🫣🥰 😂."

This woman's mom is from a much different time and said, "You can't ask your husband to help with the baby when he gets home from work, is what my mother told me lol. She also said you aren't 'a real mom' until you have more than one kid."

And this is just, well, something: "Maybe not worst, but weirdest. My MIL couldn't get her head around me serving a sandwich and grapes on the same plate for my daughter's lunch. 'Fruit really should be either a starter or dessert shouldn't it?' 🤔" she wrote. "I just told her 'well I'm letting her decide – today she wants it as her starter!' The next day I did the same and she saved her fruit until last – 'I guess she wanted her fruit as dessert today.'"

We're sure it was all well-intended, but some of these people probably should have just stuck with a smile and nod and moved along.