Every day, it seems, another study comes out with a new way to parent our children. Guess what? This new method right here totally NAILS IT. I promise it'll work for your family.
Humor Parenting

The Best New Parenting Method

Every day, it seems, another study comes out with a new way to parent our children. Guess what? This new method right here totally NAILS IT. I promise it'll work for your family. [nextpage title=”Page 1″ ]

By Andrea Marlene of Bumblebird Blog

There are so many different opinions out there on the best way to raise your kids. Bottle feed or breastfeed? Sleep train or co-sleep? Public school or private school or home school? And just when you think you’ve chosen the best route to take, a new study is released and the experts all change their recommendations.

So what is a well-intentioned parent to do?

Relax! Because after years of research I have found the answer. And you can trust me because I’ve read a lot of parenting blogs. Also magazines and at least a book or two. And I have 3 kids of my own so there’s my personal experience, too. So all of this leaves me well-qualified to introduce you to the best new parenting method on the planet.

It’s called the Do Whatever Works Best For You or DWWBFY method. Anyone can learn it since there are only 3 prerequisites:

1. You must be in possession of at least some common sense. This method, unlike many others, requires that as a parent you think for yourself about the decisions that affect you, your child, and the rest of your family. Not sure what to do about your picky eater at supper time since the experts all have different approaches? Enter the DWWBFY method. You know your kid and you know what will happen at your dinner table if you do one thing or another. So pick what works best for you and go with it.

2. You must desire the best for your child. Most parents are simply doing the best they can. That’s why the mommy wars are complete nonsense. You work because you think it’s best for your child? Good for you. You stay home full-time because you think it’s best for your child? Good for you. If you have ever considered your actions and whether or not your child benefits from them in any way, then the DWWBFY method is perfect for you.

3. You must be willing to listen and learn from others who have your child’s best interests at heart, too. The DWWBFY method does require some adjustments occasionally. Maybe a teacher, family member, or friend has a concern about your child that never occurred to you. Or maybe you’ve recently read a great article that changes the way you think about something you’ve been doing (like how it’s supposed to be okay to give peanut butter to babies now but ten years ago the experts said not to.) Don’t ignore the fact that, as parents, none of us are perfect which means that we all have room for improvement.

If you are able to do these 3 things then congratulations! You are fully equipped to use this superior parenting method.

So,” you might ask, “in this method how much screen time can my kids have?” What works best for you? You’re a stay-at-home mom and you can only get a few moments of peace if you put a show on for the kids? Go ahead, ditch the guilt, and put a show on. You’ve read a lot of literature about the long-term effects of too much screen time on kids and you are an outdoorsy family anyway and so your kids don’t even miss TV? Fine, no screen time for your kids. DWWBFY.

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What about food?” you ask, “What should I feed my kids?” Organic or non-organic? Is gluten okay or not? How much sugar is too much? With this method, you do your research. Read the available info (if you have the time), talk to your kids’ doctors, think it over. And then? DWWBFY.

There’s only one more thing you need to know in order to make this method work for you and that is the counterpart strategy: the Don’t Do What Doesn’t Work For You method or DDWDWFY.

You let the kids stay up too late because they begged for it but now you can’t get them out of bed in the morning without a struggle and they are tired and cranky all day? Next time, put them to bed earlier. The later bedtime isn’t working for your family so out it goes.

You really wanted to nurse your baby but it’s too painful or you have to go back to work soon or your partner wants to be able to feed the baby sometimes, too? Go ahead and give that baby a bottle. DDWDWFY.

The best part of this method is that it leaves room for many different parenting practices and philosophies. It helps you realize that most other parents are just doing what works best for them, too. We’re all in this together, working it out, raising our kids the best way we know how. Which makes this by far the best method I’ve found for raising my kids and it will work out the best for you, your kids, and your family, too.

Unless someone releases a study next week that says I’m wrong.

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About Andrea Marlene

Andrea Marlene lives in Canada and is a wife and stay-at-home mother of three. She blogs about finding meaning in the mundane aspects of life at Bumblebird Blog and you can find her on Facebook.

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