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@ Monumentus; That is excellent advice. I might also add that humans can learn an awful lot about parenting, just by watching those beings we think are inferior to us: animals.
Ellen
Yeah, maybe we should do like sheep and reject a twin.
I don't think that's what most of us parents are saying. We're just saying that non-parents don't get it. This isn't a thread about taking advice from Brittney Spears.
You assume non-parents don't "get it," but that doesn't mean that is true. I can assure you there are non-parents who "get it" more than some parents.
Thank you!!!! Since when just being a parent qualifies one to be a good parent? There are lots of parents that should have never had any children. A good parent exercises guidance, love, motivation, and common sense, in raising their children.
It takes good common sense, reading lots of books in child development strategies, and then putting them to good use. Some will work, and others will not. But, the key lies in good common sense, and by the way, I have two.
I did better as a parent when I finally chucked the book and went with the gut. Same with teaching. A coworker was just telling me the other day that if she's learned anything in her studies its that they can teach you all sorts of theories, but at the end of the day, you've got to learn it on the job. Same with parenting.
I'm a amazed at those who have kids and suddenly think highly of themselves and no one else's opinions or thoughts matters because of perceived lack of experience. That is the vibe I get from this thread. What about say those under 21 who have kids? Would you say they are more qualified to give advice than a 50 yr old childless person? Would you ask Britney Spears for parenting advice? Just because someone has kids means nothing.
"Perceived" lack of experience??
What does perception have to do with experience, either you have it or you don't.....
A childless 50 year old by definition has 'no experience' in parenting and is therefore not qualified to give parenting advice. It really is that simple. I don't care if that person has Phd in Childhood Development, if they haven't taken care of a sick child, taken kids on a plane, gone out to restaurants with their kids etc they don't have a clue what they are talking about.
And yes, for the record that 20 year old with kids knows more about parenting than that 50 year old childless person any day of the week...
What does perception have to do with experience, either you have it or you don't.....
A childless 50 year old by definition has 'no experience' in parenting and is therefore not qualified to give parenting advice. It really is that simple. I don't care if that person has Phd in Childhood Development, if they haven't taken care of a sick child, taken kids on a plane, gone out to restaurants with their kids etc they don't have a clue what they are talking about.
And yes, for the record that 20 year old with kids knows more about parenting than that 50 year old childless person any day of the week...
LOL... most hilarious post on the thread! Are people really that simple-minded? LOL
I have no kids (yet!) but have had a lifelong love of kids. I've read books, forums, blogs, watched programs on TV, babysat for all ages, been a camp counselor, and now am a nanny to my baby niece and am essentially a third parent. I'm more qualified than a lot of first time parents on a lot of childcare matters.
Now, spending a large amount of time with anyone, child or adult, is going to make you privy to nuances of their behavior that an outside observer is not. I can give general advice on childcare, but only a person who spends hours and hours in various environments with Suzy or Johnny is going to be able to tailor that advice to their specific needs.
Don't dismiss me because I haven't pushed a human out of my body.
That makes all the difference in the world! I have a good friend who is married and childless. When my kids were little, she was very intolerant of things kids do (including her sister's kids, not just mine) that are just kids being kids! I have a coworker who has two grown kids of her own, of similar ages. The younger one, female, had kids early, the older one, male, much later in life. My coworker tells me that her son used to complain about how poorly behaved his sister's kids were, until he had kids of his own. Now whether he gave her advice, I do not know.
As far as people's experience as kids with their parents, everyone has issues with how their own parents parented them. I think adults need to get over that. I'm not saying someone can't give some good advice at times, but I take that kind of stuff with a grain of salt.
This is exactly why I keep my unsolicited advice to myself...though it isn't always easy! As a single male with no kids, both are choices I'm happy with making. On more than one occasion, I've run into lost kids (usually very young) in stores who often times are crying as they have become separated from their parents. If I see a store clerk nearby, I will alert them of the child so an announcement can be made. I don't feel it is my place as a stranger to take the child's hand and walk them around to search for their parents. I feel that would cause a very negative reaction from the parents. What does a person do in that situation. Obviously, they would have no way to know I didn't have kids. Luckily, on both of these occasions, the parent(s) were either not too far away and were reunited quickly with their child or heard the announcement. And to respond to an earlier post, just because someone has no children, doesn't mean they don't have any common sense.
I don't think that's what most of us parents are saying. We're just saying that non-parents don't get it. This isn't a thread about taking advice from Brittney Spears.
But, she's a parent. My sister the druggie is also technically a parent. She would not be a good person to take ANY advice from, and I (despite not being a parent) do get being a parent more than she does. Everyone says so. Her daughter says so, family friends say so, family members say so. People are way more inclined to take advice from me than from my sister despite my not being a parent.
Yeah, maybe we should do like sheep and reject a twin.
I would assume that by "Learn from animals" the user did not mean "emulate them in every way".
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