Anonymous asked a question about feeding solid foods to a one month old infant. I wanted to say I hope this is a troll question then it dawned on me...... None of our children came out with an instruction manual. So what obvious thing did you learn as a new parent most already knew?

For me...... LOL! As a young mother I did not know you had to change a new born in the middle of the night. So my first born ended up with a horrible diaper rash and I certainly learned you DO have to change newborns through out the night! Lol! 😁

I learned that in the morning they are smelly, moody, noisy and very demanding.

Girls are harder to raise than boys. Not by a small margin either.

Girls are catty and melodramatic, boys are much less complicated.

I had no role models, so when I got pregnant I read every book I could. There weren't any surprises. However, the first day my hubby went back to work after staying home with my first born and I, I had a panic attack. My hubby was dressed in his uniform, with me wrapped around his legs, sobbing, saying, "Don't leave me alone with the baby!" I was afraid I'd break him.

I could write pages about my baby observations and love of babies. But in essence just like a husband and wife who take some time and eventually learn of each other's quirks and merge together so do babies and parents.

A little Caro syrup in a bottle of formula or milk will get a child UN-constipated . . . Rather quickly.

Mash up (or muddle) fresh peppermint leaves (or even a peppermint candy) and heat up in distilled water . . . Serve warm in a bottle to a baby with a colic tummy. It helps to settle the stomach. 

Frozen green beans are GREAT for a teething baby.

Lose the pacifier sooner then later . . . If left as a habit too long the soft upper pallet can form irregular and create a speech impediment as a young child. 

Ibuprofen works faster then acetaminophen to bring down a high fever . . . But you cannot use it as often and always use approved "Kids safe" version of both drugs.  Tepid bath works great as well.

Read to your children EVERY NIGHT, and don't be afraid to go off script and make up your own stories every now and then.

Have dinner together as a family EVERY NIGHT, food lowers many inhabitations to talk about whatever is on their mind . . . It is a perfect time to discuss POSITIVE things like family vacations, or what to make for Thanksgiving dinner this year . . . Focus on the positive so that it is an experience they look forward to.

DO NOT, over indulge on the hand sanitizers! Exposure to our environment trains the body to produce antibodies that will protect us through adulthood. 

Let your baby cry! As a parent YOU WILL learn the difference between a cry that is in distress versus an "Attention Cry" . . . Children need to learn to "Self Sooth" so that later on in life they do not need to rely on other things to calm them for bedtime.

Do NOT panic at every little thing or constantly hover over your child. This is the cause for many kids not learning to be self reliant, and there are certain things children need to be exposed to and explore to learn and gain their OWN wisdom. STOP STRESSING . . . Let things work themselves out . . . You need Life Lessons . . . Even if it is painful to watch.

Expose your child to MANY CULTURES . . . . While it is great to have family traditions, it is vastly important to observe and respect other traditions of children that interact with your kids. Explore some cultures (food, beliefs, traditions) on your own. This helps in a greater respect for a diverse world.

Try to get your children as close to "0" as you can with regards to  beliefs. Do not rewards to chastise a child for following YOUR beliefs, but rather; offer to experience many different belief systems as well as talk things out afterwards. Try to keep both positive and negative insight to everything experienced. The idea is to let your child decide what will be their beliefs . . . Even if they are not your beliefs.