I just have a little bit of unsolicited advice for you...

I'm guilty of it to some extent. You're probably guilty of it too. Our families, church folk, teachers, friends, and Lord knows the ladies at the grocery store are guilty of it too. Everyone means well, but can we just stop and think about the load of crap parenting advice that we dole out? It starts the moment you announce your pregnancy and ends...well, probably never.

• If you find out the sex of the baby you'll be able to plan, prepare any older siblings, and it's still a surprise no matter what!
• There's nothing like that moment when you've given birth and the doctor or your partner announces the sex! Don't find out! (Side note: Totally guilty of this advice. There really isn't anything like that moment!!)
• Get the 1st tri screening done. It will help prepare you emotionally if there's something wrong, and if not, then you'll be able to relax some.
• Are you going to terminate the pregnancy if something's wrong? Then what's the point? Don't get it done.
• Oh, something might be wrong? Those things have false negatives all the time.
• Oh, something might be wrong? You probably shouldn't have gotten the test.
• Oh, something might be wrong? Aren't you glad you know now?
• Sleep on your left side.
• No, your right side.
• Treat yourself! You're only pregnant once. Eat all the chocolate!
• There's caffeine in chocolate. Remember, only 300 extra calories a day!
• A little bit of caffeine is ok. 
• You drank a latte? My sister's cousin's friend drank a latte once and her baby has a lot of developmental delays.
• You're so much safer under an OB and hospital's care. Do you want to live with the guilt the rest of your life if something horrible happens in a home or birth center birth?
• You're pretty much guaranteed a C-section if you don't use midwives or have a natural birth.
• Make your birth plan!
• Remember to be flexible. There's no such thing as planning a birth.
• An epidural will help your body relax and dilate.
• An epidural could stall your labor and result in a C-section.
• Remember, breast is best! It's healthier, you bond with your baby, it's inexpensive, and natural.
• Formula was made for a reason. A stressed out mother can't bond with her baby.
• Sleep when the baby sleeps.
• Do the dishes, laundry, socialize, eat and relax when the baby sleeps.
• I'll hold the baby while they cry, so you can squirm and wish everyone would go away so you can just try and get the baby to latch without an audience.
• Nurse whenever, wherever you want! Breastfeeding is natural and you shouldn't have to hide!
• Unless of course the baby is more than 4.35 days old, a boy, or you're around anyone other than your spouse.
• Wear your baby! It helps with bonding and you'll have two hands!
• How come you never set that baby down?
• The baby should sleep in their own room so they get used to it.
• The baby should sleep next to mom so as to closest imitate the womb.
• Co-sleeping done safely is safer than crib sleeping.
• If you co-sleep you're basically an attempted murderer.
• Babies sleep better on their bellies.
• But don't you dare put that baby on their belly, because hello SIDS risk.
• If you don't sleep train the baby they'll never learn to fall asleep on their own.
• But don't sleep train til six months.
• Or a year.
• If you let the baby cry it out they won't bond to you and will grow up to be a serial killer.
• If you don't let the baby cry you'll never sleep through the night again.
• Use a pacifier so your nipples can get a break.
• Don't use a pacifier because they won't learn a proper latch or will have nipple confusion.
• Wean from the pacifier at ___.
• Kids in France take pacifiers to kindergarten, your kids are fine.
• Don't start solids til ___.
• Feed that baby, they're hungry!
• But only organic, homemade food.
• Yes, that includes the banana your toddler stepped on.
• You survived the first year! Throw a huge bash!
• Why are adults and alcohol at your child's first birthday party?
• If you start now with the big parties they'll expect them forever ( I have found this to be true. And I don't even care.)
• You should get your child's ears pierced so we can tell she's a girl (Yes, just like everything else on here, someone actually said this to me.)
• You shouldn't get them pierced til she's old enough to make the decision herself.
• Unless that's between the ages of 2-4 because they're pretty much demonic then. 
• Raise your child in the church and they'll never stray.
• Let your child pick their own religion or lack thereof.
• When disciplining, make sure to give guidance, direction, choices and space to figure it out.
• But if you do that then your child will have no respect for you and will probably kill you in your sleep in 10 years.
• Let them pick our their own clothes so as to build their independence and confidence.
• Why did you let your kid wear a parka to the August outdoor birthday party?
• Set clear limits.
• But make sure to be there for them emotionally 24/7.
• Kids deserve to have a parent at home with them.
• But remember, all kids but girls especially, need a positive female role model who works outside the home. Otherwise, how could they possibly know they could be anything other than a yoga pants wearing SAHM?
• Enroll them in lots of extracurricular activities and you'll have a well rounded child!
• Why are you never home?
• Play with them. That's how they learn and you bond.
• Independent play is the most important part of a childhood.
• Children need two devoted, married and madly in love parents.
• But really they just need happy parents.
• But there are exceptions to that.
• As long as they have two devoted to THEM parents, married or divorced, they'll be ok.
• But remember those kids whose parents divorced and they were ruined by it.
• They'll be bored and act out if you keep them back a year in school.
• They'll be too emotionally immature if you send a young summer birthday child to kindergarten.
• A pet makes a home and teaches responsibility.
• And takes away attention from the kids you're already struggling to keep up with.
• Take care of yourself so you can take care of them.
• I know this one mom who is always going out with her girlfriends and has taken three trips without her kids! Can you believe it? Those poor kids probably feel so abandoned.
• You should have more children. Kids need at least one sibling.
• Why are they having another?! They can't take care of the kid(s) they have!
• Follow through with consequences.
• But don't be too strict or they'll be scared to come to you.
• If you're too strict with food, they'll overeat.
• If you're too strict with food, they'll starve themselves.
• Feed them when they're hungry.
• Unless its 3am, right before/after dinner, or all they want to eat is fruit snacks.
• But they're eating, so fruit snacks are ok!
• Don't bribe with food.
• Unless it's REALLY important.
• They hit a kid at school? You know, in my day, we spanked and they kids never did that again...
• They hit a kid at school? Who cares? That's normal.
• Listen to every small story, otherwise the kids will never come to you when it's a big issue.
• Tell them "Because I said so" every once in awhile.
• Enjoy every moment! It goes so fast!
• Those days were HARD. I remember. The sleepless nights seem to never end.
• Cloth diapering is good for the baby's skin and the environment.
• Why do you put more work on yourself? You know they have disposable diapers!
• Show them a variety of cultures and travel as much as you can.
• But don't take them out of school for it.
• They're only young once, take them to Disney World for crying out loud!
• But why didn't you visit the grandparents?
• Santa is a part of the magic of Christmas. 
• But if you do Santa they'll forget the real meaning of Christmas.
• Never lie to your kids.
• Unless it's for their own good.
• They're still in diapers? Aren't you worried they'll never be potty trained?!
• Wait until the child is 100% ready to be potty trained.
• Which could change by the minute. Be prepared for that, too.
• It's good for your kids to see you exercise/excel in school/go on dates/volunteer/work.
• Why do you always leave them in daycare?

And I could go on...but the parenting advice or principals I've taken to heart? I can narrow down to the following seven things.

1) Pick a couple of things that you'll be super strict on, something that's a safety concern or completely socially unacceptable (pulling hair from someone's scalp, for example...not that I know a 4 year old whose specialty used to be this or anything...) Let everything else go.

2) Do no harm.

3) Apologize if you inadvertently do.

4) It's about balance.

5) Lots of love and some boundaries.

6) Pretty much everything is a phase.

7) You can't control the behavior, but you can control your reaction to it.