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What’s The Very Best Parenting Advice You Ever Received?

Sometimes, as a parent, you will hear some words of wisdom or advice about parenting that will really make an impression on you and may even affect the way you parent your children for years to come. We asked a variety of North Shore parents, grandparents and teachers about the very best parenting advice that they ever received. Here are their answers:

• "My mother-in-law once told me that it was too bad that you couldn’t have the second child first. When I had my second child, I learned what she meant. While I still read parenting books and lis- tened to my pediatrician and other experts, I also learned to trust my own instincts and my own ability to know what’s right for my child." - Mother of boys now 11 and 13

• "When trying to get my child’s attention or change her behavior, nothing is more powerful or effective than a hug." - Mother of children now 3 and 5

• "Children are amazingly resilient! You’ve got to do an awful lot of wrong things for a long time to really have a lasting bad effect." - Mother of children now 17 and 22

• "In getting newborns dressed: bend the clothes, not the child." - Mother of four adult children, grandmother of many

• "Try to always be consistent, especially when setting limits. Children do best when they know what to expect and what is expected of them." - Mother of children now 9, 7, 4 ,1

• "If you have more than one child, be sure that you talk to each child at that child’s level." - Mother of children now 14, 8 and 5

• "They are only little once. Enjoy your time with them. Realize that it is time that your don’t get again after it passes, so cherish it all, including the ups and downs." - Mother of girls 11, 9 and 6

• I actually learned this from my daughter when she was 10. Listen to your child. Don’t interrupt when she is talking and says something that you don’t agree with. You can let her know that you don’t agree, but try to tell her without being judgmental or critical. Let her know that you are trying to understand her feelings."- Mother of girls now 13 and 9

• "Serve vanilla iced cupcakes at a child’s first birthday party (and photo opportunity). Chocolate is impossible to clean up and it’s fun to watch them make a mess of themselves." - Mother of children now 6, 5 and 1

• "What you do now will have an impact 100 years from now. Your job is important!" - Grandmother of six

• "Try to make the environment in your home comfortable for your children and their friends. If your kids and their friends hang out at your house, you’ll know where they are and that they’re in a safe place. You’ll also be able to get to know their friends, which becomes harder and harder as the kids get older." - Father of three teenagers

• "Listen to your children. Don’t jump to conclusions before they have a chance to explain their side of a situation or point of view." - Preschool teacher and mother of four adult children

• "Don’t worry if your house is messy or your laundry needs to be done. Take time to enjoy your children. They grow up very quickly." - Mother of children now 17 and 14

• "Read or tell stories to your children every day." - Mother of three teenagers

• "Pick your battles. You can’t argue, nag or fight with your children over every little thing. Decide what is most important to you. Give your kids some leeway on other matters. You may decide to let go of insisting that your children have neat bedrooms or that they dress in a certain way in favor of issues that are more important to you, such as schoolwork or treating siblings with respect." - Early childhood professional and mother of four adult children

• "Children should not always be protected from disappointments. They need to learn to cope when things don’t go their way and it’s better to learn this at a younger age, rather than as teenagers or adults." - Mother of 14-year-old twins

• "Spend about 15 minutes each day alone with each child." - Mother of girls 11, 8 and 5

• "And this too shall pass...." - Grandmother of 13