60 Parenting Advice Gems from Experts & Other Parents Like You

Sometimes, there’s just that one piece of advice that becomes *that” gamechanger for you. We asked our readers for their top parenting tip. Here’s our favs.

Every parent has an area where they shine, and we all have experiences we can share with each other. In the quotes below, parents of all types of families, of all sizes and ages, share their best advice. Which do you connect with?

First, the experts:

“90% of parenting is working on yourself.” –Rabbi Shais Taub

“Yelling at a child who is being disrespectful is a case of trying to cure rudeness with rudeness. Show your child how one handles insults and injury; when she is being rude to you, correct her firmly but respectfully.” –Sara Chana Radcliffe

‘When I see something in my child that bothers me, I should look inside myself and see what I need to improve in that area…for example, instead of admonishing a child for lying, I should see where in my life I could be more truthful. Every action a child does is a subtle message from Hashem for the parents. I’ve seen time and again that when I take that step towards self improvement–when I pay attention to the divine message–miracles happen in regards to my child’s behavior.” –Shiffy Friedman

You have pretty great advice too:

“Our children are so lucky! Don’t forget to give yourself a hug for the love and care you invest in your kids.”

“When you’re upset, name the emotion and talk to yourself, sharing how you’ll calm down so your kids can learn.”

“Love, send them out in the morning with a good feeling. Even if you’re not feeling it. Metoch lo lishmah ba lishmah.”

“Don’t compare yourself to anyone else.”

“Get cleaning help!”

“Never argue with your child, you will always lose. Use the ‘hit and run’ method. Say what you need to say and walk away. Don’t leave room for discussion.”

“Accept your kids for who they are…not for who you want them to become. They need your presence and full heart more than anything else in the world.”

“Other people will always have advice and opinions. Follow your motherly intuition.”

“Say ‘I love you’ to your kids and then say it again and again! They can never hear it enough.”

“Teach them to accept a no with love. I’ll help them understand when sometimes Hashem says no.”

“If it isn’t unsafe or goes against halachah or hashkafah, say yes!”

“The goal is not obedience. The goal is the relationship.”

“Be patient and give your child unconditional love.”

“Hug and kiss your kids every day!”

“Stop doing the dishes and hug your children. The dishes can wait. Heard from a mom who died.”

“Listen!”

“Tehillim.”

“Empathy.”

“Hide when you’re angry.”

“Treat them the way you’d want to be treated. Put yourself in their shoes.”

“Build a relationship with your child because that child will turn into an adult.”

“Pick your battles. Sometimes that thing just isn’t important enough to make a big deal over.”

“Get off your phone when you’re with your kids!”

“It’s not a competition. Do what works best for you and your family.”

“Being a good parent is about controlling yourself, not about controlling the kids.”

“The way you speak to your children becomes their inner voice.”

“Talk to your kids even if you’re not sure they’re listening. They are! Someday they’ll remember.”

“Have fun with your kids. You can sometimes forget that when you’re dealing with daily stuff.”

“Everything is just a phase and you’ll get through it.”

“Go with the flow. Nothing is worth stressing over because stress spills over to your child.”

“Make sure to give each child five minutes of love each day. Hold them, listen to them, be proud of them.”

“Love your child unconditionally.”

“The best gift you can give your child is the ability to ensure discomfort.”

“Cut out the mommy guilt. When you are with your kids, be there 150%.”

“When your children start a new school, make sure you won’t be the ‘No” mom.”

“In a situation, no chinuch is better than bad chinuch. Think before reacting.”

“If you don’t believe in your children, who will? Have confidence in them and you’re ability to guide them.”

“Be extremely positive towards your kids.”

“90% of being a good parent is just showing up. If all you can do today is show up, do that.”

“10 minutes a day of private time with each child. It’s a magic button for so many issues.”

“She’s not giving you a hard time. She’s having a hard time.”

“Do not take it personally. Your children’s flaw do not represent you.”

“Do your best. Regardless, your child’s future spouse will kvetch about the way they were raised.”

“If you say no, make sure you stick to it!”

“Kids won’t always remember what you told them, but they will remember how they felt when you said it.”

“Be consistent with bedtime from the very beginning. You can’t start at age 10 and expect it to be easy.”

“Pray for your children. Prayer is a shield. Give them that protection.”

“Don’t correct, connect!”

“If you show your child you are their priority, they are sure to succeed.”

“A child is like a construction site–he is not supposed to be perfect. He is a work in progress.”

“Respect them. In turn, they’ll be able to respect you.”

“‘Use ‘Yes’ parenting as it isn’t harmful. We say no way too often. Kids are curious, let them explore. Yes, you can take a bath in a bathing suit. Yes, you can try chocolate milk…”

“You don’t need to see everything. Sometimes, just pretend you didn’t see.”

“Don’t force a picky eater to eat. She won’t starve herself. Just offer healthy food often.”

“Work on your relationship with your children because after all, they will be everything you have.”

“Really listen when your kids talk to you.”

“Live in the moment and be present.”

Share your advice in the comments below!