How much are you influenced by other parents/other people...

[unmanaged]

How much are you influenced by other parents or people? I bring this up because I feel I am not influenced a lot by the decisions of other parents, psychologists, etc. I am not sure this is a good thing, but I tend to raise my children by the way I want them to live. I am not sure how fair this is to my children, especially since they talk to their friends, who have different privelages than they do. I am not that worried though . Anyway how much do you think you are effected by parental advice (even on this forum)?

 

[Kaytee]

Not very much. I was the only one that did a lot of major parenting things. I was the only in my family that exclusivly nursed, and then did extended on top of that,. I was only one to question vaccines, only one to even consider sleeping with my child in my bed though it is not most night.
Of course now, since I have these parenting philosophies, I now have friends that parent that way as well

 

[ntbuddy]

I used to just do my own thing but realizing for ME I need to communicate more with my spouse, Dana. I find that her knowledge FAR exceeds mine when it comes to parenting. I trust her opinion and input more and more each day. I feel it not only helps me become a better father but also helps us grow closer together as well. I also trust her father's advice but really not anyone else. My parents I surely don't as I see all the mistakes they made with me but at a minimum I learned from them the things I know I don't wish to happen.

 

[musicmom]

I also do my own thing. I went through the labor. They are mine mine mine!! I'll listen and have an open mind but it's what I think is best for them that I act on.

 

[twistertiger]

me and my wife both agree that our kids are just as important as we are and are not just possessions like lamps. we try to treat them as equals as much as we can but sometimes we must make decisions for them and lightly push them forwards.

 

[Teresa]

I am not influenced by other people, as a general rule. I have always had pretty set ideas about how I want to raise them, and while those ideas don't always mesh with the ideas of family and friends, they've worked well for us so far.

 

[fallon]

most people who know me in real life either want to hear more about the ways I do things and or they think I am totally crazy. Seems cloth diapers and other natural parenting things scare some of the older members of my family

 

[Kaytee]

lol, my mom(step mom really, but the "real" mom) thinks its soo cool that I cloth diaper and all the other "hippy" things. Excpet the nursing, she thinks its great but..... yk? Never said anything bad about nursing for 2 years or anything like that, not dirty looks, but you can just tell she thought it a bit odd.
She also thinks its cool that I very much research all the big things in my daughters life, vaccines, doing my own research when it cme to her GI problems (which appear to be gone now!!)

 

[fallon]

my mom loves everything I do also...she brags. My MIL makes fun of me behind my back and thinks I won't find out

 

[Kaytee]

lol oh well! Can't please everyone!

 

[twistertiger]

but you should try

 

[fallon]

but you should try

why? You'll kill yourself trying to make everyone happy 100% of the time

 

[ljmahr]

I take consider other important (in our family's lives) people's advice. It doesn't mean they influence my decision but I do at least take it in consdieration. Sometimes after thinking about things from a different perspective helps.