When you become a parent, you get a lot of parenting advice.

Once in a while, though, youre given advice thats actually good.

Advice that sits with you and calms you and guides you through the daily challenges of raising kids.

Survive and advance.

During newborn stage, my husbands favorite thing to say was Survive and advance.

Basically, take one day at a time.

Dont worry about anything out of your control.

Feed, change, sleep.

It was our mantra for our second.

And his favorite advice for other new parents.

Elizabeth D.

You dont have to love it.

This was a huge eye-opener for me.

Not every part of being pregnant/having an infant or kid is funin fact, most of it sucks.

Every stage has its crappy parts.

Britt S.

Your child isnt giving you a hard time.

Theyre having a hard time.

My child has always had big emotions.

This phrase helps me to refocus my attitude to How can I help him?

instead of OMG, hes driving me crazy.

Amykate C.

This is finite.

When youre exhausted, when youre in the middle of a meltdown, tell yourself This is finite.

Its going to end, so just take a deep breath and get through the moment.

Jenny M.

Pause.

Always pause before running to help.

Clovis S.

Take whatever parenting plan you have and throw it out the window.

I dont remember who said it to me, but now I say to everyone who has their first.

Things will change almost immediately.

Eric F.

Parenting doesnt matter as much as we think.

Instead, I can focus on the questions: Is Drew the best Drew he can be?

Julie C.

Transitions are hard.

I had a caregiver who used to say transitions are hard and its become my life and parenting mantra.

Robin R.

Give your kids your undivided attentionor no attention at all.

I struggled with this the first few weeks, feeling like all I was was a mom now.

Dont get me wrongIlovebeing a mom to my son.

But I also love being a wife, friend, daughter, mentor, entrepreneur, etc.

Dont lose yourself in the motherhood journey.

The same applies to dads.

Christine R.

Kids are just little people.

I know my toddlers arent always rational.