This giveaway is now closed.
The last giveaway for today is from Go Mama Go Designs, creators of the unique Wonder Bumpers, the latest smart solution for crib bumpers.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly discourages the use of traditional bumper pads. The AAP, along with First Candle SIDS Alliance and Health Canada recommend the removal of the traditional bumper pad as soon as your baby moves about the crib, a milestone that occurs between 4 and 8 months. Thus, the shelf-life of an expensive bumper is quite short-lived and parents are left with inadequate options, cold hard crib rails or a soft, unsafe bumper.
Wonder Bumpers‘ vertical padding, which tightly wraps around each individual crib rail, provides a solution to this long-standing issue. Their shape reflects the vertical design of a crib and enhances the safety features already built into it.
These covers individually zip around each crib rail, providing both padding and airflow. They’re easy to put on, and the fabric is so soft. My 17-month-old son loves playing with these things after he wakes up from his nap! The pattern is reversible, so you can create any sort of design on the crib.
Go Mama Go wants to give one Simple Mom reader a set of their choice of Wonder Bumpers!
To win, here’s how to enter:
Leave a comment at this post, answering the following question: What is the strangest piece of child rearing advice you’ve ever heard?
The giveaway is open to anyone worldwide, and it lasts until this Saturday, May 30.
I hope you win! Check back in a few hours for another giveaway.
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I’m sure I’ve gotten some bizarre advice, but one comment stood out from when I was pregnant. My MIL, who has 3 children (the youngest being 25 years old at the time), tried to tell me that giving birth (w/out an epidural) DID NOT HURT. I was very pregnant, very hormonal and told her that I think that in 25 years, she might have forgotten!!!
Strangest piece of advice I ever got was that tossing the baby up and down would help them become a confident grown-up. No wonder I divorced that idiot. LOL
To use duck-tape to keep a baby swaddled when they start to break-out earlier than they should! Obviously, not advice that I followed…
I’ve always been told by my mom to never tickle a baby’s feet.
The strangest advice I ever received was from a friend who was listening to me talk about my 10 mo. old’s frustrating sleeping patterns. He said I should just stick to my baby’s schedule instead of trying to change it… i.e. start staying up at night and sleeping during the day!
No thank you!
Kathryn´s last blog post…friends
strangest advice-that disciplining your children is not loving them
I can’t think of a good one because I seem to close my ears when I hear them coming!
Sarah´s last blog post…Last day of Pre-school
I was told when I was pregnant that if my baby kicked at night she wouldn’t sleep at night either. The lady went on to tell me that I had to to take baths at night to get the baby (in my tummy) to learn to fall asleep at night???? Weird huh?
To constantly hold or “wear” the baby whenever he cries. I’m not against babywearing at all but also believe in letting a baby learn to self-soothe.
To feed my baby any time he was hungry. Even if it was 30 min later. I did that with my first child and then wised up and got some sleep with my second.
My sanity was saved.
Steph @ Dirt Won’t Hurt´s last blog post…180 Band
I suppose it’s not exactly advice but someone recently told me that I needn’t be too concerned about my children’s nap schedules, that the only sleep that matters is at night.
I actually read in a book that if you watch scary movies or read scary books while you’re pregnant, you will pass on that anxiety to your newborn baby. ???
I have a friend whose in-laws are Indian, and they have many jewels of advice… one of my favorites is that you must rub the baby’s nose every day so that it will point right. ???
Let me first start by saying I would love these. I am pregnant with my 3rd baby, and these are beautiful and so perfect! I have never used a bumper, for the reasons stated in the giveaway. This is my shameless plug to have something new for baby 3.
As far as bad advice, I guess I did not hear too much. I do love how little old ladies always think your babies feet are cold. Outside in July, I am certain my infant was fine without socks. But, little old ladies are too cute to call bad advice.
I did hear the whiskey/rum thing for teething babies. Must be an old trick??
Sarah W.´s last blog post…I’m Kickin’ Butt and Taking Names
I don’t think I’ve ever been given bad advice, unless I just tune it out. Most of the advice I get works… or else I’ve figured it out on my own!
Andrea´s last blog post…nodding off
While I was giving a bottle to my daughter, she burped (shocker) and my brother exclaimed (in his Southern accent), “Tip ‘er back….That way it won’t get all over ya.”
I prefer to use a burp cloth =)
It wasn’t really child rearing advice, but crazy advice non-the-less…my MIL tried to get me to change my daughters 3-4 times at her family reunion…in fancy “country club dresses” (her words not mine). Crazy because it was August in VA…HOT, HUMID and the girls were covered in DIRT! Didn’t happen and I laughed at her…
Oh, these are brilliant. Hmm tough question. Don’t cut their hair before their first birthday–that was weird.
Aimee´s last blog post…Celebrating 10 Years in Québec
I have heard about rubbing alcohol on their gums while teething. I think the worst thing that I heard was from my mom. When I was teething the ped suggsested rubbing a file on my gums so the tooth could come in. YUCK!
Those bumpers are gorgeous. Our traditional bumper doesn’t stay on very well. These look awesome!
What a cute and smart solution to the bumper issue! I haven’t used my original, traditional one since my first baby, and now that #4 is on the way, these would be perfect!
As far as weird advice, I’m not sure I have any that falls into that category. But recently someone told me a doctor had recommended to them: “Child’s having trouble sleeping? Put them in bed with you (the parent). ” I know some people swear by co-sleeping, but I am not buying it as the solution to all sleep problems!
The strangest advice I received was for a baby dealing with terrible gas. She told me to take a Q-Tip, put Vaseline on it and stick it up my son’s butt. She said if you use a circular motion the excess gas will be released. I never tried it!!
Weird advice… when your child is congested to put vicks on the bottom of their feet then put socks on them. Don’t know if it really works or not
Definitely if my daughter wasn’t sitting up by 6 months that she was going to be a slow reader…riiight.
What horrible advice some of these things are! They are too funny. Mine wasn’t about child rearing exactly. They told me that for a month after giving birth, I shouldn’t brush my teeth or wash my hands because it would make me cold–which would make me sick. Can you imagine!?
Oh and that having a dog in the same house was bad for the baby. They thought I should get rid of our dog before I got pregnant because if I had one I would miscarry. (She came on her due date.)
To wake up my newborn to feed them in the middle of the night. I will never make that mistake again. This bumper idea is awesome.
don’t tell your child no….ever. it is scary to think about a kid growing up who has never heard the word no!
i would love to win this great contest!
What a wonderful solution to a problem. Not sure what would be the craziest parenting advice. But I do remember at our family reunion when my daughter was about 4 months old I was told by a cousin that it sounded like my daughter was hungry. Now let me explain …My MIL was rocking her to sleep and she was throwing a fit ( my daughter fights sleep to this very day) and I had just got done feeding her so I knew that she wasn’t hungry(first time mom too). But she felt as though her not just going to sleep and carrying on was because she was still hungry, not because she was tired but didn’t want to give in.
lol, reading these comments is hilarious. I had a friend who insisted that my baby’s face be covered by a blanket AT ALL TIMES whenever we were outside (warm weather). Apparently, the baby could swallow the wind and become colicky…hmm…
I can’t think of anything because my child isn’t born yet but I am sure that there is plenty to come!
The strangest/oddest/ advice I received was from an older woman at a playground. She said my son was too loud and I should either smack him in his mouth or put soap an pepper on his tongue every time he spoke too loud and that would break him of it. She said “I’m from the era that believes children should be seen and not heard “! I just couldn’t believe she actually said that out loud! He wasn’t even being that loud. UGG
don’t spoil your baby by holding them too much
The strangest advice would probably have to be a random stranger who approached me while I was changing sous chef #2 and proceeded to tell me that I should think about potty training. She was 6 months old.
I would love this.
Amy´s last blog post…BB: Outrageous Brownies
I think the most wacky thing I heard was to put wine on a swap and rub on the gum when your baby is teething. Never tried it but I heard to works.
I was once told that I should let my 6 month old daughter chew on meat (raw might have been suggested, I don’t remember) because that was great for teething babies.
One of the nurses in the hospital refused to change a nasty diaper our daughter had telling my husband that he had to learn to change them sometime. The crazy thing was that this was our third day in the hospital and hubby had already changed several dirty diapers – this one was extra bad and hubby has a hard time with poo anyway and the nurses were supposed to change the diapers if we asked… I’d had a C-Section and had just laid back down after being up for awhile when the diaper happened – that nurse stood there and made him change the diaper, it was weird and irritating too!
Blessed´s last blog post…Sprinkles
If your baby is crying a lot, turn on the vacuum cleaner. The thing is, our first baby had colic and every time we turned the vacuum on, he would stop crying.
Weirdest piece of advice is to keep my baby from getting wet outside the house because they could get sick and die
Hmmm…This is a hard one because I haven’t gotten any REALLY strange advice. One interesting piece of advice was given to me while potty-training my son. Put blue food coloring in the toilet, so he can make the water turn green. Or put cheerios in the toilet to help him aim.
A woman at my first baby shower told me to let my baby sleep outside on the porch in the winter time….I’m not convinced, but the baby isn’t here yet so maybe I’ll change my mind if he gets too crabby
The strangest piece of advice I’ve heard so far was to avoid using sarcasm with my child (I’m only 22 weeks pregnant now, so I’m sure I’ll hear much stranger soon!) I’d like my child to have a little bit of spunk and sarcasm, thank you very much!
I can think of lots of crazy pregnancy advice…
Not to discipline a kid under the age of two, because they don’t really understand right from wrong.
Hmmm…I’m pretty sure when my first daughter was 8mo old, crawling toward the fireplace, turned around to look at me and grin before reaching out to touch it…she knew she shouldn’t do it.
I don’t know if I have gotten any advice stranger than what has already been said. I guess today someone said that maybe they should let their child fall off the slide so they know what will happen. Might work but probably not a good idea!
I read lots of “interesting” advice when my son had bad reflux, but we were so exhausted that I don’t remember much. The favorite/strangest advice was from a male co-worker who already had kids:
“On roadtrips, keep scissors in your diaper bag. Sometimes you just have to cut the clothes off.” Hillarious to hear the situations that lead them to that rule.
A lady at the grocery store told me when my daughter throws a tantrum just get down on the floor and start kicking and screaming like her and she will never do it again. Somehow I don’t believe that at an age where they mimic every little thing that you do they somehow will never throw a tantrum again if you mimic them.
These sound so neat. I love all the new products I have learned about this week. I am going to have to save up some money.
When my son has a cold, put Vicks Menthol Rub in the microwave and let him inhale that. Bad on so many levels!
To use breast milk for pink eye… it works, my three kids got it ranging in ages 4, 2, and 5 months it cleared it out within 24 hours!!! Amazing what our Heavenly Father has given us women to care for our babies:) Also it is supposed to work for skin problems and many other things!
A neighbor lady told me that now that I’m about to potty train my 2-year old daughter, what helped her with her grand-daughter who refused to be potty trained and insisted to do it outside in her underwear was the time she spanked her so hard, she never did it again…
While pregnant, another neighbor asked me if I was moving out of our home, to which I asked the reason, she told me that I lived in a second floor and I would definitely miscarriage if I climbed the stairs.
Nothing too strange comes to mind. Just things that never made much sense to me, like waking a sleeping baby to feed it. If the baby is not having eating and weight issues, don’t wake it!
That if you let your kid cry himself to sleep he will have a heart attack…
I had a friend tell me the other day that she thinks it is better to leave a child’s food whole, and they will choke LESS on their food…like hot dogs, carrots….ummmm. I think her kids are just good at biting their food. That wouldn’t work so well in our house.
These crib bumpers look awesome. I’d love to have this!
I was told that holding my newborn too much would spoil them…please, at least when they were that small I could catch them! Now I hardly get any hugs because it’s hard to catch the little booger!!
The strangest piece of advice we’ve gotten (so far anyway – I mean, she is only 2 1/2 mos old) was to a.) not give our daughter water, and b.) give her Karo syrup to help her digestive system. Both of these pieces of advice came from her pediatricians and we followed them, but it just sounded strange at the time.
strangest advice – prepping for breastfeeding by torturing the girls. no thanks!! i have a new baby coming in november, i SO need these bumpers!!
angie´s last blog post…Happy Mother’s Day!
My cousin once told me not to worry if i dropped the baby on its head as hers had rolled off the bed onto his head a few times and was really good at school.
That has to be one of the weirdest comments i got while i was pregnant.
I was told that if you give a child frequent haircuts starting at 1 year of age their hair will end up much thicker than if you just let it grow. It sounds odd to me that somehow cutting the hair will make more hairs grow from the head…
I live in Eastern Europe, and I’m pregnant with my first child. The strangest advice I’ve been given is to satisfy all my food cravings as soon as possible… because if I don’t, I may accidentally touch a part of my body and the baby will come out with a birthmark in that spot with the shape of whatever food I had craved.
That holding or cuddling a newborn too much will spoil them.
nellbe´s last blog post…When I grow up
I have to be honest that I never really recevied any strange advice!
Those look really cool. That would work great in my mini-crib, instead of having to alter a regular bumper. The weirdest advice I found was that a newborn baby’s diaper needs to be changed every hour. I am not sure when the baby or the mother is supposed to sleep with a schedule like that.
At my baby shower for my first child, the lady doing the devotion greatly challenged me to not read my children anything like Bambi or Charlotte’s Web that teach about death and lead to sad feelings. Now six years later we’ve read Charlotte’s Web atleast 5-6 times. And Bambi. And watched the movies. =P
The strangest advice came from my doctor who was concerned that my son wasn’t gaining enough weight – and recommended rice cereal – which is much lower in calories than milk. That was weird.
Jenny Muth´s last blog post…photopalooza
When someone told me my one month old was “manipulative” and that I needed to make sure she didn’t “take advantage of me.” Hmmmm…. really?
I’ve never seen bumpers like this on a crib before… so smart.
No one in my family had really breastfed, so that was not really encouraged, but I did it anyway!
I am laughing my head off reading the comments.
I read that if your 3-year-old isn’t toilet trained, just hose him off after a #2 and he will be trained in a week.
I am getting all sorts of weird advice – you MUST buy a bottle warmer, then the next one says don’t waste your money buying a bottle warmer, with virtually every darn thing.
And I’m having twins!
So I decided to ignore everyone and do my own thing
I was told that for the toddler to fall asleep easier in the evening I should give her a full bottle of milk with honey or sugar to drink, leave the room and let her fall asleep drinking. And forget about her teeth rotting the whole night after this meal
I am having a hard time coming up with crazy advice I was given. Either no one gave me crazy advice, or I completely blocked it from my memory. Either way, I’d love to win those bumpers. What a cool idea! My 7 month old would love them.
I guess the worst piece of advice was to let the child do what he wants because that promotes independence. How does a child who has been alive for such a short time know what is right?!
What is the strangest piece of child rearing advice you’ve ever heard?
Feed a colicky baby. I mean what is that? She’s screaming from gas so I’m going to give her more food which will only make her more gassy? Crazy grandparents!
I can’t think of any egregiously bad parenting advice given to me directly… maybe I’ve blocked it out too. But one book I read recommended getting a wipes warmer and practically equated not having one to child abuse!
Imploring me not to swaddle my infant son even though he slept 100% better when swaddled.
Not advice, per se, but the nurses at the hospital where my son was born stuck a pacifier in my son’s mouth without even asking us if we were okay with it! It turned out ok, but I was furious that they did’t ask my permission.
LOVE that bumper!
Briana´s last blog post…Season of changes
For teething tie a string around the babies neck (black thread) with eight knots tied in it and close the “necklace” with the ninth knot and they won’t suffer anymore from teething pain.
I think (if this ever worked for anyone) it was because by the time the parent was desparate enough to try it the teething was practically over!
The weirdest advice I ever heard was to start potty training at birth! It was in a book recommended to my sisters. I have declined this idea.
Stacie@HobbitDoor´s last blog post…I want it!
god made children naturally afraid of snakes
SaRaH´s last blog post…when you don’t know what to do
Put Vicks vapo-rub on the bottom of your child’s feet when they have a cold.
I don’t know about strangest, but the one I heard most often and from many different generations is the use of alcohol (whiskey or rum usually) as a teething aid. I think at this point, because I’ve even heard moms my age say they’ve tried it on their kids and it works I may do so with the next kiddo. *shrug*
Courtney´s last blog post…giveaways galore
What a great idea!! My doctor told me not to breastfeed my son overnight after age 1 because it would make him obese. I was pretty surprised at that, and politely ignored her advice.
Honestly, I try not to judge any of it as strange. After having my first child last year, I’ve learned that what works for me may seem strange to someone else, and vice versa. Just this morning, my husband told me that the carrot cake I’m making for our daughter’s first b’day this weekend is”weird.” He quickly figured out to keep his opinions to himself until he is baking a cake.
Nothing comes to mind right now, but I’m sure I will be hearing lots in the next few months!!
The strangest one wasn’t given to me, but to my mom when my brother was a baby. The doctor said he was too fat (at about 6 months) and said to switch him from formula to skim milk. Can you believe it? It’s a miracle he isn’t allergic to dairy.
I can’t think of anything off the top of my head……I try not to dwell on the advice of others that I don’t agree with. I just smile, nod, and forget it!
*fingers crossed* #3 is due in 3 weeks and this giveaway would be PERFECT!!!!!
I am 16 weeks pregnant and I’m sure that the weird advice will start soon…I can’t recall any that I’ve been given, maybe I’ve blocked it all out? But, when I was in Eurasia, our host there was sure to let the girls know that if we failed to clean our plates at dinner that we would be barren….clearly (given present state) she was wrong!
Someone told me we were nuts for having scheduled naps and bedtime throughout the day…gimme a break!
That kids are just like pets. Give them some food, water, and little attention every now and then and they’ll be just fine. Obviously came from someone who LOVED their pets as a child but, honestly, that’s all a child needs? Don’t think so!
Chocolate on my Cranium´s last blog post…I ♥ Faces Kids: Week 20 Silhouettes
I’ve gotten a lot of bad advice – mostly from parents whose kids are little monsters. I figure the key is to do the exact opposite! But the funniest is the “misinterpretation” of advice my husband took. Approximately a week after the birth of our first, the baby started crying in the middle of the night. He was hungry of course, but as I was getting out of bed to go get him, hubby rolls over and says “you know, you’re going to have to let him cry it out sooner or later.” What?!? He’s a week old you nut! He needs to eat! I actually laughed. Heck, we both laugh about it now.
I love these wonder bumpers! If I don’t win they are definitely going on my wish list for kid #2′s arrival in October!
bdaiss´s last blog post…Hens and Paint
Strangest (and maybe wisest depending on the child)…wait on potty training until they to come to you and tell you they’re ready for big kid pants. When they’re ready, they’re ready!
Mandy´s last blog post…{the.life.of.us}
Give a baby cold medicine before a long road trip, it’ll help keep them quiet for the ride.
One Frugal Girl´s last blog post…Would You Take a Homemade Sandwich to a Restaurant?
I have a 4 month old who tends to wake up at night when he bangs his head off the crib – these bumpers look pretty interesting!
I can’t think of much strange advice, I must have been blocking it out. But I know I was told to wake the baby and feed him every 3 hours over night… are you kidding?! If the baby is actually asleep, I’m going to sleep too, they never starved to death
Someone once told me to start feeding my baby rice cereal at 3 weeks so they would sleep through the night.
Anything said by my mother in law, but mostly that all her kids slept through the night when they were a week old so I needed to get working on that! Heck, my baby was 5 lbs. and early, I actually had to wake her at night to get her to eat and gain weight!
I have gotten tons of weird pregnancy advice, but luckly, haven’t heard much weird baby advice. (I consider that a miracle since we have been living with my in-laws for a month!) Several people told me to give my baby Tylenol before going on an airplane, which I think is bonkers!
I was told to go sit my daughter in her bounce seat and put her in the closet to get her to stop crying???? Ok …whatever.
What a great idea, those bumpers. And as a first-time mom of a 5 mo., I’ve loved reading through these!
I’ve got a 95%ile height/weight boy who isn’t a great sleeper and recently someone told me, “It’s almost like you need to starve them until just before bed so they sleep better.”
Wha?
Amy´s last blog post…Week 3 Check-in: Angie’s Fitness Journey
Wake a sleeping 10 lb baby to make sure they get enough to eat- huh? If she’s sleeping, I’m sleeping….
Erin´s last blog post…My version of Spring Cleaning
This advice came just before the baby arrived, but I think it still counts: My mother-in-law asked me when I was 38 weeks along if my doctor had told me to stop driving yet. ??? I *guess* they used to do that… Very strange.
(AND I LOVE THESE BUMPERS! –but if you’re in contact with the Wonder Bumper people, please tell them to make the Hayden crib skirt available for purchase too! It’s so cute and would go perfectly in my nursery for #2!)
Michelle´s last blog post…It’s a…
For me it has always been this, “Don’t hold your baby too much or she will be clingy later on”.
My husband and I both co-sleep and ‘wear’ our babies. Here we are with #4 and I am not planning on doing anything different. We also home-school which leads to another misconception that my children will be clingy. This is so completely opposite the case. I have some very independent children and I am so proud of them and of all the love and nurturing they received till they were ready to become more independent. It never drove me crazy and I had plenty of ‘me’ time.
Rachel´s last blog post…Set of 8 reusable crochet makeup remover pads wash and use again
Can’t say who it was from – she might be reading… but was told that if you don’t control your child’s behavior by the age of two – you have lost them for life… this came on the heels of my 18 month old twin daughter climbing up on the couch which was not approved by this person…. and I thought that was NORMAL for kids to climb up to sit on a couch… I think I am just confused in general – what are couches for? lol
Lisa´s last blog post…My Princess
I was told (by a teenager) that I shouldn’t drive when pregnant because of the mood swings. She should have seen my mood swing after that!
When I was pregnant with my son, my husband hated it when I poked around at my belly as he was afraid I might damage him… LOL
I’ve been pretty fortunate to receive mostly good parenting advice, but I’ll never forget the time when my baby’s doctor’s nurse suggested I give her a bottle of formula once in a while just in case something happened to me. Uhhh…. mkay.
Liz´s last blog post…A Week’s Worth of Giveaway’s!
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