Being a new parent is both thrilling and a little scary. New parents are often times worried that they may make a mistake when breast feeding or putting their child to bed at night.  Luckily, there are experienced parents out there willing to help.  Here, we have compiled the best parenting advice from experienced parents.

Breastfeeding--Parents say that breastfeeding helps them save money, time, and lose weight faster.  Moms who breast feed are more likely to return to their pre pregnancy weight than those who do not breast feed.  By breast feeding, moms spare the expense of having to buy bottles and mix formula. Also, research shows that by breast feeding, moms are reducing their risk of certain cancers. Babies that are breast fed tend to not have as many child hood illnesses such as asthma, diarrhea, and ear infections.

Sleep- It has long been a belief that children should be left alone to cry themselves to sleep. Now, doctors and scientists have discovered through research that this is not healthy for the child.  Babies that are left alone to ‘cry it out’ grow up to be depressed, moody, and not do well in school.  Mothers are advising new moms to help their child to fall asleep. Moms report that rocking and singing to new babies seems to work best.

Teething - It used to be that babies were given silver rattles to suck on during teething because the metal soothed the pain.  Silver and other metals are no longer used because they can become toxic in babies systems. Instead, use the liquid filled plastic kind which are available in retail stores. Simply pop them into the fridge or freezer until you need them.  Other teething remedies include cold carrots (be cautious that your child does not choke on these) and frozen fruit juice.  If the pain is too intense, parents should consider taking their child to a doctor to get a pain relieving ointment to put on the babies gums.

Time Out for Misbehavior - Childhood is a time when children are exploring their world. Part of this exploration is testing the parent to see where the limits of misbehavior lie.  Your child is not only seeing how far they can go and what they can get away with; they are also learning what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior. Parents say the best way to help a child with this is by using the time out method. When your child misbehaves, simple sit them in the corner, or on a step etc. The child must sit one minute for every year of age (for example: a four year old would sit for four minutes).  The important thing here is to remember to ignore your child if he or she throws a temper tantrum (screaming and crying). You should make sure your child is safe and then leave them alone. By giving in to a temper tantrum, parents are teaching their child that they can get away with bad behavior by simply throwing a tantrum.