16 Bad Parenting Tips That Sound Like Good Parenting Tips
There isn't a one-size-fits-all guide for how to raise your kid. If there was, that would be both very helpful and also sort of creepy. But in the absence of that handbook, it seems like every parent has unsolicited opinions about the *right* way to raise children. Just ask professional mommy-shamer clapback queen Chrissy Teigen.
Or ask these Redditors, who recently shared some of the worst parenting tips they'd been told - ones that sound deceptively like good parenting tips. These are the funniest, most ill-informed, and cringe-worthiest responses.
1. "Constantly tell your kids they're the smartest kids ever." -ninjanikki91
2. "Keep your kids super clean and away from potential allergens." -Davidjhyatt
3. "Don't let your kids fail. The worst thing we can do as parents is never allow our kids to fail. We only fail them, as parents, by never allowing them to face disappointment and are robbing them of the ability to learn some basic life skills. Let your kids fail, fall on their face, pick themselves up, and rub the dirt off." -annadrome
4. "Make up a scary lie as a consequence to get your child to do as you say, e.g. 'If you don't get to sleep, you will die!' *child proceeds to have trouble sleeping because they're scared of dying for not sleeping*" -hole_da_door
5. "Have a second child so they can babysit each other." -noob_almost
6. "My sister has the habit of buying both of my nephews presents, but she does it in a way that she thinks is fair. I mean, say it's my oldest nephew's birthday. Well, she buys them both toys so that they don't feel left out. Same for the younger one. If, say, one of them gets good grades or has done something good, they both get presents. I mean, that's awesome, but I feel that that might be a bad parenting habit since she's spoiling them both at the same time. And most of the time, the oldest fights over the younger one's toys, because he chooses something that interested him later on. So I don't think it's working." -AReverieofEnvisage
7. "Lying to your kids to explain difficult things. I get that in some situations, like if someone commits suicide, telling an alternative story may be a good idea. But for 99% of situations or questions a kid asks, a parent should respond factually." -modudupup
8. "If they are throwing a tantrum, distract them by giving sweet treats or a new toy." -Divgirl2
9. "You have the right to invade your child's privacy because it's for their own good. There are specific situations where I think doing this can be condoned. But I'm talking about those parents who go through the kid's diary, social platforms, closets, everything – just because their kid is acting secretive or because the parents 'have a hunch.' Children of parents like that will grow up to be mistrusting of others, among other issues. I would know – thanks, mom. Your kid probably wouldn't act so sketchy around you if you taught them early about good communication and trust. Snooping around their stuff and not giving them their own space is not good for either of you. Trust is not a one-way deal." -mang0fandang0
10. "It doesn't matter how miserable and toxic your marriage becomes, you need to stay with your partner to keep the family together." -BreadCrumbles
11. "Stalk your child on social media to make sure they are safe." -dinosaregaylikeme
12. "Your child can never do wrong. Something else must be the problem." -EnchantedOcelot
13. "If you ignore them they will leave you alone. Whoever made up this advice originally is stupid. This hardly works on adults, let alone children who still don't understand the 'too far' line when joking/teasing." -pryzmly
14. "Make your kids give hugs and kisses to show affection to relatives, friends, etc." -geauxjolie
15. "Give them treats and rewards EVERY time they do a chore or something around the house." -haroldburgess
16. "Always tell your kids to finish their food. This honestly just promotes obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle, although I get the idea of telling them to finish what's on their plates." -cairenebitch
Answers have been lightly edited for spelling and grammar.
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