Who Knew? 10 Surprising Parenting Secrets That Will Change Your Life

Who Knew? 10 Surprising Parenting Secrets That Will Change Your Life
Daughter whispering to mother
Getty Images
Daughter whispering to mother

Getty

First-time parents are never short on advice: Friends, parents, in-laws, midwives, health visitors, books, websites, forums, ante-natal classes... everyone wants to give you a piece of their wisdom.

The trouble is when you're in that newborn bubble, most of it goes in one ear and out the other - remembering your own name can be challenging enough in those early months.

There is the 'so obvious it's not worth saying, so please don't' variety ("Is she hungry?"/"Is he tired?"/ "Have you tried winding him?").

Then there's the conflicting kind - guaranteed to send you into a further spin - when everyone has an opinion and each one contradicts and undermines the next.

But every now and again someone comes along with a hidden gem of a tip - a game-changer that you just wish you'd known earlier. It can be something incredibly simple, silly even, but it solves a little problem that's a big deal to you - like how to get out of an 'explosive' situation with minimum mess or how to halve your child's cough recovery time.

Here are a few of our favourites. Pass them on - and tell us your own best-kept secrets in the comment box below...

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