Keep Your Cool Series: Keeping Your Cool with Unsolicited Advice

Parenting is an awesome experience.

You have the opportunity to make big decisions, choose preferences and begin a new chapter with a clean slate. Like every other major chapter you have embarked on, you might also be getting your fair share of unsolicited advice from everyone around you.

All that advice you didn't ask for, can really get your blood boiling. 

We've been there before and are offering a helping hand to keep you and your partner cool when tensions start to heat up. 

Are You Kidding Me?

It's hard to focus on the task at hand when friends, relatives or strangers interrupt with questions that have you scratching your head. You might find that there's an influx of questions that don't matter or you just don't even feel like answering. 

Questions like;

"When are you getting married?" 

"Why are you choosing that name?"

"When are you having kids?"

"When are you having MORE kids?"

Is this Jeopardy?!

No honey, this is parenting.

Your preferences are yours and the decisions you make along the way are the way you're seeing fit to embark on this journey. You're making choices in the best interest of your family and that's all that matters. When faced with questions that have you rolling your eyes, it's completely appropriate to smile, acknowledge their question by telling them that you'll keep that in mind or mention you're not sure "why." 

As silly as it sounds, smiling and acknowledging someone's advice (even if it is garbage advice) can be the best way to dodge a frustrating situation. 

Remove Yourself 

You also aren't tied to a situation that is argumentative, hostile or just uncomfortable. A stroller has wheels you know, and you can roll on out of a space that makes you feel awkward. When agreeable kindness doesn't work, the best medicine is to remove yourself from the situation and recollect your thoughts and affirming that the decisions you make are the right way to go.

Most People Mean Well

Generally, these unnecessary questions or unsolicited advice is just a way for people to strike conversation with you or let you know that they care. Parents are guilty of doing this when they feel like their experience can be helpful for you as you're gaining experience of your own. 

Don't worry, stay cool. 

People are always going to have something to say. Even if you're doing everything right for your happy and healthy family, there's always going to be someone out there giving you a suggestion for ways to do it better.

Keep your confidence and self worth flying high by telling yourself each day that you're doing an awesome job.