Real Parents Share The Most Annoying Unsolicited Advice A Stranger Gave Them

With such a wide range of parenting methods being touted in studies and in the media, new parents often welcome the advice of trusted friends or family members when it comes to caring for their baby. But unless it’s sought out, even the most well-intentioned suggestions (i.e., “I think your baby’s hungry!”) can be exasperating and feel like an attack on your parenting. This is particularly true when it’s not your overindulgent mother-in-law but a stranger on the bus, or in line at the grocery store, who suddenly believes — and is determined to let you know — that they are an expert on your child’s needs. 

And where better to fume over these bizarre and frustrating encounters than to other strangers on the Internet? From Reddit threads to Instagram comments to discussion forums on the UK site Mumsnet, real parents reveal the worst or most ridiculous parenting advice they’ve ever received from a stranger.

“I’ve been told not to hold my baby or tend to his needs when he is crying. I asked if they just meant when he got kind of fussy when he gets tired, and they said no. They meant anytime he cries about anything, let him cry it out. They said this would make the baby realize that we had to work around my schedule and it would make him less needy. ”

“You shouldn’t put your daughter in [insert any color that isn’t head-to-toe pink], how will people know she’s a girl?”

“When my son was little he had some crazy mystery eye issues (think swollen shut, pus-filled lumps, etc.). We tried so many different medications/drops/creams/etc. The amount of people that said ‘Have you taken him to the doctors’ was insane! I felt like saying, No, is that a thing I should do?”

“If you cut the crust off their sandwiches, they’ll never function in the real world.”

“I got yelled at — yelled at! — because my daughter’s hair was in her eyes. Some guy said to me, ‘She is going to be blind in that eye!!!’ Dude! It was only in her face because she wouldn’t let me put a barrette in it. Calm down.”

Stories have been edited for length and clarity.

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