Let me start by saying I know all too well about unsolicited baby advice. You might even call me an expert and you should totally take my word for it. All kidding aside, the truth is that many new parents get a lot of well-meaning baby advice, both before and after the arrival of your little munchkin. The first and most important piece of advice I’ll give you is to take the bits you want, ignore the rest, and do whatever works best for you and your family.

Every baby is different, every family situation is unique, so you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. As long as you’ve got kiddo’s best interests at heart, you’re in a good place. With that out of the way, you might remember when I shared some basic baby lessons six years ago. I followed up with some unsolicited advice a couple years later. Well, now I’ve got even more unsolicited baby advice for all the expectant and new parents out there.

Don’t Horde the Diapers (Yet)

I like a good deal as much as the next guy. But, it’s not a good deal if you’ve got a giant box of diapers that deliver nothing but leaks and grief. Before you buy a Costco-sized mega pack of diapers — whether you’re talking disposable or cloth diapers, even — it’s a good idea to get smaller packs of a few different diapers to try. You might think that they’re all “basically the same thing,” and they kinda are, but they’re not. How they fit your baby will vary. If you want to minimize leakage, blowouts and skin irritations, take a bit of time finding the best diaper for your child.

Fun fact: This humble little video I made several years ago continues to get views on YouTube to this day, so it’s certainly a popular topic.

Ignore the Clothing Labels

As adults, we oftentimes find that not all clothing fits the same way. You might fit a medium in one brand, but a large in another. I can’t even begin to fathom what it’s like dealing with women’s clothing sizes, as they don’t seem to make any sense whatsoever. This also holds true for baby clothing. The age-based sizing totally doesn’t work. Just because it says the onesie is for 3 to 6 months doesn’t mean it’ll fit your 6-month-old. Realistically, it probably won’t.

Many babies (but not all babies) tend to outgrow their clothes way before the labels say they should. You’ll come to expect that.

Stop the Comparison Game

And on this note of “many babies but not all babies,” it’s also important (but difficult) to stop comparing your baby to other babies. We’ve said before how comparison is the thief of joy for us grown-ups. This applies doubly for new parents. You read about “expected milestones.” Or you see that your friend’s baby is already crawling or doing baby sign language or whatever else. And then you feel bad because your baby isn’t doing any of those things.

While you can certainly reach out to your family doctor or other health professional for advice and insight, most kids get to where they need to be eventually. More often than not, you don’t need to sweat it if little Tommy isn’t walking yet. He’ll get there.

Become a Morning Person

I’m not a morning person. I’ve never been a morning person and I don’t think I’ll ever really be one. But, when you’ve got a baby, you’re at the mercy of their schedule, not yours. So, do your best to go to bed early and get a good night’s sleep (easier said than done). In my pre-parenthood days, I’d often hit the hay some time after midnight. Sometimes as late (or early) as 3 am.

Between the kids and Zoom meetings these days, I’m usually zonked out by 10 or 11 at the latest. It’s not really my preference, but waking up earlier does make the rest of life a bit easier. If your newborn hasn’t shown up yet, take this time to train yourself. Try going to bed earlier and waking up earlier. The next phase of your training involves intense sleep deprivation.

From Baby Advice to Toddler Advice

Some veteran parents will tell you that it gets easier. I’m here to drop a truth bomb. It doesn’t. I mean, not really. The reality is that it doesn’t get easier so much as it gets different. Yes, it’s a glorious milestone when the baby sleeps through the night. But, it won’t be long before you start navigating the Terrible Twos. After that, you get a threenager, followed by what the fours?! Oh, for five’s sake.

Take as much of this unsolicited baby advice as you’d like and adapt it to your own situation. Then, when and if your family grows, you’ll be ready…. right? Right. Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy.