'Give the baby a wee dram!' Mothers reveal the WORST parenting advice they've ever been given

  • One woman told to rub whisky on teething baby's gums
  • Another told to leave pram at end of garden to drown out crying 
  • A stranger told one mum that hiccups were a medical emergency 
  • What's the worst parenting advice you've received? Email femail@mailonline.co.uk 

When you're a new parent people are often desperate to dish out advice to guide you on your way -but unfortunately it can range from the unhelpful to the downright bizarre. 

That's why mothers have been revealing some of the craziest tips they have ever received, ranging from adding a 'wee dram' to the baby's bottle to never tickling their child's feet for fear of giving them a stammer.

The often hilarious pieces of wisdom were shared on Mumsnet after poster Mrsb26 asked: 'What is the daftest/funniest/most eyebrow raising piece of advice you've been given as a new parent?'

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Mothers have shared some of the craziest tips they have ever received, ranging from adding a 'wee dram' to the baby's bottle to never tickling their child's feet for fear of giving them a stammer (picture posed by models)

Mothers have shared some of the craziest tips they have ever received, ranging from adding a 'wee dram' to the baby's bottle to never tickling their child's feet for fear of giving them a stammer (picture posed by models)

She added that someone had once told her not to tickle her daughter's feet 'as it will mean she gets a stammer'.

Buntymo shared that she'd been told to 'give my teething baby a chicken drumstick to chew on'.

PacificDogwod also received some unique advice from a man who was working on her extension. 

Recalling his words, she wrote: 'A wee dram in that bottle would calm him right down, love. Never did me any harm.'

The often hilarious pieces of wisdom were shared on Mumsnet after poster mrsb26 asked her fellow mothers for the worst advice they had ever received 

The often hilarious pieces of wisdom were shared on Mumsnet after poster mrsb26 asked her fellow mothers for the worst advice they had ever received 

Notsoaccidentproneanymore had been given similar words of wisdom about settling her first DS, which is Mumsnet speak for dear son. 

Someone had told her: 'Dip a dummy in brandy, then in condensed milk and give to ds1 to help him sleep!'

It seemed to be a recurring theme as SheWhoDaresGins had also been advised to shun conventional remedies in favour of a drop of alcohol.

'My dear granddad who is anti medication told me not to give my very sick DS the antibiotics the doctor prescribed when he a baby because he doesn't need them,' she said. 

'Then a few months later when he was teething, rub some whiskey on his gums and put a drop in his bottle so it helps him sleep at night.'

Grandparents in general seemed to be a source of weird and wonderful advice with Thecraftyfox's telling her she should 'pot the baby' at night.

Dosing a baby with alcohol was a popular theme among the legions of bad advice 

Dosing a baby with alcohol was a popular theme among the legions of bad advice 

Bizarre advice doled out to parents included potty training at three weeks and smacking a shy child for not smiling 

Bizarre advice doled out to parents included potty training at three weeks and smacking a shy child for not smiling 

'Meaning wake her up during the night, take her nappy off and hold her over a potty,' she explained. 'Apparently it would help her learn to wee in a potty at three weeks old.

'Er no. My baby slept for no longer than two hours at that stage, I'm not waking myself and her up to dangle her over a potty.'

ItsALuigi had received an even more alarming piece of wisdom from her grandmother regarding her DD or dear daughter.

'My nana once told me to smack my very, very shy DD when she wouldn't smile at people as it was rude,' she recalled.

Armi and Purplemeggie had both been warned about spoiling their babies by picking them up too much

Armi and Purplemeggie had both been warned about spoiling their babies by picking them up too much

For JorahTheExplorer it was a case of getting advice from a woman who was a grandmother that she'd met in a shop. 

The stranger warned her that she should take her newborn baby to hospital because he had the hiccups. 

She'd replied, saying: 'Hiccups are perfectly normal, he even had them every day while I was pregnant.'

'Nope. The lady in the antique shop had 3 grandchildren,' she added. 'She knew this wasn't normal and I should take him immediately.'

Armful of roses had received some unique advice from her mother, including not letting her baby yawn in case the child gets lockjaw 

Armful of roses had received some unique advice from her mother, including not letting her baby yawn in case the child gets lockjaw 

Alisvolatpropiis had been told that not giving a baby a dummy 'is selfish towards other people', while Ttwirlywoo69 was warned her cats would try to 'eat the baby' after smelling milk. 

 

Purplemeggie had received a whole wealth of wisdom from her mother-in-law. 

She recounted: 'Wean ASAP, start giving rosehip syrup from two weeks old. Definitely have DS "castrated" as it's much more hygienic (later found out she meant circumcised, but still). 

'Put DS in his pram at the end of the garden (in February) so that you don't notice he's crying and then you won't feel duty-bound to pick him up. 

JorahTheExplorer was warned that hiccups are a medical emergency 

JorahTheExplorer was warned that hiccups are a medical emergency 

'She was also an advocate of the cuddled babies become spoiled and naughty theory.'

Armi Wed's friend had also given her the same advice. 

'My friend told me not to respond to or pick up my DD (3 weeks old) as she was being "spoilt and naughty" and was "doing it on purpose". 

'I'm always amazed how many people think babies are Machiavellian plotters. They don't even know where their own nose is.'

ArmfulOfRoses added that her mum had shared a few things that were considered sound advice while she was rearing children. 

'Don't let the baby yawn as it will get lockjaw,' she recalled..

'Don't take baby out after lunchtime as it's too late and terrible parenting. This was from her mother-in-law at the time, but she couldn't answer how mother was supposed to collect the eldest from school.

'One of my sisters was a screamer and the GP suggested that after checking everything was OK with baby, that mother should take 10 minutes and smash milk bottles in a pillowcase or similar before going back.'