Top parenting tips from moms

What's the best parenting advice you've ever received? Share with other readers in our forums.

The work you do as a mother will last a lifetime.
--Gaye Lynn, Arizona

Do what you feel is right for your child. Every child is different, so your parenting techniques need to differ for each of your children.
--Rebecca, New York

Kiss and hug your kids morning, noon and night -- and as often as possible in between.
--Kristeena, Wisconsin

Try to keep things in perspective. What seems monumental today will be forgotten completely the next.
--Paige, Oklahoma

Choose your battles wisely!
--Melissa, Ohio

Trust your intuition. Moms have truly been given a gift to "know" things. Once we become seasoned parents, we begin to trust ourselves more.
--Karen, Texas

Never say never!
--Pam, Tennessee

The best piece of parenting advice that I have received is to take care of myself. I notice that, if I do not do that, I cannot give as much to my family.
--Judy, California

Until you have and love a child, you have not loved at all.
--Tonya, Michigan

Stay organized so that life feels less chaotic. Now that I have three young kids, one with special needs, I really have to stay on top of things so that I feel in control.
--Lisa, Maine

Your child will make plenty of friends. What a child needs is a parent, a guide who is caring and nurturing.
--Dianne, Illinois

If you teach life's lessons while they are young, the teenage years go much more smoothly. Also, my grandma was right!
--Melissa, Ohio

Your children do not hinder you from your work; your children are your work.
--Jenny, North Carolina

A close friend told me to make sure I nurture their spirits, not just their minds and bodies.
--Debbie, Nevada

When you say "no," you cannot change your mind -- your "no" needs to mean "no." If it does not, your kids will never take you seriously.
--Melissa, Kentucky

Take care of yourself -- it makes you a better parent.
--Julie, Virginia

Who cares if the dishes or the laundry get done? Spend time with your kids.
--My mom, Wynetta

Page 2 of 3

Excerpted from Amy Knapp's Family Organizing Handbook by Amy Knapp (Sourcebooks, 2006, $17.95). Excerpted by permission of Sourcebooks. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.