Parenting advice is wild because there is so much of it coming from so many different directions. As a first-time mom myself, I can’t help but feel like I’m doing things wrong. Well, I’m not doing things as wrong as this parenting book from 1926, which has such bad advice that I couldn’t help but do my own research to refute it.
1. “Some mothers, in an attempt to soothe the child allow thumb sucking or the use of ‘pacifiers.’ This is most objectionable; constant thumb sucking often causes deformity of mouth and jaw and crooked teeth.”
H. Armstrong Roberts
FALSE. Pacifiers are recommended to reduce the risk of SIDS. While thumb-sucking can cause tooth problems, the American Academy of Pediatrics says it’s not a concern unless the habit persists past five years old.
2. “It is now considered advisable to give cod liver oil, a preventative of rickets in proper amount to all infants before the end of the first month, preferably by the end of the second week.”
3. “Rules for the mother preceding birth: She should not attend plays, read books or frequent company which may destroy the peace of her mind or get her in an over-excited condition.”
Grace Robertson / Getty Images
FALSE. What? Lol. It’s recommended some activities cease during pregnancy, but they’re activities like ice skating and scuba diving, not reading.
4. “The most satisfactory bed is of enameled iron or brass. It is easily kept…The sides should be lined, especially for a new-born babe.”
Hulton Archive / Getty Images
FALSE. Cribs should not be lined. Actually, crib bumpers have been outlawed in the United States because of the strangulation and suffocation risks they pose.
5. “Mother and child are both exhausted after the birth, and both require a long, restful, unmolested sleep. Usually, for the first twelve to twenty-four hours, the newborn infant sleeps peacefully and continuously, and on no account should it be aroused, not even to be displayed by a proud parent to an expectant group of relatives.”
Hulton Archive / Getty Images
FALSE. Babies usually sleep after their first feed, and that could be for up to six hours. My hospital said I should be waking the baby up every 1.5–2 hours to nurse. I would’ve loved 24 hours to sleep after my C-section.
6. “The most satisfactory and safest treatment [for constipation] over any length of time is afforded by injections of hot water or camomile tea. Glycerine and soap enemas, when continued, are irritating to the bowel. One should always wait two days before resorting to an enema. The injection should be given with a bulb syringe, which holds about two ounces.”
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FALSE. According to Mayo Clinic, “Don’t use mineral oil, stimulant laxatives or enemas to treat infant constipation.”
7. “The little one’s best position during sleeping or waking hours is on his abdomen, with head turned so the cheek rests on the pillow, though there is no special objection to lying on his side.”
Reg Speller / Getty Images
FALSE. The safest way for a baby to sleep is on their back, which reduces the risk of suffocation and SIDS.
8. “A baby, during the first few weeks of life, should have two or three movements of the bowels every day.”
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive
FALSE. It’s normal for a baby to poop five times a day or once every five days.
9. “One sure way to build up the vital resistance and overcome the tendency to contract smallpox, or any other contagious or infectious disease, is to train the child to have regular daily movements of the bowels.”
Harold M. Lambert
FALSE. Smallpox has been eradicated worldwide, but was spread through respiratory droplets, meaning however regular you were, if an infected person coughed on you, you were at risk of infection.
10. “Many authorities require a breast pump, but such instruments are likely to be too powerful and may cause injury.”
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive
FALSE. According to the FDA, “The first few times you pump may feel uncomfortable but pumping should not be painful, result in sore nipples, or cause bleeding.”
11. “Never let the youngster form the habit of going to sleep with the nipple in his mouth.”
Grace Robertson / Getty Images
FALSE. According to La Leche League, “Take full advantage of those nursing hormones and nurse your baby to sleep. No, it isn’t spoiling; babies are designed to fall asleep at the breast.”
12. “If any pus appears, the eyes should be carefully wiped every hour with a solution of 10 grains of boric acid to an ounce of water. Should the lids have the tendency to stick together, a little Vaseline should be rubbed into them each night.”
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive
FALSE. While boric acid is an ingredient in eye drops, Vaseline should never be put into the eyes as it can cause corneal abrasions, blocked tear ducts, and blurred vision.
13. “At a rough estimate, it might be said that for several weeks babies can use from 18 to 22 hours out of every 24 hours very profitably in sleeping, or about 9/10ths of the time.”
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive
FALSE. Babies typically sleep about eight to nine hours at night and eight hours over the course of the day until they are around three months old.
14. “Babies do not need to be cuddled, and should not be; and it is best to keep them from an upright position as much as possible.”
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive
FALSE. Touch is crucial to a baby’s development, and according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, you can’t hold your baby too much. It releases oxytocin, opens nerve pathways, and promotes bonding between baby and caregiver.
What’s the most outlandish piece of parenting advice you’ve gotten? Tell us in the comments below!
