What is the best piece of parenting advice anyone ever gave you?
Enjoy your children when they are young. Take advantage of the times as youngsters when they want your attention and want to be with you. It seems to fade quickly as they get older.
--Kim, Kentucky

Never say, "My child will never do that," because they will. I had to learn the hard way and eat my words.
--Linda, South Carolina

Do not be afraid to ask for help.
--Jacqui, Virginia

The best piece of parenting advice I have been given would be the fact that, as a mom, you do not know all the answers instinctively. A lot of it is trial and error with a mix of common sense and love.
--Lisa, Oregon

Be consistent.
--Angela, Texas

When you want your children to listen, whisper. When you feel the least loving towards your children is when they need it the most.
--Michelle, Connecticut

Be consistent, whether it be with discipline, routine, or dinnertime together.
--Val, Georgia

Be patient with your children. They want your approval so badly.
--Ronda, Illinois

Take a nap. Let it go. Remember that these years fly and they will never come back. Savour every moment -- even the messy, frustrating, "you've got to be kidding me" moments.
--Rachel, Pennsylvania

Everything always works out for the best eventually.
--Colleen, District of Columbia

Have a sense of humour.
--Joanne, Florida

Take time for myself and also with my husband. It is so easy not to do that and fill the time with other things, but the time spent refilling our own tank and nurturing our marital relationship is more beneficial than you realize.
--Tammy, Minnesota

Do the best I can and accept that.
--Cheryl, Pennsylvania

The housework can wait, but the kids cannot, so always stop first to read a book to them!
--Melissa, Illinois

Before my first child was born, I read in a book that a parent should focus on being a parent and not try to be your child's best friend. That has helped me keep my focus, especially when my kids think I am being the bad guy.
--Rebecca, Missouri

The best piece of parenting advice I got was: "The best thing you can do for your children is to love their daddy!"
--Karen, New York

With kids the days are long, but the years are short.
--Tish, North Carolina

Relax. No parent is ever perfect. Say you are sorry.
--Margaret, Texas

Never take a day for granted, because if you do not make time for your kids, they will grow up before you know it.
--Lora, Virginia

Enjoy every minute, because it goes by too quickly.
--Catrena, Colorado

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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.

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.

What is your funniest moment as a parent?
Letting my girls give me a "makeover," and then forgetting to clean myself up before answering the door.
--Kim, Kentucky

I was in labour with my eighth baby and waiting for my husband to get home when my six-year-old daughter said, "I do not see what your problem is; you don't look like you are in that much pain."
--Amy, Utah

Underestimating my momentum while demonstrating the Slip-and-Slide to my son.
--Chenoe, FPO

My two little boys got naked, coated themselves with Vaseline, and then stuck coins all over their bodies. They came in and said, "Mommy, look at our shields of armour!"
--Sandy, Ohio

My daughter was only three years old and we were waiting for her pediatrician. The doctor was running about 45 minutes to an hour late for our appointment. I made the mistake of telling my daughter that my time is just as precious as the doctor's and that I did not appreciate the idea of the doctor wasting my time in the doctor's office. Well, the doctor finally came in and asked how we were doing today. And, of course, my daughter repeated my comment to the doctor, and I turned so red that my face felt like it was going to explode. The lesson learned: to watch what I say in front of my children, especially if I want to be confidential.
--Trisha, California

When I told my daughter that, if we did not clean up the nursery, the leader would have a cow. My daughter replied, "Wow! She will? I want to see a cow!"
--Daphyne, California

When my son came home from his first day of kindergarten, plopped down on the couch, and said, "I'll tell you one thing, I will never do that again!" It has been an uphill battle ever since.
--Pam, Tennessee

The funniest moment would have to be when I had to coax my two-year-old son (who is notorious for throwing tantrums when we have to leave) out of a party with a cookie. I used the cookie like bait and he chased me all the way out to the car.
--Judy, California

Page 3 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.