Mom Gives "Anti-Advice" To Relieve Parents' Woes—Here's What You Don't Have To Stress About

A 28-year-old mom posted a wild “anti-advice” thread, and suddenly every sleep-deprived parent felt seen. Instead of the usual checklist of what you should be teaching, she basically said, “Stop stressing about the random stuff,” and let kids be kids.

She’s a developmental scientist, so her points land with actual logic, but the real chaos is how parents respond when they think every moment has to be educational, fun, and perfectly managed. Between nonstop expectations, endless toys, and the pressure to be “the best,” it turns into a family full of guilt, not growth.

And the comments? They poured in like, “Finally, someone gets it.”

Parenting can be a nightmare if you focus on unimportant things

Tatiana Syrikova

Dorsa Amir is a developmental scientist, and she shares things you shouldn't do

DorsaAmir

1. Not everything has to be educational

DorsaAmir

2. You don't have to teach your kids something all the time

DorsaAmir

3. Some things you don't need to teach

DorsaAmir

4. Boredom is an important experience

DorsaAmir

5. They should experience social conflict

DorsaAmir

6. They should experience negative emotions

DorsaAmir

7. You don't have to be fun

DorsaAmir

8. Not everything should revolve around your kids

DorsaAmir

9. Kids don't need so many toys

DorsaAmir

10. Give them chores

DorsaAmir

11. There are millions of different ways of being human

DorsaAmir

12. It is all good

DorsaAmir

This is similar to the OP who ignored a friend’s extreme dog-care advice and still wondered if they were the AH.

13. We are not building chairs...

DorsaAmir

Give yourself patience and grace

DorsaAmir

People loved this advice

at_auds

No need to be the best at everything

@Riginal_Zen

This makes sense:

MickiMaynard

Even people who don't have kids loved this thread

jallison02140

Modeling positive behavior

AppletoZucchini

New parent says:

JamesLimmer

Parents need to identify:

frankplatzkart

Dig to the other side of the world:

EkasNaomi

Cultures:

Twitter

Lazy parenting

mouldygoldfish

Modern parents and sanitizing

BradBigelow7

Best toys ever:

ivana_brekalo

Simple toys

Corvid189592286

Toilet paper and scotch tape

erinmckenzie32

"I want my kid to succeed"

ClaireSuni

When the thread says “not everything has to be educational,” parents immediately start rethinking their entire day, from flashcards to “learning time” that somehow never ends.

The moment she mentions you don’t have to teach something all the time, people go quiet and then admit they’ve been forcing lessons during snack breaks.

Then she drops the part about boredom and negative emotions, and suddenly the “perfect mom” routine looks a lot less necessary, especially when kids are melting down anyway.

By the time she says some things do not need to be taught, the comment section is basically everyone swapping notes on simple toys, chores, and realizing they are not building chairs for a living.

Parenting is not easy. On the other hand, that's the reason we love our kids so much.

Hey parents, don't sweat it! You don't need to be the perfect mom or dad. Your kids just want your love, respect, and support, whatever form that might take.

Let us know in the comments how this “anti-advice” resonates with you!

This “anti-advice” makes it clear the goal was never perfection, it was just surviving the day with your kid still feeling loved.

Wait, did the cat-feeding routine feud with your friend really go that far? Check out the AITA about standing firm on a cat’s feeding schedule and losing a friendship.