Health & Parenting

Why You're a Great Mom, No Matter How You Mother

Understand that your kid is unique. continued...

Follow your gut.
Nobody knows your child better than you do — not your pediatrician, your neighbor, your mother-in-law, or some guru on TV. "We devalue ourselves as moms when we don't trust our instincts — that mommy-vision you get when your baby is born," Borba says. "Your gut instinct, which is where your parenting style is formed, is almost always right for your child." And when you start listening to your heart, you'll make peace with your parenting style. This bore out for me when my 3-year-old, who'd been potty-trained for a year, began wetting her pants daily. Her preschool teachers told me to be patient, while my husband thought we should bribe her with stickers. No one liked the idea of making her wear diapers — except me. I thought that it would work because my daughter, who's always striving to act older, would be horrified at a backslide into babyhood. And, after one embarrassing day at preschool in a pull-up, she quit the pants-wetting cold turkey. I did it my way — which was right for her — and it worked.

Want to understand your mom personality — and its impact on your kids? Log on to http://www.redbookmag.com/parentingstyle to take our quiz and find out what your parenting style is.

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