Advice about advising

When I found out that I was expecting a baby, news spread fast among friends and family. I started getting the congratulatory phone calls and after a few niceties, the conversation would invariably turn to a barrage of advices. I got advice from family, friends, friends of friends, friends of friends of friends, and strangers whom I had never met before and never met again in my life!

Days flew by and I was a new mom, trying desperately to figure out her way into a newborn’s world. Few months later, I had seen several spit-ups, hundreds of sleepless nights, and thousands of dirty diapers! That’s when I found out that my friend was expecting…you know the first thing I did – called her with a barrage of advices! Unknowingly, the ‘sufferer’ had become the ‘sufferee’ (is that a word?).

What is it about advising? Is it like a “pass it on” phenomenon…you get hammered with advice, so you pass it on? I think there’s more to it. As parents, we go through such a mental and physical roller coaster ride… when someone else is about to take on this journey, we probably just want to make their ride smoother…ease out those bumps if not avoid them.

My advice about advising? PASS IT ON…you do risk getting on your friend’s nerves, but then there’s also the possibility of helping them…its worth the risk!