I happily join Michelle Melania in this discussion.
With baby #1, I read books and thought that I had to apply them in full to my parenting. If I was going to be a baby-training "Baby-wise" Ezzoite, I would darn well do it exactly. By the way, here's a pro and a con perspective on Babywise for those of you who care to read for yourself.
Well, reality was impossible to work like that.
With baby #2, I had grown to realize that I could read a plethora of books and pick and choose which parts of which concepts that I would try until I managed to find - at least for a week or two - what would work for us. A little bit of Ezzo, a little bit of LaLeche, a little bit of Iovine, a little bit of Happiest Baby...
It's like the opposite of how you should approach the Church Fathers. Oh, I like this but that, not so much.
But for mothering, I have learned to take this buffet approach to books.
I have never been a parenting-book-reader- that is until we hit the twos. My priest's wife lent me a wonderful, practical book that has really helped. Simple things like saying "no" rather than "do not" because "do not" doesn't make sense to a two year old. Good tip! It really works.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining in!
Tee hee, good point about parenting being the opposite of reading the church fathers.
ReplyDeleteThat's how I parent too.