Parenting books vs. common sense

I read a few articles in parenting books but found them to be too contradictory to one another, 1 book would tell you 1 thing & the following books would all have different ideas on the same matter. I found it easier to just go with what i thought was the best option for that situation :) If i really got stuck i would call my Mum & ask if she'd had that problem & if she had, then i would ask her what she did to fix it & give it a try to see if it would work for me. I think the best thing to do is to just go with your own gut instincts, they're usually pretty spot on & you can always ask family if you're really in a fix but most of the time the problems are easy enough to sort out yourself!

They are helpful for people who have no experience whatsoever with babies and children, as long as they realize that they are only guidelines and that all children are different. In my opinion, the best is to read a book or two, but keep an open mind and be flexible, and don't worry if your child doesn't fit the mold of what is described in the book. I was given a couple of books, and I did skim through them a little, but mostly, I rely on what feels right to me.