Parenting Reference

As some of you know, I became a mom in February So far, my experiences have been all those cliched things people say about being a parent- both about how wonderful and how difficult the experience is.

One of the difficulties that I've been experiencing has had to do with my dependence on information science. I am a born researcher. I look up everything I can. I compulsively check Consumer Reports (now through EBSCO) before purchasing any new appliance. I often research the background for any historical fiction books I read. Once, when a married couple we are friends with got in a disagreement over what type of boat they'd need were looking at and what equipment they'd need to water ski, my husband turned to me and said, "We would never have had that fight. You would've looked up the information and seen what the best options were." No one can always be right, but I'm generally confident I've made the best decision I could've at the time, and that's good enough.

How does this have to do with parenting? Well, it turns out there is no definitive reference on the subject. Or rather, there are so much information about parenting, most of it conflicting, that there is no answer. And that is driving me crazy. So many questions run through my mind every day. Attachment parenting or Ferber? Would it be better to cosleep and create a warm, loving connection to sleep? Would it be better to teach her to use a pacifier so that she can sleep on her own or is it going to cause a problem with nursing? I try to read to find the answer, but it seems any route you take, you can find a book that will back up your particular view in any instance.

So why research parenting info at all? Well, I do occasionally find a nugget of truth. Plus, there's feeding that research addiction.

Well, time to look at reviews of camcorders...