I think I feel the same way about parenting books as I do about wedding magazines. In some ways they do more harm than good.
I remember when I was newly engaged I took a trip to Barnes and Noble and bought one of every wedding magazine on the shelf. I was so excited to start folding down pages, getting ideas, and advice on planning my wedding.
Soon after I started reading them, I stopped. I found that every magazine had some kind of "timeline" for wedding to-do’s that I should be following. I would read the timelines and instantly panic about what I wasn’t doing. Additionally, the picture perfect weddings that were showcased made me second guess everything I chose for my wedding. Ultimately my choices were made from the heart, they reflected my taste and all was perfect just as it was. 
What a waste of time wondering if my choices were right for me.
As a new mom, I kind of feel the same way about parenting books. The more I read them, the more I question myself and if what I’m doing is "right".
I think this is more related to my personality than anything. When I read a "how-to" book, I tend to take them a bit to seriously. I don’t want to read the books and then feel like I HAVE to stick to the advice in them. I just can’t do that to myself when it comes to my baby. I need to get to know her, formulate questions based on who she is and what she is doing, and seek out advice as needed from my doctor, mom, sister, etc…but most of all, just kind of figure it out.
I need to trust myself and not let a book tell me that what I’m doing is wrong even when it FEELS right.
What’s your opinion on parenting books?
