Parents of the Lounge

[Hammettf2b]

Are you/were you a "book" parent? What I mean by that is, did you or your significant other constantly read books to prepare you for parenthood? If so, how did it turn out?

I bring up the question because recently a buddy of mine announced that he and his wife are going to be having a baby. He then said he was doing a lot of reading, which turned out has made him paranoid about a lot of things. IE: Things that can potentially harm the baby and what not.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not telling anyone on how they should raise their child, but it did get me thinking. I tend to believe that the best knowledge of raising a child is through experience. Hands on training to me is the best training. These books don't know what kind of child you are going to have, therefore how can it tell you what to do in certain situations? Sure, a little heads up about certain things is nice, but to base your whole parenting philosophy would be silly imho.

I also think that being a "book parent" is the gateway to being a "helicopter parent". Am I totally wrong in this? Is being a "book parent" the norm these days?

What say you Lounge?

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[whatsbruin]

Did not read a book.
My wife read "What to Expect when your Expecting" and she thought it was good.
My kids turned out just fine.

 

[Guerzy]

So earlier at Walmart this little girl, she looked about three. She was sitting in her cart mean mugging me like I kicked her puppy. Being the "adult" that I am, I smile and waved at her. This demon child rolled her eyes at me. I'm not about to be played by some bald headed demon spawn. So I walk over to the mom and ask her if I can give her some candy, the mom smiled and said sure. I told the little girl to put in her pocket and save it for later which she did. I walked away, headed to the manager and told him that little girl was stealing M&Ms. The manager thanked me, stating that he is soo tired of these parents not controlling these kids. Manager walked over to them, asks them to empty their pockets. I then looked at the little girl and flicked her off and walked out the store like a boss. ‪#‎IDoWhatIWant‬ And I don't regret sharing this because half of you jerks really think that I would do this. ‪#‎ImNotThatMean‬ Lol you should know me better!! Had to share this, laughed when I read it.

 

[Goonzilla]

I can't say I ever read a book and I'm doing a fine job if I do say myself. You don't need an instruction manual (or God forbid manual's') unless you are some kind of imbecile or have no kind of network at all to draw on. People have been having kids for millennia without books.

A little common sense and on the job learning as you go A nappy is not a difficult piece of machinery to operate. Change them, clean and wash them, feed them, don't leave them in the bath or car; or sleep in the same bed with them and don't dangle them over a balcony with one hand to show the crowd. It ain't rocket science.

He might be a little spooked or think it's going to be daunting. Tell him to man up.

 

[Goonzilla]

One thing I would suggest everybody have or gets is a little first aid training or knowledge, just in case. How to do CPR on an infant, deal with choking or even deliver if you get caught short. That's handy to have if you've got kids or otherwise.

Someone who just pees their pants and screams in an emergency is not much use.

 

[Sharpshooter]

I didn't read any books personally, but my wife read 'What To Expect When You're Expecting'

I did read up on some stuff on websites for expecting parents about certain things like feeding schedules, poops, sleep patterns, etc, just to see what was 'normal' and anything to keep an eye out for and be prepared for. Other than that, my wife's sister-in-law has been an exceptional guide for us whenever we had/have questions.

And yes, my wife is a helicopter parent. It drives me nuts.

 

[jasonleaffan]

I never read books but my wife I believe read some of those chicken soup books and what to expect when you're expecting. This was with our first kid, the second was a breeze and we learned from our mistakes with the first boy.

I would say use common sense, but we both had younger siblings by 10 years or more so we knew what to expect and were somewhat prepared. One piece of advice I can give is avoid buying expensive clothes and those million dollar strollers. All a waste because kids grow like weeds.

 

[Sharpshooter]

I never read books but my wife I believe read some of those chicken soup books and what to expect when you're expecting. This was with our first kid, the second was a breeze and we learned from our mistakes with the first boy.

I would say use common sense, but we both had younger siblings by 10 years or more so we knew what to expect and were somewhat prepared. One piece of advice I can give is avoid buying expensive clothes and those million dollar strollers. All a waste because kids grow like weeds.

Agreed. Can't stress this enough to new parents. If you buy high end name brand clothes for your baby, you're just wasting money, that the kid/you could use later on for other things.

Also, stay on top of vaccinations and take a day or few days course on Baby CPR/First Aid. Learn about meningitis and how to spot the symptoms. Never take a chance when it comes to fevers/temperatures mixed with body/neck stiffness. And make sure you keep the Vitamin D drops ups, especially if your're/your wife is breast-feeding. Lastly and importantly, opt for breast-milk as much as you/your wife can, over the store bought stuff. You'll build your kid's immunity and health much better.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

God no, you're going to drive yourself crazy by reading a bunch of books. If you have questions or anything like that, ask your parents, or siblings or friends that have kids.

 

[Dog]

Guerzy

 

[Gene Parmesan]

No book but got plenty of advice from my parents, in-laws etc. Kid is great. My wife can be a bit of a mama bear but that's alright.

 

[Kyle93]

I am a parent. I take care of my dog almost every day.

 

[jasonleaffan]

I am a parent. I take care of my dog almost every day.

Notice the ALMOST part? Being a real parent there's no part time caring for your children.

 

[tony d]

Not a parent but I think I'd ask my parents for advice in dealing with certain situations first before reading a book on parenting.

 

[whatsbruin]

a buddy of mine announced that he and his wife are going to be having a baby.

Tell your buddy to teach their children to respect others, and other peoples things, and
that will go a long way.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I think it can be fairly helpful when preparing for childbirth and the first year or so. A lot of what you need to know at that stage is straight scientific fact -- what are a baby's nutritional requirements, when should you expect to see certain milestones, what sorts of things should an expecting mother avoid eating -- and if you don't know those things already, then it can only help you to learn them ASAP.

Once the kid is a little older, the book content changes to be more along the lines of child psychology. Which can still be helpful, but is not essential to good parenting, and can even be dangerous in the hands of incompetent people. At that point, I'd rather go online and find out what is working for other parents than read a book.

 

[Ralph Spoilsport]

here's the instructions:

I wouldn't recommend sitting down and reading it cover to cover...it's just a good reference to have on hand. Won't tell you how to raise your child to be a genius but will help with day to day maintenance.

Americans have been relying on it for 70 years now, and they've turned out OK.

 

[Flukeshot]

Bro Code for Parents: what to expect when you're awesome
By Barney Stinson

Mostly I let TV raise my two boys, it's doing a hell of a job so far.

 

[jw2]

No.

Went to a 5-hour course thing. Waste a time. Except the tour of the hospital was helpful.

 

[The Gongshow]

I have no children

 

[Zorf]

No books. Your instincts as a parent will suit you just fine.

Learn some first aid. Don't buy more than 1 pack of Newborn size diapers because the kid will be too big for them within 2 weeks. Don't buy expensive clothes because as mentioned before, it's bananas how fast they grow.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

books are dead

 

[crump]

Don't worry, your Mother in Law will tell you what to do.

 

[Satan]

Walt Disney is dead

 

[hotcarle]

read a lot. got scared a lot. everyone has a different opinion on every subject. two nurses came in the room back to back, complaining that it was much too hot, then much too cold for a newborn.