Modern moms have access to too much information and this can be a bad thing. It's good to have helpful guides in raising children via books from experts or online gurus. Sometimes, however, the information overload can make mothers and even fathers neurotic.
This has been the experience of Francesca Hornak, who wrote her dilemma on Daily Mail. As a first-time mom, Hornak relied heavily on parenting books and dotted on her baby boy like a helicopter parent.
She had been reading a book on baby nutrition one night when she learned feeding flaxseed could harm the baby. She then Googled more information and grew horrified at the thought that it might have "damaged" her baby because flaxseed is part of his daily diet.
To appease her worries, Hornak phoned a pediatrician-friend who assured her that her first world parent problem was not going to kill her child. She realized having all these information was a harmful thing.
She also realized gurus and experts make moms neurotic and feel inadequate, lest they fail to completely follow what's stated in the guide books or on parenting sites. Unfortunately, this reliance on experts isn't going away anytime, especially since there's always a new mom needing help or guidance.
Dad Alex Proud wrote in The Telegraph a few years ago about how he realized those who are in the parenting advice industry (PAI) feed on anxiety. He acknowledged while gurus and experts can help parents who are "young, poor or ill-educated," the general idea of parenting is about learning what works with one's own children.
Parents could gain a few tips, or perhaps ten and more, from reading parenting books or following online experts but it's more important to trust their own instincts. Since every child is different, including in one's own family, approach to parenting will also bring different effects and results. Seeking help make sense but ultimately, the parent is the only expert to trust for his or her own kids.
