My friends and family tease me about my voracious book-reading. Any time I develop an interest in something or hear of a new theory, philosophy, idea or whatever—I go in search of a book or article on it. Now, while reading parenting books—particularly those that relate to single parents has been an important strategy and support for me, I also acknowledge that I cannot learn everything I need to know to be a good single parent from a book…
Now, don’t get me wrong—I NEED those books! Some of my best information and narratives that have helped my single parent family experience feel normalized have come from books. But, I also have learned that all the books in the world cannot take the place of my being present with my children and my single parent life and learning from experience. There comes a time when we’ve gathered all the information and support we can (from books, people, etc.) and we just have to trust our instinct. There are other times when the instinct comes first and we don’t even need to go to those trusty resources. We just inherently “know” what is right for our child and our family.
It dawned on me a couple years ago that even if I was to WRITE a book incorporating all my experiences and lessons as a parent, it would only begin to scratch the surface of the world of family life. While some of my experiences are universal and there are some “basics” that we can all adhere to, my family scene and my three children—not to mention our history and lifestyle—has been unique to us. Instead, I know that I beg, borrow and steal from all sorts of resources and books, and then I still have to “wing it” sometimes as well!
Also: Learning to Trust Our Instincts
Listen to Your Inner Voice and Trusting Your Instincts
The EDUCATION Blog