Cat Tales: Miscellany and Mischief

July 14 (30DBC)

July 14 30DBC Prompt: On this day in 1946, Dr. Benjamin Spock’s The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care was first published. How useful really, in your opinion (whether you have kids or not), are parenting books? And (I'm not judgin' anyone, but...) what does it say about the person who is reading from anything sporting a title beginning with "The Common Sense Book..."?

I think certain parenting books are quite useful, especially for those who are parents for the first time. It can easily lead to overwhelm, though, and parents have to form their own style of parenting over time and with their own experiences. Each child is different, each set of parents is different, and even within the same family, dynamics between parents and children are different. Some general guidelines, especially for first-time parents, are helpful, but I think the most helpful books are those which encourage the parents to get to know their children.

Now, if we're talking about manuals detailing how to change a diaper, how to breastfeed/bottle feed, types of clothes which are good for certain situations over others, hacks for cleaning up kid's messes...those things can be immensely helpful to anyone, as it's more technical and doesn't preach a way to parent your child.

As for those reading something with the title "The Common Sense Book...", I think it would be great if more parents showed an interest in learning about parenting, all different kinds of styles, rather than the sad neglect of upbringing and lack of interest in children that we see more prevalent nowadays. Even if they were reading "Parenting for Dummies," it would at least show that they're willing to learn and putting in the effort to be a parent and find the best ways to raise their children.

AlyCatAuthor