Is it time to stop reading articles and just start parenting?

I realize that this is a bit of an oxymoron since this is, in fact, an article too but bear with me for a sec.

I’m not saying kick all articles to the curb, I’m just throwing it out there that maybe, just maybe, we should start listing to our motherly instincts a little bit more. Because sometimes in the hustle and bustle of busy life, and having technology so easy to access, we forget that we are our own best resource.

Motherhood is hard and there is no perfect answer. To help us on our journey, we all read a lot of articles, at least I know I do — and they are a huge help, don’t get me wrong! They inspire us with new ideas, they confirm the things we are doing right, they help us feel a little less alone in this huge wide world.

But sometimes incorporating the articles into our family does not go as planned.

We’ve all had it happen — we’ve done our research and we go about doing the “perfect method” with our kids and then the moment happens, the method doesn’t work. It makes me think of those Pinterest fail pictures — total opposite results. It’s so frustrating.

Then the self-doubt starts creeping in:

The article was so convincing! Why won’t it work for us? What am I doing wrong?

It’s not just you, this has happened to me so many times!

Or maybe it’s working great for your child but it’s putting your life into utter chaos.

It’s not that the article was wrong, per say — in fact, it usually is a really, really good method and it worked wonders for the author and his/her family but the problem is the author has never met your child. Authors write in hopes of helping somebody but it’s not always applicable to everybody.

And if you dig deep enough I’m sure you can find an equally convincing article out there for a method that is the polar opposite of whatever you just read. And reading that article might just be the peace-of-mind you need until you can get comfortable enough with your own instincts.

But at the end of the day, there are too many articles out there to read them all. There’s a huge array of different opinions. Research is great but at some point you have to stop reading and start feeling. Start doing. Start trying. “Fail” a few times and figure out what works. Remember:

What works for me does not automatically work for you.

Writers can write compelling arguments all day long. They do a great job sharing their awesome methods but if it doesn’t work for your family, it doesn’t work for your family. When it comes to parenting there is seldom, if ever only one perfect way.

Before you go… are you following us on Facebook and Pinterest yet?

Visit Alida | The Realistic Mama’s profile on Pinterest.

Pin it:

P.S. Are you looking for extra side income? I make full-time income blogging part-time—check out this easy step-by-step tutorial on how start a blog (no tech knowledge required).