I am always reading things.
Books, news articles, websites. You name it and I read it.
But is it possible to over-inform yourself?
Before I had my children, I was reading websites that would tell me how to get pregnant. The more I read, the less it happened. So eventually I stopped reading about that. Then I got pregnant...
Then I read books about pregnancy – what to expect and the like. I ended up worrying myself silly over all sorts of things 'that could go wrong'. I made myself a nervous wreck.
Then I had my son. You'd think I wouldn't have had any time for reading once he was born, but I managed to find some. So started reading books all about how to feed him, bath him, what to do when he was poorly. I read books about how to get your baby into a routine and have them sleep through the night from an early age. How much formula they should be having...
I got myself so worried because the book said he should be having 6 ounces of formula every 4 hours. Of course, he wasn't always compliant with these rules. It was only when one day someone said to me "the reason he's not taking all his milk is because the baby didn't read the book". It suddenly occurred to me that I'd been taking everything the book said to the letter.
One thing I have realised is that, while books and articles are for the most part helpful, you shouldn't take every little thing too seriously. Especially when reading books about how to take care of babies.
These books are very helpful, but it's important to remember that they should be used for reference only. You have to remember that all children are different and will eat and sleep differently from each other. The books are good guidelines but please don't make the mistake I made in forgetting to actually enjoy my son because I was worrying far too much about whether I was doing things right 'by the book'.
Dawn is a stay at home Mum to a boy aged 8 and identical twin girls aged 5. She blogs to try and stay sane amongst the chaos!
Blogs at: My House and Family
Twitter: @dawnie0503