Reeling From Too Much Parenting Advice?

Have you ever wanted to scream at the amount of parenting advice there is out there?  I remember this feeling well when my daughter was a preschooler.  Much of it is great and I welcomed it, but after a while reading every book I could get my hands on left me feeling inadequate and even helpless at times.

Where was the support for trusting me and my relationship with the child that I  have, not the theoretical child in all of the books I was reading at the time.  I had a three year old that was quite precocious and was able to out smart me at every turn.  How do you deal with that? I am afraid not very well sometimes.

What really did help me was the reassurance from friends and other parents that 1) I was not alone and 2) there were wonderful things about my daughter and that her most challenging behaviors would eventually turn into great adult characteristics.  Seeing her through the eyes of others when I was feeling inadequate was really so helpful and knowing that this was normal for a three year old was also calming.  Having support in setting healthy boundaries and learning how to repair my own mishaps and mistakes to come back together after a low parenting moment, was key to my survival.  

And guess what?  They were right.  She is a wonderful person now with strong ideas of her own, smart and capable.  Her behavior was normal for a three year old, even if she was different from her peers at times..  

I am grateful for the loving eyes of others who helped me see my daughter more clearly.  I hope that is what I am able to help parents with now as a guide and mentor.