HAS ANYONE NOT USED A PARENTING BIBLE?

[jampot]

Me! Although do keep BMA book of childhood symptoms handy!

I did have toddler taming actually!

No - no books - I suppose they're alright for general advice but every baby is different from the next and so is every mother - I just go with the flow - it seems to work!

No - never owned/read a parenting book when I had my kids - just went with the flow. Did "borrow" GFs book from friend last year (even though my kids are coming up for 9,7 and 5) just so I could read what all the fuss was about.

Only "child-related" book I own is a Child's Medical Health type thing.

Read the occasional baby magazine, but haven't bothered with books The only one I've ever bought was the MN one on pregnancy which I read but was actually a present for my SIL!

I prefer to make it up as I go along

the only book i had was free book from the hospital about the 1st 5 years of child life. lopts of info about fevers, contact numbers, how to change a nappy (haha) breastfeeding etc but nothing really about parenting.

and i have been told my kids are lovely usually when they have driven me up the wall and i'm thinking of screaming, some old dear comes and tells me how well behave they are comapred to some kids today.

I did it mine and dh's way and then later discovered it was actually ap parenting we were doing without realising it had a name.

I always seemed to read these books after the event and either think yyyeeeeessss I did that and I'm a brilliant mum, or what a load of utter crap, who in their right mind would do that etc, etc and still think I was a brilliant mum for ignoring self righteous nonsense. (I've never read Gina Ford).

Being all alone in a foreign country with no family I did find P Leach a godsend, actually. Had no idea before how intelligent babies are. Also liked Spock for commonsense.

Blimey
I'm the only one with a shelf of books then. Not had resort to them so much since I found Mumsnet perhaps, but I've got everything from;
a 1934 book on Home Management which promotes plenty of fresh air for baby - only bring them inside when it is snowing or raining heavily (always laugh at that one);
to modern day range including 'your childs development' - includes things that might sound silly like the order that teeth come through in, but I frequently resort to;
I confess also to 2 Gina Fords - but she's helped me bf to 1yr and 1yr2mths, so not a complete ogre...
Also Steve Biddulph (a good read, not actually used yet) and Libby Purves (extract from a book I keep intending to read - very funny and approachable and much bible-potential for down to earth mums...

With dd1 I didn't read anything or buy anything. Was given a book by the midwife which I kept and looked at occasionally.

With dd2 I bought the Gina Ford book and have skimmed through bits of it but not read it totally cover to cover. The reason I bought it was that with dd1 we didn't bother trying to do any sort of routine we just went with the flow. With dd2 we wanted to try and get her into some sort of routine to fit in with dd1 going to school etc. To be honest we didn't try very hard and she found her own routine at about 7/8 weeks anyway. I peek at it every now and again just to see what it suggests and always find that dd2 is doing more or less what she suggests. It was a waste of money really. Might donate it to the library or a charity shop soon.