Am I the only one in the entire world who is making it up as I go along?

[OrmIrian]

Parenting I mean? Because reading so many of the posts on here makes me feel I am. People with methods, unbreakable rules, child care manuals. People who never doubt themselves for a moment. Those who are always consistent and determined.

Well I'm not. Being a parent is a bloody roller coaster. And sometimes MN depresses me so much I just want to go and never come back.

hi orm and everyone

i am about to give up work, move to another country and be an expat wife / full time mum... and honestly? i am really really scared. I worry abt whether i will cope but i am going to give it a go. and this is coming from someone who works in a high pressured job with mad deadlines. all my colleagues think it's going to be brilliant and they envy me (they are single of course!) and all i can foresee is the end of freedom! my LO is super attached to me and wants me to do everything for her, and wont let DH do anything and will not let DH take her out without me... so can you see how suffocating it can potentially get?.... is this separation anxiety thing just because she is still young?

some days i am soooo happy spending time with 2 year old DD, some days i guiltily wish to myself that i never had her... it's hard isnt it?

Sashasmama, you may find that as you spend more time with her she will become less clingy, the more you give the less they want IYSWIM?

Nope, I can fake competence, so I look like I know what I'm doing but, actually I just blunder on.
Only ever attempted to read one parenting manual and it left me doubting myself, so I chucked it and now... I make it up as I go along

I've found that on certain threads/topics it's more about asking for help & then people will post their tips & look v.organised and calm etc. But go onto a postnatal thread and it's a different story - even online I'm not sure we let our guard down that much. There are things I would only say on my pn thread because they 'know' me and wouldn't judge me (I'd fear that elsewhere on mn).
And, um, winging it here too tho I have chucked the parenting books as they make it worse! Rules just make me more anxious in the long run, I've stopped envying those who know when their lo's will nap/eat/poo!