No matter how much advice I get or how many parenting resources I consult, it seems as if the best learning
is through experience. I am now a mother of two boys, 2 ½ -years-old and 3 months old. Each one of them is unique in their own way, but I can’t help but compare the two even though I know each is his own individual.

When I was pregnant with my first son, John, I tried to read up on every parenting resource available, mostly using the internet sites such as Babycenter.com as my source.
So, I thought I was prepared to handle it all – diaper changes, breastfeeding, baths, the soothing, because it seemed like it was all so simple. HAHA! Boy was I in for a rough awakening. The first night at the hospital, I remember thinking, “This isn’t so bad. This baby seems like a good sleeper.”

He was a good sleeper, until we went home the next day. Up all night, needing to be changed, crying because he was hungry. I won’t even go into the challenges of breastfeeding – a seemingly natural thing ended up being something I had to learn and train my baby to do.

Needless to say, we managed by trial and error and lots of prayer. John is now 2 ½ and sleeping well through the night, but we still have our challenges.

When I was preparing for Anthony’s birth, I dumped the parenting manuals. I figured that I had already experienced it once, and it would still be fresh in my memory.

That wasn’t a smart move, either. Labor experience was different, nursing concerns were different, sleeping habits were different – you get the idea.

What did I learn? Each child is different, and that there is no one way to care for and raise a child. There are so many “experts” out there, but at the end of the day, the needs of each child varies and each family dynamic is different as well.

We shouldn’t dismiss the advice of those around us – I am thankful that I have information at my fingertips when my child is sick, and I’m not sure how high the temperature needs to be before going to the doctor. Advice and resources are good to have, but as a parent, you learn to be flexible and adapt to each new situation.

This is the focus of my column – to share experiences of mommy hood and to address issues and concerns that we have as parents. I would love for you, the reader, to share your experiences of being a mom and present some ideas or topics for me to include in my column. Because just like you, I am learning as I go.

-Editor’s note: Priscilla Tjio-Hervey, former teacher, is now a stay-at-home-mom, married, and raising two boys.