Good Advice

We had an unexpected trip to the pediatrician yesterday for an issue Spencer was having. It wasn't a huge thing, but something where Bill and I needed some outside advice to help us work through it. I was able to have a great conversation with the PA there about that issue plus a couple others we have been working through for a long time. It really helped me clarify my thoughts on how I want to tackle certain issues as well as provided me with much needed information that the internet and talking to other people just hasn't done for me. I love, love, love my pediatrician's office. She is great, her PA is great, and I love her nurses. We don't have too many reasons to go there besides well kid checks, but whenever we do I always get the best help.

I've only been a parent for three years yet I've discovered that it's really hard to get good advice about parenting challenges. Or not even parenting, just taking care of my kids' needs. Everyone has something to say on a subject, but it's a lot harder to find someone or a place that has information that actually pertains to a particular issue rather than just opinions or anecdotal information about how it worked for their kid. I've certainly run into things that are different than the typical child experience most people seem to be having, and had so much bad advice given to me on those topics. It has given me pause to think and make sure I don't flippantly pass out advice myself to others as if what I do is the gold standard and will definitely work for everyone else. It just isn't the case. Each kid is so unique and sometimes we struggle with things with our kids that are just different than what others experience. It's a good lesson to learn.

But back to actually getting good advice, I really, really, really appreciate the occasional gold nugget of information or person I come in contact with that has really insightful, useful things to say that help me out. It really makes this parenting maze easier to navigate. So here's to good friends, good doctors, and finding the right people to help when challenges pop up. It makes those moments when parenthood seems really lonely and hard to find the answers a little easier to bear.