Parenting and Instruction Manuals

I recently read an article about new parents and how you're not handed an instruction manual when children are born.

It caused me to think about the one thing I wish I had known or I wish there was a manual for when my own kids were born.

I think the hardest thing for me has been when they're sick. I never knew should I or shouldn't I take them to the doctor. We had a scary situation with my younger daughter. She complained of her ear being "clogged" We went to the G.P. who said "oh it's allergies", gave us a bill and sent us home. A week later my daughter was still complaining. I called an ears nose and throat specialist who said two things:

1. he wasn't free to see her for 3 weeks and
2. he couldn't see her without a report from an audiologist

I called an audiologist I knew and was told he was booked up for 3 weeks also. I am so thankful I knew him. I said to the girl "I can call him at home tonight and see if he'll see her" She put me on hold and told me we could come in the next day. My daughter at this point had lost 60% of her hearing due to an inner ear infection. This is not your typical antibiotic ear infection, this was inner ear, much more serious.

The audiologist called the ENT who was busy for 3 weeks and got us in that afternoon. We began treatment and are very thankful that her hearing returned and the infection was killed.

A medical instruction manual as a parent would've come in handy many times over the years.

If you could've had a manual for one thing regarding parenting what would it have been? If you don't have kids, what do you wish your own parents would've known?

Audrey :)