Hitting the parenting books again

As an expectant mother in 2001, I diligently read What to Expect when You're Expecting, then, that was the 'bible' for expectant mothers.  Everything was new, exciting, confusing, I was a college educated, career-focused thirty-something, mom-to-be, who thought one book would help prepare me for what was about to happen in my life.  Yeah, well, kind of.... but not entirely.  Two years later, I bought the sequel What To Expect The Toddler Years, only to realize I was too late.  My daughter had already sailed through most of the phases they discussed, oops, hadn't expected that.  Now, 12 years later, I try to attend the occasional parent seminar.  Some I've recently been to have been on topics including bullying, cliques, social media and kids.  With each one, I learn a little, but mostly leave vowing to be more on top of it; and always, I leave thinking 'Did my parents spend this much time trying to learn how to parent? And, how did they manage to get me and my three siblings through adolescence with the core set of values that carried us into our adult lives?' So, I decided to go back to the books.  I have a handful of partially read parenting books, that I vowed to complete this year.  In keeping with that resolution, I added another to the collection (why read five when you can add a sixth?)  But this one, I will finish.  Its called Girl's Night Out.  In reading the preface, I learned that my timing is good, as its intended for mothers of tweens.  Its subtitled,  Having Fun with Your Daughter While Raising a Woman of God.  I've already started it, and read about the first two 'nights out.'  One involves a date for high tea, the other a facial... sounds good.  Hold me accountable, I will blog my progress.  I intend to go through the series of dates, first with my niece, then my oldest daughter.

I'll be honest, I'd thought I'd be taking the lead on this type of thing from my sister, since we'd vowed to raise our kids in the same town, and she had a two year head start on me in motherhood.  But, God's plan was different, as you may have noted in previous blog posts.  Her kids are being raised in a single parent household, with watchful eyes from their mom in heaven. I am not ashamed to admit that a script would be helpful at this point, its been 4 year since her death and I'm still winging it in conversations with her girls.  If the book helps me sort through this stage, it will lead to many wonderful nights out with my girls and my nieces.  Stay tuned...