The only parenting books I’ve opened have been rooted in Montessori’s philosophy of early childhood development. The idealism they foster is the bane of my first time motherhood experience, but I can’t seem to help myself. What particularly resonates is the idea that parenting is rooted in observation. Similar to the biblical command to be quick to listen, and to nursing/medical education’s admonition to collect the subjective data first (what does the patient say is going on, or what do they look/act like), the idea of taking the time to learn your child’s temperament/proclivities, and encouraging their drive toward doing things for themselves makes sense to me. What I haven’t quite got a finger on is how to accomplish this task without creating eight more clean up jobs before lunchtime.