The part that frustrates me is that there are instruction manuals. I learned that after my kids were raised and my daughter got her bachelor's degree in psychology with an emphasis in child development.

Even if you don't go to college, places like the Gottman Institute have been studying best practices for decades.

https://www.gottman.com/product/bringing-baby-home-parents/

Watching my daughter parent has been a marvel. Everything she does with her two boys (4 and 6) is intentional because she understands which stage of development they're in and how best to support them in each stage.

It's extremely sad to me that no training, at all, is required before becoming a parent. They could do mini lessons at prenatal appointments. There could be required reading. There could even just be parenting information on the TVs in the waiting room. Tidbits like, "Did you know kids can't understand the concept of sharing at all until they're at least 4, and sometimes even later?"

They truly do us a disservice by giving us no information and letting us "do our best". It's why so many adults are now going no contact. There are tried and true methods. Let's stop letting parents completely fumble around in the dark for 18+ years.