How to raise a child in a million + small steps

I'm afraid that I'm not very full of momivation today.

Being a parent is hard. Everyone always talks about how having a baby changes your life. And, it does. But, no one talks about how having a toddler changes your life. Or, how having two kids changes your life. Or, how having two toddlers changes your life. Or, a teenager for God's sake. I can't even imagine.

Once the sleep deprivation has faded, the formula has been permanently put away and the diapers are given to Goodwill, you're just left with more uncertainty. There's a million ways to raise a kid. How are you to know that you are doing it the right way? It's amazing how I thought that my parents knew everything when I was growing up, or at least that they knew better than me. Judging on my experiences so far as a parent, it's dealer's choice around these parts.

I keep thinking that I'll just know what to do when the next milestone comes. I mean, I'll have to do something, say something, or otherwise react. I just can't guarantee that it'll be the right way. Does it really matter if it isn't the right reaction every single time? Will it matter if they see my inexperience or lack of clarity? I remember being pretty self absorbed. Maybe they won't even notice.

At what age do the choices that your parents make for you start to have the potential of messing you up later in life? And once you reach that age, aren't you pretty much making your own decisions anyway? So, who's to blame for the subsequent fallout?

Maybe I'm just trying to pass the buck.