For newborns I don’t think you need a manual. The baby sucks on moms tit, sleeps, and cries for a year. No blood, fever, or discoloration? Don’t worry about it too much otherwise see the doctor. Do your vaccinations and check-ups.

Once they start to wake up to the world it becomes more complicated. People have all sorts of ideas about how to best raise a child. Listen to your heart. The right way is the way that’s right for you. For example, most people and so-called experts told us to “sleep train” our child, making them sleep in a separate room or bed on a strict schedule. We didn’t. Our child sleeps with us in our bed (he’s 4 now, still sleeping with us). It works for us. Do what works for you.

As far as books go I recommend “Listen: Five Simple Tools to Meet Your Everyday Parenting Challenges” by Patty Wipfler

> most people and so-called experts told us to “sleep train” our child

There does seem to be surprisingly large amount of advice which centres on being vaguely unpleasant to your offspring, it always puzzled me.

I actively avoided adopting such ideas, I did everything I could to be kind to them, to pay attention to them and to show them love. For what it's worth my children have turned out, I believe, pretty well and as they've got older it's touching (and almost humourous) to realise that they are increasingly taking the same approach to me !