Parenthood Rules You Won't Find in the Parenting Books
19 Parenthood Rules That the Books Don't Tell You (but You Really Need to Know)

During the course of adding a child into their lives, there is always a time in which new parents think, "Well, why didn't anyone warn me about this?" Sure, we get oodles of really important information from all those parenting books that we study up on prekids, but some of the most crucial lessons I've learned about raising children have come from experience in the field. So ditch the baby instruction manuals and check out some of the need-to-know rules that you probably won't get from any parenting books.
Source: Flickr user Jason Devaun
1 If a milk-filled sippy cup is lost, drop everything and find it.

2 Always assume it's poop.

3 If it's annoying at the store, it will be even more so at home.

4 The later you go to bed at night, the earlier your child will wake up in the morning.

5 Always carry lollipops.

6 Never leave scissors accessible.

7 The moment you've realized your child has been quiet is a moment too late.

8 The day you leave without any extra diapers is the day you will need them the most.

9 If you say something bad about someone, your toddler will find an opportunity to tell that person.

10 When it comes to your children, googling "it" never helps.

11 Your child's nasty cold will magically cure itself as soon as he steps into the doc's office.

12 Always pretend to eat the play food your child hands you.

13 As far as birthdays are concerned, there must always be cake.

14 Just because she refuses to try going potty doesn't mean she doesn't have to go.

15 More Cheerios will end up on the floor than in their bellies.

16 The later you are for something, the slower your kids will move.

17 Spend more for fun shapes — they taste better.

18 Bunk beds are great in theory and bad in reality.

19 "Five more minutes" means anything but five more minutes.
