I think friends can be an excellent resource for support - and they often are! I think the key thing that is missing at times is that friends speak from their

I think friends can be an excellent resource for support - and they often are! I think the key thing that is missing at times is that friends speak from their own experience, not from a background of child development. This can mean that the advice is skewed. Having experience being a parent is great, but what works for one parent doesn't always work for another. This is where Trustle (or a trusted expert) can come in. Take sleep for example (a really common challenge we support parents with) - a lot of people have STRONG philosophical beliefs about sleep. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that - but research doesn't support that ONE approach to sleep is better than another (for example, sleep training vs. co-sleeping). However, the science of sleep can inform supporting a parent to make a plan that aligns with their philosophy (rather than their friends) AND is informed by science. We can help parents understand sleep patterns, the importance of timing of sleep (night and naps), pros and cons or various sleep training, shaping, or supporting approaches (etc, etc), and how to do it safely. I think this is the main difference. We can support parents in thinking though challenges and decisions as a partner - they bring their experience and expertise on their family and child - we bring the expertise on child development to inform choices. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts!