I have done my best to never read any parenting guidance or advice books. Nor to listen to any podcasts on the topic.

Children are the experience of fire and muck and the best you can do is to be patient and consistent and yourself. Always be striving to treat 'em like little adults because they are far more capable than they seem (they're tricky like that) -- and remember that they, like adults, just badly want to be found lovely in someone's eyes -- and you're doing good when you get them to the point where they have reasons to see their own loveliness with their own eyes.

But for babies...just snuggle them a bunch and change their diaper and play with them.