I typically have very low expectations for most parenting books, so when I first picked up Practical Wisdom for Parents I predicted it would be yet another trite, boring book preaching the parenting style du jour. Instead what I found was a book that I wish I had had when my first child was about 6 months old.

Now that I have 3 kids and the youngest is almost 3, much of what is in this book is not news to me, but I am not the target audience.

Are you trying to figure out whether or not to send your child to a Montessori school, traditional daycare, an in-home daycare, or keep them home with you? Are you so confused that you no longer feel like you can make a good decision anymore? This book is full of lists, bullet points, and other easy to read and understand descriptions of things that you may assume you should know already. But you don’t. And you feel inadequate.

You don’t have to feel that way because now you can refer to the Cliff Notes version of educational knowledge. Can I say again how I wish I had this book 5 years ago? For example, in the How to Choose a School section, there are notes about elements you may want to watch for when visiting the schools in person.

There’s a chapter called “What is Preschool?” and it isn’t a fluff piece — it actually tells you in depth what to expect from a typical day at a typical daycare. And they don’t stop at age 3, the advice and tips will take you through preparing for Kindergarten and beyond.

Written by the Directors of the 92nd Street Y Nursery School in New York City, Nancy Schulman and Ellen Birnbaum, these two women clearly have not only a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips, but the organizational skills to present it clearly and without condescension.

Knopff sent me my copy, but you can get your very own at Amazon for $16.