We're all in this together, it seems

Ian and I have been reading a parenting book lately, as you do, looking for ideas, inspiration, anything to give us more of the calm, quiet, joyful bonding stuff and less of the nagging and the crossness and the tiredness. And actually this one's been working nicely — it makes sense, it's very specific and clear, and it gives me enough of a feeling that I know what I'm doing for me to be able to let go and trust my intuition and heart too.Anyway, we must have been talking about it because the Cat asked to read the book the other night. He read four chapters, then declared that it made quite a lot of sense. Now he's quoting it back to us and chipping in with his thoughts on how we could handle particular situations.Is that how parenting manuals are supposed to work? You give them to your children and they talk you through it all? Is that knowledge safe in their hands? Is it wise to let them know that parenting is a thing you do, and not an immutable, essential state of being? Should they know that we're trying to figure this stuff out? That we're winging it?