Emily Oster, parenting guru and professor of economics, offers advice on finding your way as a parent

One thing that often distinguishes whether advice is helpful is if the person giving it is in any position to judge. Most advice is data combined with your preferences, so someone who doesn’t have those is rarely able to help you make a decision. The closer someone is to you, the more likely they share some of your values, so there are people – such as your parents – where sometimes you want to listen, and sometimes you don’t. Then there are strangers on the internet, people at the park – ask yourself: “Why would I be interested in what this person thinks?”