The key to asking open-ended questions is that it doesn’t assume that the parent you’re talking to plans to do x,y or z the same way you do, or even the same way that many or most parents do. It leaves space for the idea that there are many right ways to parent, and shows that you respect that parent enough to hear them out, whatever their plans may be.
Every parent dreads the nights where bedtime seems to last forever. We go through our bedtime routine, read books, snuggle, and say goodnight and within minutes they are back up.
I always knew what I feared most about parenthood: sleep deprivation. No question. I was truly terrified, and it seemed like no amount of preparation could save me from the inevitable fog of exhaustion and misery.