When I was pregnant, I was a BIG fan of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Some folks hate it. They think it fear-mongers or that it doesn’t have enough information. I was also a fan of the Mayo Clinic, & y’all know how deep my love of Baby Proofing Your Marriage runs.
But parenting books? Parenting books are on a WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL than pregnancy books. Because really, there’s only one way to be pregnant. Sure, there are mild differences, but at the end of the day it’s the same - don’t get drunk, don’t do drugs, don’t roll down hills. BAM. Parenting? PANDORA’S BOX. One book written by an “expert” will tell you to Cry It Out to teach your baby to self-soothe; the next “expert” tells you that Cry It Out only results in a a woman-hating pathological serial killer. Needless to say, every time I walk through the “how to raise your child without destroying the universe” section of Barnes & Noble, my head explodes.
TLC Book Tours contacted me a bit ago, asking if I would be interested in perusing a new parenting book. Sure, why not? I thought. I’m new to this whole gig & by golly, I need all the help I can get. So they sent Eat, Nap, Play by Robyn Spizman & Evelyn Sacks. I was pumped by the tagline alone – “How to Get Even More Out of Your Child’s Day for Less.” MORE OUT OF THE DAY. That is my ultimate goal. MORE! For less! The American dream!
Moms will concur – routines & creative ideas help your day & sve your sanity. & once you’ve established a routine that works, the inclination is to stick with it until the kids are off to college. But sometimes the rigidity of a “tight ship” doesn’t allow much time for good old-fashioned, spur-of-the-moment fun.
Wait. No. I like routine. I HAVE A SIX-MONTH OLD. Routine is my love language next to sarcasm & chocolate chip cookies.
Written by moms for moms, this timely guide centers on back-to-basics philosophies: spend quality time with your kids & spend less money. But this is not a guilt trip – it’s a fun-filled adventure. Eat, Nap, Play shows you how to turn every day mayhem into precious moments to build memories, foster growth, strengthen bonds, & just have fun.
Okay. I can get behind that. So I started flipping through.
There are some great tips. Like sharing a skill – aka Nate teaching Harrison how to golf & that becoming their “thing.” Granted, that’s not part of the “less money” aspect of this book. Or if I had a cool skill, which I do not, I could teach my children how to sew, or garden, or cook. (note to self: get a skill) The book shares the idea of having a “song” with your children – this, I LOVE. The Momma & I have a song. We turn up “It’s In His Kiss” every moment we get, take turns with the harmony, roll down the windows, & sing at the top of our lungs. & I love that anytime I hear that song, I think of The Momma. & the book has EXCELLENT tips about long trips in the car – that is it’s shining moment. About packing treats specifically for the movie, setting up a “movie time” to draw out the suspense, etc. rather than just plopping in the DVD the moment you hit the highway.
But honestly? I think this book is wrongly titled & massively unorganized. (I’m sorry, authors & publishers! Don’t hate me!) It’s not telling me how to get more out of my child’s day. I thought this would be about scheduling & finding those little moments. Instead, it bounces around from cheap gift ideas to cheesy crafts to recipes &…walking the mall?
Maybe someone with an older child that loves disorganized mess would dig this. & I’m not slamming that, either. But it’s just not for me. & I think that is the basis of finding the right parenting book – flipping through & either finding that it resonates with your family, or it is simply not a fit.
For now, I’ll go back to just letting my head explode every time I hit Barnes & Noble & relying on my Momma Gurus to help me out, rather than a book.
I want to hear more about Babyproofing your Marriage. I have thought about checking that book out the next time I go to the library. Do you have an old blog with that review?
Megan, we LOVE this book. I've written about it a few times, but you should really check it out! (either your library, bookstore, Amazon, whatever)
http://www.babyproofingyourmarriage.com/
That's the book's website, which should give you a GREAT idea of what it is about!
Oh man, I got really excited when I started reading this post, but it sounds like you and I have similar styles so if you ever find a parenting book that works for ya, let us know!
parenting books – boo. haven't found one i like either… i've been gifted a few… couldn't get through any of them. they bored me, or seemed out of touch, or wayyy too complicated… but anyhow… thank you for being honest about your review of this book. i have to be honest that sometimes when i'm reading blog reviews or raves of products, i have to wonder if the opinion is slanted just because the product was free to the author… anyhow… sorry this wasn't the book for you – and please keep us updated if you find a great parenting book…
I hate parenting books…period. I am not meant to fit into the pre-defined box they write about. Life is not one size fits all and so I have found doing what works for us is the best. Thanks for your honest opinion.
I highly recommend "Nurture Shock". It's not so much a parenting book, but it is very interesting. Just some things that may never have occurred to you about parenting. And some things that aligned with my own logic but which popular culture often insinuates is wrong. At any rate, it's a fun, interesting read.
I love Conscious Discipline & To Train Up A Child smashed together. The latter is a suuuuuper extreme & controversial book from which I've taken little tidbits. Little being the opertative word, but they were helpful. Conscious Discipline is basically the bomb.com/BA of books on children– but that's my opinion & I come from the school of thought that whatever works for you is great so long as it's good & healthy for the kids as well.
More Hours In My Day is an old school book about schedules & such. If you can find it, it might be worth reading.
Much love.
Hmmm. I like Jen Singer's books, but they aren't really what I would call "parenting" books. "You're a Great Mom…and your kids aren't so bad either" was the only one I read, but it talks about relaxing and knowing that we all do the best we can (this one is for moms of school-aged kids). (her site is mommasaid.net).
This post made me think of this: http://www.yearoftheparent.com/PDF/AnnaQuindelin_…
Read it! It chokes me up every time and I only have a 5 month old!
Hmmm…slightly older kids, cheesy crafts and disorganized mess…you know, I might have to check that book out.
And I could definitely use the tips on the long car trips…got a 10 hour one-way drive coming up in a month with a three year old and a 6 month old, so I'll need all the help I can get.
Thanks!
I have no problem ordering books for my library but i can’t seem to pick out parenting books for myself. go figure.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for putting up a negative review. I really was beginning to think you were saying how much you "love" every single thing you reviewed.
Seriously, honestly, 100% thank you for not liking this book.
I really was beginning to think you were saying how much you “love” every single thing you reviewed, **ETA: And I felt it wasn't real.
oh, no!! Trust me, if I didn't like it…I'd say something. I just happen to get some really fantastic stuff to review
& of course, I usually turn down reviews that I think would be negative from the bat.
I agree with Alyssa! Thanks for a honest review. I don't have time to waste on what some people would rave over mindlessly. Sponsored reviews are getting a little overwhelming in the blog world lately.
Exactly, Amy.
I would be SO PISSED if a Blogger raved about a product & then I spent my money on it…& realized the entire thing was a sham. No, thank you.
Ethics.
Like I said, I turn down any product that I don't think I can throw myself behind, which is why 99.9% of my reviews are positive. & of course with Mother's Day looming, giveaways are UP THE WAZOO everywhere!
The fact that the cover is a play on Eat, Pray, Love turned me off immediately. Don't write if you can't be original, ya know?
I second the comment on the book, "Nurture Shock." Not a parenting book, but just loads of interesting research and information. It was a page-turner for me. I was floored at some of the things that were discovered!
Thanks for sharing – this book sounds like it had potential and content, but without a method to the madness it would probably a waste for me!! amber
Me and my son actually love walking around the mall. He is 3 months old and loves looking at people and the lights and colors and it's a great way to get some exercise in. I love it.
I do not typically like to read parenting books also. I would much rather read books to my children that promote good behaviors. For instance tonight the kids and I read a really cute book titled, "Sewing a Friendship" by Natalie Tinti. It was great to spend time with the kids learning valuable skills on friendship. There are several other life skills books out there that the kids and I read together, and then discuss.
I go in phases on the parenting books. Sometimes I'm really enjoying them and other times, not so much! Sometimes you just need some practical advice! And I do enjoy those that use personal stories to help convey the advice and message, as it makes everything much more real and, to me, relevant. Next time you're at B&N, if you feel at all inclined to at least see what's out there, check out "Break Free of Parenting Pressures" by Debbie Pokornik. I think you'll like the part where she talks about being kind to YOURSELF, and that taking care of YOURSELF is every bit as important as taking care of your kids.