The Manny by Holly Peterson was my “summer read” that continued way too far into Fall! The story was an interesting peek into the lives of the “uber rich” in the heart of New York City’s Manhattan. While the thought of having my own cooks, maids and nannies is unimaginable to me, it’s always entertaining to read about this ultimate fantasy lifestyle in between doing my own piles of laundry, cooking dinner and helping kids with homework. When you add a young, good-looking, zest for life “Manny” to the mix, you would think that things would get really interesting! Unfortunately, it didn’t quite do that for me. (more…)

I am the Queen of reading parenting books, most often written by other Mothers who write about their experiences. This was the first time I’ve read one by a Dad! It was very interesting to gain some perspective from the Father’s side of the parenting spectrum. I really enjoyed this book and literally laughed out loud reading several of the chapters!

Robert Wilder enlightens us with his parenting stories in a relaxed style as if you were having a casual conversation over coffee. I liked this book because it was not bogged down with lessons in child rearing, which I found refreshing; he simply relays the funny or touching experiences that we all have as new and more experienced parents. One thing that I’ve really come to enjoy is spending time with other parent friends and sharing our own funny or embarrassing stories with each other. (more…)

As a busy mom always short on time, what I loved most about Confessions of a Slacker Mom by Muffy Mead-Ferro was the sense of accomplishment that I felt after reading it in one night! It is a quick and easy read. I got the sense that the author wasn’t trying to write yet another parenting advice book, but instead wrote about her experiences growing up in the 70’s and her mother’s parenting style versus the popular, trendy parenting methods of today. It was a great tribute to her mother and the important life lessons she took away from growing up on a ranch in Wyoming and being forced to be an independent, hardworking, appreciative child.

I enjoyed reading several different chapters where she takes on many of today’s modern parenting challenges. First, her take on toys (Toys Aren’t Us) humorously describes needing to buy stock in battery companies, the constant chore of picking up the 60+ pieces to the toy or sorting through toys to put them back together, which I know from experience has taken up way too much of my time! I whole-heartedly agree with the fact that today’s kids have so much to choose from that almost nothing is truly special. She also reflects on how much more time was spent outside using our imaginations and playing with sticks, rocks and spending hours building forts out of card board boxes instead of buying expensive “educational” toys that the kids look at once and forget about! (more…)

I am a mother of two young girls, ages 6 and 4. For years I’ve looked to books in the parenting information section of the local library to help me with guidance on issues such as potty-training, ideas for kid meals, sleeping troubles, sibling rivalry, etc. Although I found an abundance of information, I quickly came to the realization that I wasn’t really enjoying these books with their unique theories on raising children and needed something a little more realistic and down to earth to escape my sense of being an inadequate parent.

The Three-Martini Playdate: A Practical Guide to Modern Parenting by Christie Mellor was the perfect dose of reality that I needed. Mellor’s book takes subjects like screaming, child-proofing and bedtime dramas and reminds us that we are the ones in charge and that we’ve become a society that completely over-analyzes and over-compensates for normal behavior and that it’s time to go back to the basics. She explains that it’s okay to go back to the basics (flashback to our grandparents’ days of raising children in the 50’s!). This book is very funny with a retro feel to it (hence the little tot’s first martini recipes) and at the same time full of practical advice on how to be a good parent and prevent your kid from becoming too full of him or herself (see her chapter entitled Child Labor – Not Just for the Third World). Probably one of the funniest chapters gives a great checklist for leaving Dad home alone with the kids while the mom makes herself scarce for the rest of the day, and doesn’t feel guilty about it! (more…)