BOOK TOUR: NAPTIME IS THE NEW HAPPY HOUR by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
Need the honest-to-God, I'm gonna give it to you like it is, wine-drinking, exhaustion ridden truths about raising a toddler (believe me when I say I've been there)? Well, NAPTIME IS THE NEW HAPPY HOUR and OTHER WAYS TODDLERS TURN YOUR LIFE UPSIDE DOWN by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor is just your book (and then some).This ain't no parenting advice book. Well not really anyway. Sure we get a handful of children's television show reviews, toy suggestions (or not), the holiday dos and dont's, as well as how to find a good mom friend (or playdate). But it's not all fact-bound or stuffy. It's more--how shall I put this?--candid. And freaking HILARIOUS. Stefanie takes the fun and puts it back into motherhood. Not to mention a dose of much-needed reality. All that mom-poser stuff--my kid is better than yours because we don't watch TV, never have a lick of sugar, and know seven languages by age 3--is given a much needed bitch slapping.
I don't know about you, but life on the playgroup scene hasn't been to kind to me. I tried on a few (six) when The Kidd was a baby. And then again when he turned 118-month(ish). I figure he needed a friend or two (and hell, I needed someone to talk to that wasn't providing me a paycheck or eating Cheerios off the floor). So, my misadventures in the playgroup scene began. Much like Stefanie, I met the Holier-than-Thou Moms. The ones stuffing so many activities in a day they were afraid to stay home, and Those that Like To Compare Milestone Notes. It was awful. So much so, I just gave up and went back to working from home countless hours a week and sat The Kiddo behind me to watch hours of television.
Stefanie's experiences in NAPTIME don't end with playgroups though. She runs the gamut with the reality checks, sarcastic toddler humor, and I'm Gonna Die moments. These are a few of my favorites in the book:
- Suburban Boredom (let me fess up... Stefanie and I, different backgrounds. But that doesn't mean that this essay didn't have me crying in I-can-relate tears.)
- Supermom or Superlair?
- Playdates: and Other Potentially Irritating Ways to Spend an Afternoon
- Television: It's Not Just For When You Are In the Shower
- Food: It's Not What's For Dinner
- A Little Help, Please?
- It's All About Date Night: And Other Urban Legends
- Going for Broke--Or a Second Baby
Okay, really I liked them all. Making this list was like cutting off an arm.
I've never had so much fun reading a parenting book before. And I've read plenty. This one was poignant, hysterical, and one I'm adding to my list of Read This Before Kids pile for baby showers gifts. Mostly because, I want new mothers to see the funny in the chaos of what life becomes.
Ready for more Stefanie? I sure am! You can find more info here:
- Baby on Bored (Stefanie's blog)
- Two interviews by Mommy Bloggers (here and here)
- Buy the book on Amazon
Seriously, if you are ready for more laughs, her blog is the first stop.
*This post brought to you by the lovely ladies at Mothertalk. Gotta love 'em!
