Sometimes, all we need as parents is to know someone else gets it. Parenthood is rough. It’s isolating. Some moments we’re laughing, some we’re on the verge of tears – and sometimes, both are happening at the same time.
It helps to know that there are other parents out there riding on the same roller-coaster, encouraging us to just throw our hands in the air and enjoy the ride (or at least scream and close our eyes.)
Thank goodness for those who can put this whole parenthood experience into the words we struggle to find ourselves. Whether you need a good laugh, a cathartic cry, or just proof that it’s normal for kids to drive you up the wall, these books by fellow parents have you covered.
Perfection Pending by Meredith Ethington | Available Here
You may already know Meredith from her wildly popular Facebook page and website. A mix of hilarious storytelling, and touching reflection, Meredith expertly captures what it means to be a mom under pressure. This book will have you nodding in solidarity, and feeling encouraged to continue being the awesome parent you know deep down you are.
Sorry, From Your Husband by Clint Edwards | Available Here
Clint gives hilarious, relatable tips such as, “You don’t have to give your kid a bath all the time, just wipe them down from time to time”, and shares laugh-out-loud tales from his life as a parent of three. Clint challenges the “dad as babysitter” stereotype and shows us what it’s really like to be an awesome (if stressed-out) father.
The Vasectomy Diaries by Rodney Lacroix | Available Here
You might already be following Rodney on Twitter (if not, you should be!) Rodney manages to take a cringe-worthy topic and make it hilarious. Not for the faint-of-heart, this book walks you through Rodney’s sensitive surgery in graphic and gregarious detail. Whether you are considering the surgery yourself, or just enjoy a funny read, this book is for you.
Weird Parenting Wins by Hillary Frank | Available Here
Sometimes, our best parenting comes on the fly, not from the experts. Hillary examines unconventional measures parents have taken with their kids – that actually worked! One mom quieted her crying baby by snorting in her ear. Another got beets into her child’s tummy by proposing the possibility of turning her poop pink. The epitome of, “You do what you gotta do,” this book offers inspiration for thinking out of the parenting box.
Advantage, Mom: Twenty Lessons From a Parenting Pro by Maureen O’Brien | Available Here
Maureen, a mom of twins with a degree in child development, offers tips, tricks, and advice for parenting a wide age-range of children on a myriad of subjects. Using humour and practicality, Maureen offers a book that can be read cover-to-cover, or referenced a section at a time as life happens.
The Honest Toddler: The Definitive Guide to Successful Parenting by Bunmi Laditan | Available Here
Taking on the persona of her three-year-old son, Bunmi speaks for fed-up toddlers everywhere. The book is an extension of her hugely popular online Honest Toddler platform, and is simply hilarious. Bunmi captures the essence of toddlers so perfectly, you will forget this book wasn’t written by an incredibly loquacious three-year-old.
Bare Minimum Parenting: The Ultimate Guide to Not Quite Ruining Your Child by James Breakwell | Available Here
If you don’t know James by name, you almost certainly know his words. Often quoted on social media, James is an expert at capturing the experience of parenting and the genius of his four daughters. With this book, James shows you that your kids don’t need you to be a super parent, they just need you to be you. Bare minimum effort is where it’s at.
The Words Your Kids Need: The Value of Writing to Your Children and How to Do It With Ease by Lauren Cormier | Available Here
Parenting can sometimes leave us with a lot of emotions, and a loss for words to convey them. Lauren’s quick and practical guide helps parents get into the habit of writing down the thoughts, lessons, and stories they want to share with their children, and create a record their children can enjoy for years to come.
Toddlers are A**holes: It’s Not Your Fault by Bunmi Laditan | Available Here
If you follow Bunmi on social media, you will recognize her expert blend of sardonic humour and relatable honesty. Bunmi calls it like it is, no sugar-coating or placating pleasantries, and we love her for it. Few people can quite capture the hilarious hell that is raising toddlers like Bunmi can.
I Just Want to Pee Alone by Misc. | Available Here
What’s better than one awesome mom writer? An anthology of them. This New York Times Best Seller is a carefully curated collection of humorous essays and musing on parenthood. You probably follow most of these moms online, here’s your chance to have them all in one place (and maybe find some awesome new writers to follow!)
Dear Mother: Poems on the Hot Mess of Motherhood by Bunmi Laditan | Available Here
I know this is starting to look like the Bunmi Laditan show, but she is just that good and that versatile. In contrast to her funny essays about toddlerhood, Bunmi has written some raw poetry capturing with vulnerable honesty the powerful emotions of motherhood. We all share her insecurities and champion her triumphs. Bunmi’s uncanny ability to put words to our deepest feelings makes everything she writes, from Facebook posts to poetry, a beautiful experience, not just a good read. In addition to the books highlighted in this article, Bunmi has written both a picture book and a novel. There’s nothing she can’t do. And to add to her relatability, she writes much of these incredible works in the car, waiting outside her children’s school.
Multiples Illuminated: A Collection of Stories And Advice From Parents of Twins, Triplets and More by Megan Woolsey and Alison Lee | Available Here
This book offers essays and advice from parents of multiples and experts weighing in on the multiples experience. Parenting multiples comes with a unique set of needs, challenges, and joys. Covering a range of topics such as infertility, the NICU experience, breastfeeding, and caring for multiple babies and toddlers, this book helps boost the confidence of parents expecting multiples.
Scoop the Poop: Pick Your Battles by Meredith Masony | Available Here
If Meredith looks familiar, you probably know her from her hugely successful website and Facebook page That’s Inappropriate and its sister site Filter Free Parents. Using her trademark humour, Meredith tackles mom-guilt, and the measures we need to take as parents to preserve our identities outside of parenthood.
If you find yourself grasping at phrases to describe this awesome and crazy parenting journey you are on, look no further than these eloquent parents who have been there, written that.
Tagged under: books,parenting books,best books for moms,best books for dads
Category: family-life
