Book Review & Giveaway: The Must-Have Mom Manual
Monday, August 3, 2009 at 5:45AM 
I don't talk about 'mom' stuff much on this blog - hence the name. But books? Books I can get into. Even parenting books.
I'm sure most of you moms and dads have had them. Those moments when you're on your last nerve, there's a pile of laundry that appears to be multiplying, and for some reason your kids are refusing to eat their chicken nuggets? When you just want to scream, "FOR THE LUVVA ALL THAT IS HOLY, IF ONLY THERE WERE A FREAKIN' MANUAL!"
Well, now there is! Sort of. (They're more like guidelines, really.)
The Must-Have Mom Manual by Sara Ellington and Stephanie Triplett is, well, just that. It covers everything from breast vs. bottle feeding, to teaching your kids good values, to organizing your closets, to what to tell the kids when the family dog dies. It's all presented from both points of view, and the two authors couldn't be more different: one is super organized, the other is messy; one left her career to stay home, the other went back to work; one breast fed her children and the other bottle fed them. And yet they remain great friends, primarily because they believe in the theme of this book: that there are plenty of ways to be a good parent. No one choice is good for all families, and it's about time people started respecting that.
A lot of this book is just good, solid, practical information. Secrets to make your hospital delivery more tolerable, tips for new dads, what to pack in your diaper bag, how to organize your car. And some of it is advice: take time for yourself, don't try to be perfect, keep the home fires burning. It's all delivered with spark and wit, and you get the benefit of at least two different perspectives (Sara: "Key rack! Shoe rack! Purge your clutter! Label it! Color-coded calendars!" Stephanie: "I'm gonna go have a cocktail while you alphabetize your daughter's Barbie collection."). Above all, it's very, very readable. At the end of each chapter is a short list of resources to make it easier for you to find more information.
Sara and Stephanie offer up products they've found work the best, and cut to the meat of all the other popular parenting advice books out there, giving a fast little summary of what the book is advocating, so you can get an idea of whether it's "for you". It makes the overwhelming amount of conflicting information available to parents a little more manageable.
Some of the chapters in this book don't really apply to me at the moment. I don't think my toddler cares where babies come from. And some of them may never apply to me (A whole chapter on going to Disney World? Really?). I was a little disappointed that certain things were never addressed (home births? Co sleeping? Where's the love for us hippie moms?), but generally, there's something for everybody in this book.
Obviously not all of the advice in this book is going to work for you ("Become an Early Riser"? Uh, hell, no). And that's kind of the point. There are lots of ways to be a good parent. There are lots of great suggestions, and if even a few of them are something you hadn't thought of yet, or saves you endless googling, then it's worth it.
So, do you guys think you know it all? Or could you (or someone you know) use this book? I have one to give away. All you have to do is have a look at the book's chapter list and leave a comment telling me which chapter looks the most interesting or useful to you. For an extra entry, tweet about this giveaway. Be sure to leave me a comment with the link to your tweet (or include my twitter handle - @superkeely - in the tweet).
And then, head on over to Nic at My Bottle's Up to read her review and enter her giveaway, too! We're all about the multiple perspectives around here. Uh, and the wine.
(PS - I shouldn't post things when I'm so, um, tired. I totally forgot to tell you to check out the mastermind behind this book review carnival, Heather from Maternal Spark! Also, I'll be picking a winner by random integer on Friday, so git yer entries in before then!)
Reader Comments (29)
yes... definitely the wine! :)~
great write-up babe.
cheers!
nic
I have some friends who's children are going to have children. Mine are dis-inclined at the moment :-(
You can never go wrong with wine. Ever!
And you do book reviews! When will the fun ever end?!
So, glad to have become a reader over here. Thanks to Frog mom for linking to you last Tuesday!!
The chapter that looks useful (I hope) #43 Getting Ready for Number 2. I'm not pregnant but am hopeful that we end up that way soon. So call it wishful thinking, call it positive thinking, or call it 'crazy and we should have stopped with just one!!'
The chapter on Mommy Myths. I always feel like I am behind the curve because people tell me things like feed a cold... and I just don't know any of them. It will make me feel better if they are full of crap.
Chapter 33 - Husband Training - I NEED this.
Chapter 21: Sleeping Kids
Contact: info [AT] bombaycreative.com
Husband training?! I had no idea they could be trained! Obviously, I need this book...
I can't think of anyone I know who needs this right now, but it's a great giveaway! If you come across a book on teaching your child to wipe their own butt I'm all in!! lol
Woo hoo, a giveaway! I need a book to give me some direction, please tell me it has a pop-up babysitter?
Organization? Did someone say organization and de-cluttering? Is a mom manual supposed to turn you on??
I just won a camera today, would it be bad form to enter this?
Wait, does the book come with wine? It should, I could use it. And the chapter on Discipline. Cause saying "no, don't do that" just ain't cutting it anymore (and the cat only has 9 lives, for peet's sake!)
An Organized Life??? Does this really exist? If so, then Chapter 26 is for me, me, me, me!!!
I could sure use a manual for quite a few things, but Chapter 26 (organized life), Chapter 31 (dads and daughters) and Chapter 33 (husband training) would be awesome...you know, so I could refer to the manual when needed... ;)
Great review, Keely!
The Chapter that would be the most helpful to me would be the one on depression. THe one I would read over and over again would be the ones about organization. I would read them and read them, but never apply them..lol.
Dads and daughters . . . My husband and daughter (our only) have a great relationship, but she's only 9, and I hope to keep it great as she gets older (and really starts to hate her mom, because that's what teenage girls do).
Hi there all,
Sara Ellington (one of the authors of The Must-Have Mom Manual) here. Thanks so much for doing this Keely, Nic, Heather...all the mom bloggers! Keely, just wanted to let you know that although we did not cover home births (maybe that will be for the second edition!) Stephanie covers co-sleeping in depth in Chapter 5. She LOVED co-sleeping with her kids and has a lot of say about it! Just an FYI. Thanks again all!
P.S. I will sign the winner's book!
Sara
www.saraandstephanie.com
Whoops, my bad. Sorry Sara (and Stephanie). I went back to look and yes, there is a very good section about co-sleeping. The book has a LOT of information, and I skimmed some of it because I'd already "been there, done that". Apologies!
I'm thinking I'm gonna need help talking about sex...even though she's not gonna do that 'til she's 30.
No one knows it all. Not even me ;-)
This book actually sounds pretty damn great. I might get a copy. Or ten. Do you think it would be rude to give it to other moms?
I think this book should be awesome. I think the germs and kids chapter is right up my alley. If, what do I mean if I meant when, I don't win, I will have to go and get this book for myself.
I think right now, for me, the chapter that made me want to have this book is Chapter 21 Sleeping Kids.. My 14 month old refuses to take naps since Wednesday last week! and I am cranky because he makes me so tired, and I have a bad temper when I am stressed out...
Oooh, and Chapter 20 talking to your Kids about Sex, because my 7 year old asked me that a couple of weeks ago and I had to call my husband at work because I didn't know exactly how I should tell her, I mean do I go into full details? or should I just tell her about flowers and bees?? I wonder why she has to ask, I never asked my parents when I was a kid, I just knew! LOL :D
I think Sleeping Kids would be the most helpful. This book sounds great, thanks for the chance to win.
lauren51990 AT aol DOT com
Right now I am most interested in the eating in a restaurant with your child-- because we haven't been in ages. And when we went to a little Greek place on vacation, the (16 year old) hostess looked at us disdainfully and said, "Uh... is it going to be loud?" in reference to my son. He was a perfect angel, although I was sort of hoping he would cause a ruckus just for her!
Chapter 14: Going Out to a Restaurant with your Baby or Child looks very interesting to me. I have seen so many children go a little berzerk at a restaurant and I want to make sure I am prepared when I go out with my little one!
wordsmoveme at gmail dot com