Every once in a while, I stumble on a parenting book that’s just FUN. Weird Parenting Wins by Hillary Frank fits the bill.
This book is a collection of advice from the listeners of the podcast The Longest Shortest Time and includes quirky, funny, and relatable tips from parents who have been there. Framed in 12 areas that any parent can relate to, this book is a fun romp of unconventional advice.
Some of the suggestions truly come from a place of “desperate times call for desperate measures.” For example, here’s a creative way to get your toddler to eat their veggies:
I filled a PEZ dispenser with frozen peas. My two-year-old devoured them, luckily before they had thawed.
-Diane, Berlin, CT
You will nod your head and laugh out loud. And there are even tips for getting some work done:
I give my eighteen-month-old daughter Post-it notes and send her on missions to put them on walls and doors and objects. It buys me time to write emails.
-Lee, Spokane, WA
Some people wrote in to tell stories from their own childhoods:
My parents used to play the Life Savers game on long car trips: Each child gets a Life Savers candy, and whoever can make it last the longest wins a second Life Savers. I didn’t realize until I was much older how quiet a child is when they spend all their effort trying to keep the Life Savers from dissolving. I think it gave my parents a nice break from bickering on long car trips.
-Elizabeth, Portland, OR
Ms. Frank starts off each chapter with her own hilarious tales from the crib (or highchair). Like the time she let her little one play “cash register” with soy sauce packets used as a substitute for money. Or how when her daughter started singing some swear-y song lyrics, she and her husband told her: “Sasha, you can sing it like that when you’re with us, but not with your friends, okay?” You know how I love kids who can curse.
Shame-free and completely unbossy, Weird Parenting Wins will steal your heart, crack you up, and give you a few ideas to keep in your back pocket for those difficult days with your littles.
Sarah MacLaughlin is author of the award-winning book, What Not to Say: Tools for Talking with Young Children and has been featured in The Huffington Post. She’s writing new book Raising Humans With Heart: Not A How-To Manual. A human development nerd, she brings over 25 years of experience working with children and families to her coaching practice. Sarah is also mom to a 11-year-old who gives her plenty of opportunities to take her own advice.
