Toddlers – scarier than teens?

 

Can’t believe I forgot about this book!  Jennifer, a fabulous and incredibly talented author sent me a copy of her wonderful book “Toddler: Real-life Stories of Those Fickle, Irrational, Urgent, Tiny People We Love” about a year ago.  I read it then but between being sleep-deprived, brain dead, overwhelmed and hormonal, I kind of forgot about it.  

 

While I was tidying up my cupboards last weekend, I came across it again.  This time I loved it even more because I could so relate to stories!  I vacillated between laughing my ass off in empathy and being scared shitless of what is still to come.

 

It is a collection of stories written by parents of toddlers.  About living life (and trying to survive) through the toddler years.  It is not a ‘how to’, it is just personal stories written by real people.

 

In fact, so real that the book was banned in some uptight little town because one of the moms dared to use the ‘F’ word in her story.  Can you believe that shit!! The swearing wasn’t gratuitous. It was part of the story. And who hasn’t felt like saying the effing F word at times when you have a toddler!

 

This is a classic book, I love it!  Such a fun read. Highly recommended.

(Jennifer's website here)

Comments

[Bridgette]

I have a teenager and a toddler in the house at the same time. Some times its good, sometimes its not. And if you want my opinion, the teenager is harder.

[Laura(southernxyl)]

Bridgette, because you are bigger than the toddler.
: )

I remember reading somewhere that you know you are the mother of a toddler when your child gets stuck behind the bed and you hesitate before going to free him.

[2121stCenturyMom]

From my experience teens are very, very similar to toddlers except instead of just demanding a certain toy or some juice they want the keys to your car. The ego-centric, ungraceful way they assert themselves is very reminiscent of toddlerhood as is the way they really, really need you, no matter how independent they are trying to be.

[victoria]

You know, the stories recounted in that book are one of the reasons I could never understand why folks want kids. Having a toddler in the house is basically like putting a miniature psychotic tyrant with no impulse control in charge of your life. But maybe that happens only in America, where we tend not to discipline our children with the consistency and firmness of SuperNanny. (Then again, we went skiing in Switzerland over the Christmas holidays, and I noticed that the Euro tykes were pretty damn annoying, too . . . )

[Andrea]

Being firmly out of the toddler years with a 6 1/2 year old boy, I have to say that I didn't think toddlerhood was bad at all. Maybe I got lucky! Maybe my 2nd child will prove that theory....

[rachel]

I loved every single piece of writing in that book. It added to my appreciation of being the mom of toddlers and very sad that time is so fleeting.

[Bridgette]

I now have a 17 year old and a 3 year old asking to drive whenever I leave the house. Geesh!

[Angie]

My in laws bought me that book for my birthday last week. I have a 2 1/2 year old son and I'm looking forward to reading it and comparing stories.

[Megan]

I tried posting this comment before but it didn't show up for some reason..

Anyway, I was pretty surprised when I clicked on the link about the town that had banned the book to find myself taken to the website of my own hometown's local paper! It's a smaller world than I thought, heh. Although I would like to note that the book wasn't actually banned by the town, rather some tightwads decided to stop it from being sold at a luncheon for parents at an elementary school. So silly.