Top Ten Parenting Tips

I had another* article published at Four Columns for a Balanced Life.

Read this in a loud, echoey voice — BEHOLD:

Did you hear an angelic choir singing, “Awwwwwwwwwwwww”?

Here’s one tip from the article:

Because parenting is hard, cruddy stuff is going to happen. It just comes with the territory. Taking a deep breath and moving on after an unfortunate incident will help you maintain a happier demeanor, inside and out, especially when it comes to things you have no control over. Some days your children are just going to be fussy like they’re taking turns or have it scheduled on a secret calendar. Keeping a sense of humor helps. Once I asked a friend how her kids were. She responded: “For sale.”

Little secret, though: I only combed through the first couple of chapters for these ten. I could get 10 or more “top” 10 articles out of this book. As one reviewer put it:

She was tipsy when she wrote this book. (It contains more tips than the apron of the prettiest bar maid at Oktoberfest.) It’s clear that she’s a happy, fun person (Betsy, not the bar maid), who followed the advice from her previous books…

She shares her struggles and successes with a healthy dose of humility and humor. Well, maybe it’s more a gluttonous dose of humor.

(Here’s that review.)

I also got this text from my sister: “I CAN’T GET MY WORK DONE BECAUSE I CAN’T PUT YOUR BOOK DOWN.” She wrote that during her “I can’t figure out how to get rid of all caps on my phone” phase (though she would’ve written that in all caps).

Another person said, “I might have raised better kids if I had had your book a long time ago!”

And my favorite:

“Your writing brings joy to my heart!” (Take that Marie Kondo!)

Now, because I made you sit through all that, here’s something a little more sobering, a quote from my toddler son:

“I steal things because they’re beautiful.”

Yep, Mom of the Year, here I come! A shame that didn’t make it into the book.

Thanks for reading, and special thanks to Jerry for featuring me on his website!

Since Christmas and Hanukah are coming, you may want to grab a copy of this book for all the parents (this covers toddlers through teens) in your life. It happens to be on sale for 59% off on Amazon right now! OR, if you truly love me and want a personalized autographed copy for yourself or a friend, email me at parentingisfunny@gmail.com. We’ll talk.

* The first article for Four Columns was Ten of my Favorite Tips from 101 Tips for a Happier Marriage.