Parenting Is Easy : You’re Probably Just Doing It Wrong

Imagine a world where pregnant women are upbeat and glowing, newborns sleep on cue, toddlers love to have their teeth brushed, and teenagers gaze adoringly at their parents. This world does not actually exist although advertisers, marketers, and stock photo agencies would have us believe that it does. But when Sara Given, a real mother of a real toddler, saw a picture of a radiant new mom in a cute little sundress breastfeeding her newborn on a sunny day in the middle of a golf course, she did what any inherently funny person might do: added a hilarious caption and started a blog. An overnight sensation, her Tumblr is now visited daily by thousands of new parents looking for a pick-me-up, and has been covered by the likes of the Today show and The Huffington Post. And what better way to deal with the stress and strain of parenthood than laughter? The perfect gift of cheer and solidarity, Parenting Is Easy makes every reader laugh out loudand feel better, too, because we're in on the joke. Like the picture of a serenely composed mother spoon-feeding her serenely composed baby in a spotless living room: "If your baby is fussy at mealtime, try feeding him bib-free on a white couch." Or the happy blond family of four, straight out of a sporty American clothing catalog: "Hey, it's looking pretty overcast outside. Whaddya say we put on our wool sweaters and rain boots and play a quick game of soccer in the ocean?" Yeah, right. Imagine a world where pregnant women are always upbeat and glowing, newborns sleep on cue, toddlers love to have their teeth brushed, and teenagers gaze adoringly at their parents. Impossible, you say? Not according to advertisers who flood the web with stock photos of perfect parents and children. They’d have you believe that parenting is a piece of cake, and every significant moment of family life takes place on a spotless white couch. So when Sara Given, a real mother of a real toddler, saw a picture of a radiant new mother in a cute little sundress breastfeeding her newborn in the middle of a golf course , she finally had enough. She launched a Tumblr, which is now visited by tens of thousands of new parents looking for a daily pick-me-up. Because what better way is there to deal with the stress and strain of being a new parent than laughter? The perfect gift of cheer and solidarity, Parenting Is Easy exploits the disconnect between these preposterous photos and what happens in real life, and makes every reader laugh out loud—and feel better, too, because we’re in on the joke. In Parenting Is Easy, ridiculously perfect stock photos of smiling families are paired with witty, sweetly sarcastic captions that make us all feel better about how messy parenting really is. This book makes every reader laugh out loud - and feel better, too because we're in on the joke. "Parenting Is Easy exploits the disconnect between these preposterous photos and what happens in real life, and makes every reader laugh out loud--and feel better, too, because we're in on the joke,"--Amazon.com. "Parenting Is Easy exploits the disconnect between these preposterous photos and what happens in real life, and makes every reader laugh out loud--and feel better, too, because we're in on the joke, "--Amazon.com Introduction Perfecting Pregnancy Bringing Home Baby Enjoying Toddlerhood Breezing Through the School-Aged Years Living the Good Life.