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What Your Parents Never Told You About Being A Mom Or Dad
From the creators of the Berenstain Bears children's books comes a fresh and funny, trenchant and truthful look at what it means to be a parent. What Your Parents Never Told You About Being a Mom or Dad leaves you with more than a chuckle as the Berenstains provide advice and laughs on how to navigate the treacherous terrain of parenthood.
Reel Wisdom -- Persuading a child to do it "your way" is like landing a ten-pound bass on a one-pound line -- it has to be done very carefully. A firm steady pull rather than a series of tugs is more likely to meet with success.
No Contest -- Recognize that in any contest with your child you are seriously overmatched. Your child is naturally possessed of the guile of Wile E. Coyote, combined with the sheer energy of the Road Runner, while you, poor soul, the now-animated equivalent of Elmer Fudd.
On the Natural Superiority of Children to Dogs and Cats -- A dog gives you perfect love, a cat total rejection. A child offers the advantage of giving you perfect love and total rejection -- often simultaneously.
The Berenstains have helped countless children to be a little more courageous about scary things, a little smarter about tempting things, and a little more thankful about happy things in their young lives. Now, from their grandfatherly and grandmotherly perspective, and with their usual warmth, wisdom, and wit, the Berenstains help parents feel the same way about the scary, tempting, and happy things in their grown-up lives.
Reel Wisdom -- Persuading a child to do it "your way" is like landing a ten-pound bass on a one-pound line -- it has to be done very carefully. A firm steady pull rather than a series of tugs is more likely to meet with success.
No Contest -- Recognize that in any contest with your child you are seriously overmatched. Your child is naturally possessed of the guile of Wile E. Coyote, combined with the sheer energy of the Road Runner, while you, poor soul, the now-animated equivalent of Elmer Fudd.
On the Natural Superiority of Children to Dogs and Cats -- A dog gives you perfect love, a cat total rejection. A child offers the advantage of giving you perfect love and total rejection -- often simultaneously.
The Berenstains have helped countless children to be a little more courageous about scary things, a little smarter about tempting things, and a little more thankful about happy things in their young lives. Now, from their grandfatherly and grandmotherly perspective, and with their usual warmth, wisdom, and wit, the Berenstains help parents feel the same way about the scary, tempting, and happy things in their grown-up lives.
- GenresNonfictionParenting
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 13, 1995
1 person is currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Stan Berenstain
922 books705 followersStan and Jan Berenstain (often called The Berenstains) were American writers and illustrators best known for creating the children's book series the Berenstain Bears. Their son Mike Berenstain joined them as a creative team in the late 1980s.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 31, 2022
I have no desire to dissuade anyone from reading this book. It was hilarious and I’m sure, to most people, it’s very relatable.
The first portion when discussing babies and toddlers was very relatable.
Once they got into talking about sending kids off to school and “surviving the teen years” it just more or less felt like a chore to read.
Possibly because it’s not relatable. We homeschool and don’t plan on doing anything differently. And I don’t plan on “surviving” the teen years.
But it also might be that Stan and Jan come from a completely different world view throughout the book than my own. And that is not a negative aspect of the book for me! Not at all! It helps me consider my own core beliefs and round them out better as I take in their core beliefs through surface level talking points.
I appreciate their balanced view of television and ability to take the stresses and “suffering” of parenthood in stride with a little humor.
I didn’t appreciate the demeaning of fathers and men generally and the praising of mothers and women generally in the same breath.
I will not be reading it again.
So I will leave it to you to decide if this short and humorous read is for you or not.
The first portion when discussing babies and toddlers was very relatable.
Once they got into talking about sending kids off to school and “surviving the teen years” it just more or less felt like a chore to read.
Possibly because it’s not relatable. We homeschool and don’t plan on doing anything differently. And I don’t plan on “surviving” the teen years.
But it also might be that Stan and Jan come from a completely different world view throughout the book than my own. And that is not a negative aspect of the book for me! Not at all! It helps me consider my own core beliefs and round them out better as I take in their core beliefs through surface level talking points.
I appreciate their balanced view of television and ability to take the stresses and “suffering” of parenthood in stride with a little humor.
I didn’t appreciate the demeaning of fathers and men generally and the praising of mothers and women generally in the same breath.
I will not be reading it again.
So I will leave it to you to decide if this short and humorous read is for you or not.
July 18, 2012
B-o-o-o-r-i-i-i-n-g
I found this 3 1/2 hour audiobook and figured I'd come across a hidden gem. A book about kids by the Berenstains! Who would know more than those folks that have created books, videos, a TV show with lots of wholesome values and fun?
What Your Parents Never Told You About Being A Mom Or Dad is full of wholesome values. It offers practical advice on raising kids and a bit of an introduction to the Berenstain's experiences in raising a family.
But...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/...
I found this 3 1/2 hour audiobook and figured I'd come across a hidden gem. A book about kids by the Berenstains! Who would know more than those folks that have created books, videos, a TV show with lots of wholesome values and fun?
What Your Parents Never Told You About Being A Mom Or Dad is full of wholesome values. It offers practical advice on raising kids and a bit of an introduction to the Berenstain's experiences in raising a family.
But...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/...
May 23, 2021
A few gems inside but mostly dated parenting humor.
Did not finish
March 24, 2026Just not my jam. It looked kinda cute, but it’s so dated, the comparisons are no longer relevant. Even the humor isn’t all that funny. I might’ve enjoyed this if I’d read it: a) in the 1990s when it first came out, or b) while my kids were still in diapers, which is the target parenting season for which this book was written.
Did not finish
February 27, 2014Disappointed with this. I've loved the Berenstain Bears since I was a kid, so I was excited to randomly find this at my library. A book on parenting by some of my favorite children's book authors. It is completely disorganized with no clear focus though. I only read 50 pages.
June 27, 2016
I thought this book would be funnier than what it was. There were some funny comments, but some of it was a little silly and unnecessary, and it wasn't even a very long book. It took me awhile to get through it for that reason. I have always been a huge fan of their Berenstain Bear books, though.
November 15, 2016
As a parent of a toddler, I got a kick out of the reality of children through the Berenstains voice. Hilarious truths interspersed with helpful parenting tips and tricks.
I was laughing the whole way through.
I was laughing the whole way through.
September 10, 2010
Very fun take on all the little parenting issues you don't normally talk about. =)
April 15, 2022
It was just a dated parenting book. Cute moments but nothing very catchy.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews