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The Mommy Shorts Guide to Remarkably Average Parenting
Ilana Wiles is not a good mother. She’s not a bad mother either. Like most of us, she’s normal. From the creator of the wildly popular blog Mommy Shorts comes Ilana Wiles’s first humor book on remarkably average parenting. If you want solid advice about raising kids, this book is not for you. If you want to wallow in your own misery about how having kids is AWFUL, this book is not for you. This book pays homage to the every-parent and suggests that they are the people having the best child-rearing experience of all. Using Wiles’s signature infographics and photographs to illustrate her personal and hilarious essays on motherhood, the book is an honest guide that celebrates the fun of being a mom.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published September 27, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
April 2, 2017
The Mommy Shorts Guide to Remarkably Average Parenting is one of the best books about parenthood I've ever read. It is an honesty, funny and poignant look at the un-glamorous side of parenting. I loved the pictures. I loved the stories. I wish that this book had been around when I had my baby. Between this read and How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids, mothers-to-be have all their bases covered.
Ilana warns mothers about the perils of choosing rare names: "... if you want to name your child something odd, I support you. I like odd names. I think odd names make the world a more interesting place. But you should be prepared to hear some criticism when you are at your most vulnerable." pg 19. I didn't even pick something that weird for my child (Willow) but I still faced criticism. When I told my grandpa the name I picked for his first female great-grandkid, he told me that it was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard. And there I was, heavily pregnant. Yeah, I cried. Wish someone had warned me.
I empathized with the idea that parents have no clue what they're doing and we're all secretly terrified that we're going to screw up our kids in some irreparable way. Over a decade later and I still feel that: "In hindsight, the newborn phase wouldn't be that hard if new parents weren't so worried about messing up in such a way that it would ruin their newborn's life forever." pg 33.
The page entitled, My two-year-old's rules for eating a banana pg 76, had me in stitches. Kids are so weird about food. My daughter is currently on a mac-n-cheese, ramen and ice cream kick. This time last year, all she would eat was homemade pancakes and grilled cheese with the crusts cut off. I'm sure that in another year, we'll be somewhere else. And it's not just about the "what", there's also the "how." If you cut the crusts off the grilled cheese, but then don't cut it diagonally, then no dice. You may as well throw it out because my kid won't eat it. It's absurd, but true. Poor Ilana suffers through the same thing but with bananas.
The other funniest mini-chapter is: "Totally Butchered Words: Even if you do stop cursing and shield your kids' ears from swearwords outside the home, your kids will probably still end up saying a few unfortunate things anyway. This is because toddlers might be trying to say one thing, but then it comes out sounding like another word entirely." pg 116. I can't even quote what she prints on the next pages because it is too filthy but, in my opinion, it is absolutely hilarious.
Ilana's parenting philosophy is fantastic: "It's not a matter of high or low expectations- it's a matter of no expectations. Discover who your kid is as you go. Your kids will not be who you expect, but the things that amaze us most in life are never the things we expect." pg 215 Mine amazes me all the time.
Highly recommended to own or give as a gift, The Mommy Shorts Guide to Remarkably Average Parenting is a cut-above average.
Ilana warns mothers about the perils of choosing rare names: "... if you want to name your child something odd, I support you. I like odd names. I think odd names make the world a more interesting place. But you should be prepared to hear some criticism when you are at your most vulnerable." pg 19. I didn't even pick something that weird for my child (Willow) but I still faced criticism. When I told my grandpa the name I picked for his first female great-grandkid, he told me that it was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard. And there I was, heavily pregnant. Yeah, I cried. Wish someone had warned me.
I empathized with the idea that parents have no clue what they're doing and we're all secretly terrified that we're going to screw up our kids in some irreparable way. Over a decade later and I still feel that: "In hindsight, the newborn phase wouldn't be that hard if new parents weren't so worried about messing up in such a way that it would ruin their newborn's life forever." pg 33.
The page entitled, My two-year-old's rules for eating a banana pg 76, had me in stitches. Kids are so weird about food. My daughter is currently on a mac-n-cheese, ramen and ice cream kick. This time last year, all she would eat was homemade pancakes and grilled cheese with the crusts cut off. I'm sure that in another year, we'll be somewhere else. And it's not just about the "what", there's also the "how." If you cut the crusts off the grilled cheese, but then don't cut it diagonally, then no dice. You may as well throw it out because my kid won't eat it. It's absurd, but true. Poor Ilana suffers through the same thing but with bananas.
The other funniest mini-chapter is: "Totally Butchered Words: Even if you do stop cursing and shield your kids' ears from swearwords outside the home, your kids will probably still end up saying a few unfortunate things anyway. This is because toddlers might be trying to say one thing, but then it comes out sounding like another word entirely." pg 116. I can't even quote what she prints on the next pages because it is too filthy but, in my opinion, it is absolutely hilarious.
Ilana's parenting philosophy is fantastic: "It's not a matter of high or low expectations- it's a matter of no expectations. Discover who your kid is as you go. Your kids will not be who you expect, but the things that amaze us most in life are never the things we expect." pg 215 Mine amazes me all the time.
Highly recommended to own or give as a gift, The Mommy Shorts Guide to Remarkably Average Parenting is a cut-above average.
March 29, 2017
I was going to give this three stars after the first two sections, but then I started reading the mom life section and laughed out loud to myself on the train during several stories.. so felt like it deserved another star. Perfect commute read -- quick, light, funny and available via Hoopla.
February 6, 2017
No, I'm not adopting a baby from Malawi. My topic at Genre Circle this month is Parenting. So I read a fairly easy book, The Mommy Shorts Guide to Remarkably Average Parenting. I absolutely enjoyed this accessible, funny informative book. Ilana Wiles manages to inform and entertain at the same time. Practical advice, funny personal stories, and hysterical photos make this a great gift for any new or parent-to-be.
January 5, 2017
Really fun read, with many laugh out loud moments. Good to be reminded of the humor in parenting and also that being a perfect parent is an unrealistic goal! Very enjoyable!
February 24, 2017
This book made me cry and laugh out loud (for real). So great!
October 20, 2016
I follow Mommy Shorts on social media so it came as no surprise that I enjoyed her book. What did surprise me is how laugh-out-loud funny the book is! I feel like I really got an inside look at Ilana's sense of humor and the book is even funnier than her blog. I love her "remarkably average" approach to parenting and recommend her book (and blog) to all the other parents out there who'd rather laugh than cry!
December 6, 2016
Pretty sure Ilana and I are now best friends. Just saying. She was honest and funny through out the entire book. Some parts of the book will make you say "that's so me" and other parts "I'm glad my kid isn't the only one."
January 25, 2017
I enjoyed this book, it was a good laugh for parents. Although if you follow mommyshorts on social media, there are quite a few repeats.
February 1, 2017
This novel was purchased for me by my best friend: a fellow Mom (a veteran fellow Mom) with a penchant for reading non-fiction. I would not buy a book of this nature for myself (I'd instead opt for the online blog because I, like the author Ilana, am also a city parent with precious limited space), and thus would probably never have read it, had she not picked it up for me.
It's a funny, fresh, relevant take on parenting that I found myself cackling along with and saying, "ooh, me too!" Even if you are cut off from precariously buying books to add to a stuffed series of shelves, check out the Mommy Shorts blog instead... Ilana has a clear voice, beautiful children and a very well-decorated Manhattan apartment.
It's a funny, fresh, relevant take on parenting that I found myself cackling along with and saying, "ooh, me too!" Even if you are cut off from precariously buying books to add to a stuffed series of shelves, check out the Mommy Shorts blog instead... Ilana has a clear voice, beautiful children and a very well-decorated Manhattan apartment.
December 24, 2016
I've been following Mommy Shorts for five years. I discovered her shortly after my first was born, and immediately went back and read all her previous blogs. She made me feel like it was ok that parenting wasn't all sunshine and roses and perfect smiles and sleeping cherubs 100% of the time! I can't tell you how many of her posts I have referenced when similar situations came up in our family. To see her blogs and charts and stories come together in a book is so amazing! I'm gifting this to as many people as I can. It's funny, it's sweet, it's ever so relatable, and it's so full of precious family love. 5 stars aren't enough!
September 29, 2016
I've been following Ilana on social media and my rugrats feel like they know Mazzy and Harlow through watching them on snapchat videos, so it was a given that I needed to buy this book! It was so nice to read about the whole parenting experience from a real perspective! How refreshing it is to feel like you're doing something right instead of feeling like a failure because you can't compare to the mom's you often see on social media. I had lots of laughs and relatable moments and the kids (and myself) loved seeing all of the photos included!
December 14, 2016
I've been a follower of Ilana on Instagram for a while now and have mostly enjoyed her creative outlook on parenting. I really enjoyed this book and found it very relatable and humorous. There was the time I was waiting to get my flu shot at CVS when I read her birth story, and I laughed so hard that I had tears. And everyone stared at me like I was crazy. She has fun and creative graphics in the book about pregnancy and parenting that are so on point. I'm planning on getting a copy for my best friend who just had a baby!
February 1, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this read! I've followed Ilana on social media for quite some time and enjoy her refreshing candor on parenthood. There were quite a few lines that stuck with me throughout, but this perhaps was my favourite: "Sometimes we get so caught up in the grind--our jobs, routines, errands, discipline, just trying to keep everyone alive and racing to bedtime like it's the finish line at the end of the day--that we forget to notice all the amazing things that happen along the way" (p218)
June 18, 2017
This book is utterly hilarious (and terrifying) as it is a no holds barred view on parenting. I don't suggest reading it in public as you will be snorting and laughing out loud. It tells you important things you may not already know about labour, delivery, breastfeeding, diapers and potty-training, feeding and living with babies/toddlers/preschoolers. New moms should read this and so should new dads (they should know what moms go through). I think that even those who don't have kids may get a kick out of it as well.
January 27, 2023
This book is hilarious! You will find yourself laughing out loud. My husband read it before me, and he was a little put off by the pregnancy part, but soon he was relating and laughing to the tales of child rearing. I think this is a must have gift for any mom-to-be or mother in the throes of parenthood. It would make an excellent shower gift accompanied by a practical baby gift. Ilana Wiles' humor is so relatable!
February 6, 2017
As a huge fan of the Mommy Shorts blog (and various other social media outlets), I was so excited to learn that Ilana had put her voice in a book. This is an excellent read for all mothers, especially new ones bogged down by the dreaded "sanctimommies" in various parenting groups. You will realize that despite your shortcomings, you children will survive and may even thrive! And have a good chuckle while at it.
February 6, 2017
I love Mommy Shorts! Ilana Wiles' writing style is so engaging and then she adds photos of her girls, which only makes it better. The current trend toward supporting normal parents instead of just the "super moms" is very refreshing and one I hope continues. Wiles is one of the best examples of this. She is down to earth but you can tell how much she loves her children. Reading her blog and book and following her social media really makes you want to be her friend!
June 28, 2017
3.5 stars. This book is characteristic of the mommy lists and Facebook posts that are all over the internet. Overdone, but funny so I click on them occasionally when I'm avoiding doing something that's actually productive. I saw this book on the shelf at the library and, in a moment of needing to choose something before my kids high-tailed it out the door without me, I checked it out. It was good for reading by the pool during their swim lessons ... and did make me laugh, for sure.
November 23, 2016
Ilana Wiles could write a dictionary and it would probably be laugh out loud funny. Like her blog, which I've fallen in love with over the past three years, The Mommy Shorts Guide to Remarkably Average Parenting is heartfelt, relatable, a little bit irreverent, and nonjudgmental. This is a must-read for parents-to-be, new parents, and experienced parents.
October 17, 2016
I don't read Ilana's blog or follow her on Instagram or anything, but I thought this book was quite funny -- I just picked it up randomly at the library because I ADORE the title. I, too, am a remarkably average parent, although there is NO WAY I WOULD SPEND $1,000 ON A STROLLER!
February 5, 2017
One of the best parenting books I've ever read since she doesn't try to preach on how to be perfect. Full of hilarious images and personal stories to illustrate the point - suggest this for any first time parent.
August 29, 2017
Great laugh
I don't think I have laughed this hard while reading. I love how someone else can relate to being a parent. And it was great that there was no bashing the spouse in the process.
I don't think I have laughed this hard while reading. I love how someone else can relate to being a parent. And it was great that there was no bashing the spouse in the process.
September 22, 2017
This book was my happy place this week. When I needed a laugh, it was there for me. This might be my go-to baby shower gift, after I've gone through and blacked out all the f-words. This book helped me chill out a little bit and laugh at the verities of parenthood.
October 24, 2017
It's an amusing affirmation that I'm not alone in my parenting experiences, but not really anything more than that. Very similar to internet click bait stuff. I'll keep going, though, just because it's a light read that's easy to pick up in short shorts. Starting on Section 3 now.
October 15, 2018
Favorite quote:
The secret to parenthood is having a selective memory. It’s remembering the good stuff. More important, it’s the ability to recognize when you are in a memorable moment and fully appreciating it. Big or small.
The secret to parenthood is having a selective memory. It’s remembering the good stuff. More important, it’s the ability to recognize when you are in a memorable moment and fully appreciating it. Big or small.
October 11, 2016
Every new mom needs to read this! It is the equivalent of a warm hug and someone whispering in your ear, "me too, sweetie, me too."
October 25, 2016
Irreverent, painfully true, and hilarious.
October 26, 2016
Read this book after your first kid is 18 months or older. Everything is spot on and will keep you laughing throughout the book.
November 2, 2016
I have been following mommy shorts for a while and was so excited to get this book. I loved it and couldn't put it down!
November 25, 2016
The best parenting book I've read in a while. So, hilarious and down to earth. I appreciated all the advice and the wit that came with it. I loved all the pictures, they make this book complete!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews