What Your Parents Never Told You About Being A Mom Or Dad

by Stan Berenstain, Jan Berenstain

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. From their grandfatherly and grandmotherly perspective, and with their usual warmth, wisdom, and wit, the Berenstains help parents feel a little more comfortable about the scary, tempting, and happy things in their grown-up lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting

125 pages, Hardcover

First published January 13, 1995

About the author

Stan 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.

Reviews

[Maria Gable · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Dale · Rating 1 out of 5]

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/...

[Wintermote · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few gems inside but mostly dated parenting humor.

[Molly]

Just 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.

[Katie]

Disappointed 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.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Elissa Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fun take on all the little parenting issues you don't normally talk about. =)

[Beth LaBorde · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was just a dated parenting book. Cute moments but nothing very catchy.