Parenting is probably one of the most wonderful and scary things anyone can experience. From deciding to have children, to making or getting them, to feeding them, to raising them, and uh, getting rid of them. It’s like a big science experiment.
Well, it doesn’t have to be entirely random, since as you probably know, there are a lot of books on the subject! And what better way to figure out which ones are useful and essential than to borrow them from the library? Talk about advice that you can take or leave! A couple of titles you might like to get you started are of course, Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care, or the upcoming Confident Baby Care: What You Need to Know for the First Year from America’s Most Trusted Nanny, by Jo Frost
Are there particular issues that you need some extra support with? Whether it’s ADD or autism or wanting to know what they’re doing on the computer all day, or learning to be a stepmother, there is probably a book or two on the topic!
Sometimes the best way to understand something is through other people’s experiences, fictional or not. Some wonderful novels that feature a parent’s perspective are Hens Dancing, by Raffaella Barker and Belong to Me, by Marisa de los Santos. And of course, no one does memoirs like Anne Lamott, whose Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year is not only hilarious, but can even help you with a colicky baby.
Really, though, isn’t the incredible and beautiful thing about parenting seeing how “in the moment” children are, enjoying and exploring life as it comes? Well, speaking of exploring and enjoying life, what’s coming this week is Summer Reading for everyone! This Sunday (June 8th) afternoon is Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Summer Reading Extravaganza, with free food, music, games, crafts, and of course, books for everyone! It will be in front of the Main Library, from 12-5pm. Starting that day, you can register for Summer Reading, where just by reading books and logging them, you can win bi-weekly prizes, like gift certificates and free books. Finish five books by August 31st, and you could be eligible for the Grand Prize! It’s fun for everyone! To register, come on down to Extravaganza on Sunday, or check back here for details!
-Kaarin
Eleventh Stack 