Calm the H*ck Down

February 3, 2020
In this amusing work, Dale (It’s Not Fair), a podcaster and mother of three, urges fellow parents to lighten up, warns against “competitive parenting,” and recommends setting realistic goals. For instance, rather than spending precious time on homemade lunches, Dale lets her kids purchase their meal at school: “What happens with the food they buy is between them, their mouths, and the garbage can.” Likewise, parents can get carried away with kids’ craft projects, but Dale suggests “cheating,” such as purchasing a prefab gingerbread house kit (her go-to during the Christmas season). For birthday parties, Dale’s theme is “zero clean-up,” which, depending on a child’s age, could mean a movie or a trip to a fast food restaurant, rather than an elaborate, parent-executed celebration at home. Though Dale is funny and lighthearted, she offers valuable tips on talking to kids about sex, inspiring them to do chores, and encouraging them to read (she’s not above bribery) among other subjects. Dale’s humorous outlook is a refreshing change from the more somber parenting books out there. Laughter is important in Dale’s family, and readers of her entertaining guide will find it’s contagious, too. Agent: Kathryn Helmers, Creative Trust.

May 15, 2020
Many new parents feel the need to read every book, and purchase every device, in hopes of raising the happiest baby on the block. The sooner parents realize that no one really knows what they're doing, and kids are who they are no matter your parenting style, the better. Author, speaker and mother of three, Dale learned this the hard way, and wants to let everyone in on a little secret: Calm the H*ck Down. Not just during the early years of parenting, either: the real trick, according to Dale, is to lighten up about everything. From bodily functions and friendships to school and beliefs, nothing should be taken too seriously. Beyond the kids, Dale advises readers to cut themselves and their partners a break, too, and try to find ways to laugh and enjoy the ride together. With brutal honesty and dry wit, Dale's hilarious, relatable and most of all helpful book will give parents a good laugh (just when we could all use one) and remind them that this, too, shall pass.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)