The best Parenting & Families Humor books: Reddit reviews

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

Holy shit!

That's Daniel Kibblesmith, author of the book "Santa's husband" where Santa Claus is a black man married to a white guy Amazon link.

According to imdb he is also a writer for Stephen Colbert's current show. You can't make that stuff up.

"You do realize I have no idea either, right? This is all a guessing game to us both."

​

"I'm not sure. What do you think?" (say this genuinely curious/asking him, NOT with an accusatory tone. it puts the ownership back on him and hopefully makes him realize that you DON'T have all the answers all the time and that he SHOULD at some point -- or at least ask google.)

​

If you're both in a good place, legit sit down and have a conversation about this. If he has a sense of humor maybe buy him the baby owners manual and say "it sounds like you need to read the directions" ;) (https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Owners-Manual-Instructions-Trouble-Shooting/dp/1594745978)

First thing: just basically do the opposite of what your parents did. :D

Seriously though, that's basically the gist of it. My parents were completely irresponsible. Mother was a total narcissist, and my father was not really qualified to be one. I only learned from them what not to do.

Also read as much as you can on the internet. There are tons of blogs and stuff about child-raising theories. Don't treat anything like the gospel, but it should give you ideas as to what is "normal".

I especially recommend this (hilarious) book you can get on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/How-Traumatize-Your-Children-Deliberately/dp/1601063091/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487707694&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+traumatize+your+children

Basically this is your opportunity to treat your kids the way you wish your parents had treated you. I had a truly horrible mother (with whom I am no-contact), and now have 3 young girls who appear to be growing up very well adjusted. As long as you are aware that it was your parents, not you, who were at fault then you are on the right path to avoid being like them.

Passive Aggressive Panda, eh? I can work with that.

For that matter, it doesn't need to necessarily be a children's book, that's just a style. Plenty of coffee-table books that are meant as comedy.

New dad to a 1 year old here.

• Be prepared to support your wife through emotional times.
• I recommend this book which I found funny yet pretty informative.
• Start working out with a kettle ball of at least 15-20 lbs doing lifts similar to picking up a baby. Strengthen that lower back. You will repeatedly pick up the baby a lot.
• Look into and take your paternity leave. Too many guys skip out on this. But it does two things. Gives you bonding time, and saves you money. Daycare is expensive.
• Look into daycare costs so you are prepared.
• Look into local mothers clubs. They usually let in dads. Those groups give away a ton of free gear. They also connect your wife with other women going through the exact same thing. They will have answers you cannot give.
• Do not tell friends or family until after the first trimester. Miscarriages happen more often than expected early on. Having to explain this to friends or family is not something you want to do.

I think he’s ready for this children’s bedtime classic:

Go the F**ck to Sleep

ETA: Which is a real book in case anyone didn’t know

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1617750255/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_eqnZDbAFTS1SD

I got my husband this book and I think it helped a lot. We also took a new parents class at the hospital. But we had so many of these dumb conversations: sleeping on their backs, no blankets, all kinds of stuff I thought was obvious at this point. If he'll trust that you know what you're doing and he's willing to learn, I think you'll be good!

Pick up this book immediately: https://www.amazon.com/Dude-Youre-Gonna-Be-Dad/dp/1440505365/ref=sr_1_2?crid=YV792GQITCOB&keywords=dude+youre+going+to+be+a+dad&qid=1554477971&s=gateway&sprefix=dude+you%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-2

​

It is really well written and addresses a lot of topics that you should hear about before it becomes an issue.

Strange Planet is the name of the comic series. They are my favorite modern comic.

Here is a link to the book form https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062970704/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_Y6ETolgWyvMU1

There is also a second book out now called Stranger Planet.

It's the perfect price for a small gift. Ive bought it for many friends and relatives and people love it 100% of the time. Support Nathan Pyle, who brings a wholesome ray of light to 2020!

My work has a lot of women, and naturally some will get started on their wee ones. I have a stack of these babies to give away whenever I see a baby shower announcement. Being in IT it's a perfect gift from me, and either the mother-to-be or babydaddy tends to be engineerily inclined so it works.

I get this reaction every time; "HAHAHA this is hilarious! .... whoa, this has good info in it!"

Apparently a human can pre-order a dead-tree compendium here. I just did.

(sorry, that's how you know it is not a self-promotion).

The Baby Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips, and Advice on First-Year Maintenance (Owner's and Instruction Manual) https://smile.amazon.com/dp/1594745978/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_UTMKCbEXXFK04

The Baby Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips, and Advice on First-Year Maintenance (Owner's and Instruction Manual) on Amazon

A few years ago before my niece was born my cousin said the same thing just before they had a baby shower.

I bought them this https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594745978/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_3SZT2R3ZXX452ZXD9214

That's an unfortunate reaction from your husband. He probably doesn't understand that being supportive means being proactive.

I was browsing Amazon today for some journals and landed on this https://www.amazon.ca/Dude-Youre-Gonna-Be-Dad/dp/1440505365. I'm tempted to get it for my husband this Father's day, but I'm not gonna lie, it's a bit of a gamble, given his reaction so far, though I'm hoping the humorous tone will lessen the blow of the "lessons". The fact that the author is a man might help with that (husband dealt a lot better with the news after he spoke with a newly minted dad about it).

S’ok, you can always buy it from Amazon if you’re too tired for the ceremony:

https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Owners-Manual-Instructions-Trouble-Shooting/dp/1594745978

(I have this book, it’s pretty funny, but not sure how much better it really is than flying by the seat of your pants)

Sure, all those parenting books are great, but have you seen what I used to raise my kids https://smile.amazon.com/How-Traumatize-Your-Children-Deliberately/dp/1601063091/ref=sr\_1\_190?dchild=1&keywords=gag+gifts&qid=1626466935&sr=8-190

Got the book Be Prepared - A Practical Handbook for New Dads in a Dad Box, finished it in one sitting. It’s hilarious and informative!

You're starting from a good spot. Try not to overcomplicate things, even the best laid plans get immediately derailed when it comes to kids.

I've found that a lot of pregnancy and baby reading can be very judgmental and prescriptive, so we mostly just avoid it. Keep it simple and you'll both be happy: Stay away from dangerous foods, don't drink/smoke/drug, get a lot of rest, get exercise, and eat a healthy diet along with prenatal supplements. Towards the end, the waiting gets stressful, so take a lot of walks, enjoy your last few days as a childless couple, and relax.

My favorite baby book is actually Be Prepared. Its light-hearted and has great info about what to look out for without being preachy about anything. It's very practical and my wife and I both agreed that it was more helpful than most of the mom guides which trend towards the "if your child has a french fry before age 10 you've failed them and they're going to become a crackhead" level of unhelpful specificity.

Edit: We're on baby #2, #1 is nearing her second birthday.

Here is, in no particular order, a short list of gifts I'm getting my wife, and the reasoning behind each.

• A pedicure. She really wants some form of pampering. I was also looking at massages, but I would be slightly concerned about a masseuse being too rough or using oils that might not be OK, etc.
• A new Android tablet. If nothing else, I figured it'd be something nice for her to have when she is in the hospital. It's also a little easier to use than a laptop when rocking the baby at stupid o'clock in the morning.
• A funny maternity shirt. Amazon has tons of them. She has so many nice maternity clothes that a funny one will be a nice change.
• An "adult" board game - similar to Cards Against Humanity in terms of humor. She can't really drink at gatherings but she loves to play board games, so risque games with a cheeky sense of humor are awesome.

These are the gifts I got her that actually reference her being pregnant. For other ideas...

• A funny book about babies or pregnancy. "Go the Fuck to Sleep," for example.
• A Snoogle. People rave about these things for good reason. They're absolutely wonderful things that are worth every penny.
• Baby clothes. "I love my mummy," that kind of thing. But don't get too much stuff that seems to be just for baby.
• Favorite books, movies, etc. that you don't seem to have picked up. Especially if they're ones that relate to kids in some way. For example, for my birthday I got the Bromeliad trilogy since they were the first novels I read as a child, and I'd love to read them to my own kids.

It's not a kid, it's a baby, and there is a big difference.

The baby is not manipulating them, the baby has only basic needs, at 2 years old they may have some preferences but they don't even realize they can do things to influence others and get what they want. Even a tantrum is usually just having big emotions and no where to go with them.

I'd like to hope that it will be different when it's his own kid, else I'd suggest he starts seeing a therapist now do deal with the trauma of having a newborn at home and a wife that's "on the babies side".

There is a book my husband got that might help? Linky to Amazon

51m here - married, two kids

First, congratulations!

The good news is babies and parenthood are NOT rocket science. It is a lot of work but you don't need to be a genius to figure it out. Remember, literally BILLIONS of people have done this before you, often without the anywhere near the resources you have available to you.

In fact, you really, really have to try hard to fuck this up. 90% of parenthood is just showing up and being present.

The added bonus is you and your girlfriend love each other already so that helps immensely.

We all have our hopes and dreams. We all have our timetables and schedules. However, life does not give a fuck. It throws shit at you - ready or not. This is one of those rare times life is throwing you an amazing, wonderful opportunity rather than a truckload of "Oh what the fuck now" type of crisis.

Don't worry what other people will think. Babies happen.

Here is the link to a great book for young guys about to become fathers:

Dude, You're Gonna Be A Dad!

The bond you will form with your child will be one of the most profound experiences of your entire life.

One last thing, marry your girlfriend if you love her and want to raise a family with her. Marriage is not just a piece of paper. It is a legal status that can protect both of you. It also has some nice tax benefits to add to your child tax benefits.

Sure kids books are great but have you seen this: https://www.amazon.ca/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/1617750255/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=go+the+f+to+sleep&qid=1626472224&sr=8-1

Thanks for the chance!

Yes this belongs on my shelf. Right next to "Go the F*ck to Sleep" and "You have to F*cking Eat"

2 recommendations;

Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads https://www.amazon.com/dp/0743251547/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_1R3FX4SE9RZA6Z169VTR

This is a super practical “survival manual” for Dad’s that describes scenarios you will encounter and how best to handle. Every new dad should own this.

The Wonder Weeks: A Stress-Free Guide to Your Baby's Behavior https://www.amazon.com/dp/168268427X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_S9VEVY0MDHTA9Z9FPKEZ

This has demystified the ever-evolving behavior and temperament of my baby. Helps you understand how your baby is perceiving the world week to week and gives you tips, exercises, and games so you can engage them and be helpful.

Being a new mom is so hard and people really underestimate it especially if you don't have like a huge family of women you can learn all those little tips and tricks from, or didn't grow up with a lot of babies in the family, and then you add that on top of no sleep and hormone surges and it can be a hot mess. Honestly I had to learn a lot myself because I didn't have the best parents nor did I have a lot of close family so I relied on this book and I swear they should hand one to every freaking parent that pops out a kid lol.

Congrats man! Get sleep and like someone else said, for these first months they are gonna have 3 needs: eat, sleep, diaper. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions. I'd normally recommend this book. but you are already past this point.

Personally, I'm ecstatic about being pregnant and DO want something baby-related. I love shopping for tiny baby clothes because they are so cute, so a gift card to Carter's or Amazon would actually be really sweet.

For my husband, one gift I'm getting him is The Baby Owner's Manual, a humorous guide to caring for a baby that I thought would be fun to read together.

I honestly read one book, linked below, my wife did all the reading. Honestly each child is so different I just winged it and said I’ll figure it out as I go. It’s worked out so far!

Dude, You're Gonna Be a Dad!: How to Get (Both of You) Through the Next 9 Months https://www.amazon.com/dp/1440505365/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BlhqFbWX1KR2F

Got this one as kind of a joke with my first, but it’s honestly a pretty good parenting book. One author is a pediatric psychologist, so there’s actual science behind the stuff.

There are “sequels” for toddlers and teens, and the series apparently branches out to pets, home ownership, marriage, and sex.