How To Be A Happier Parent Book Review

Title: How To Be A Happier Parent


Author: K. J. Dell`Antonia

Genre: Nonfiction, Parenting, How-To, Toddlers, Teens,

Plot: Parenting is hard. It is a thankless job with a life-or-death element to it which keeps things interesting and is riddled with moments of bliss, fury, sorrow and disgusting mystery substances. Many parents cope till the college years by diving into a hobby, taking up recreational drinking or just waiting till that next kid-free vacation. But what if there was a way to be a happier parent that didn't involve smuggled chocolate, expensive counseling or even a whole lot of effort on our part?

Enter K. J. Dell'Antonia's amazing book, How To Be A Happier Parent. Drawing from years of experience writing parenting articles, interviews with over a thousand parents, loads of research and data, and her own experience parenting four rowdy kids in New England, Dell'Antonia targets ten problem spots in the family and gives grounded advice and tips for how to deal with these areas, make them more efficient and less of a struggle and thus, make you a happier parent.

Happiness is in reach for parents everywhere now. You just need a quick solo trip to the bookstore, a library or one day shipping to unlock the mysteries.

Likes/Dislikes: I loved this book! The cover was gorgeous, the writing style was very even paced without getting bogged by random facts or droning on and on about something useless, and the solutions for each problem area are real and actually something I can implement in my family. I especially enjoyed the chapters on chores, discipline and siblings. I have three girls and they are already driving me crazy with their sibling disputes. This book reassured me that these disputes are natural and (mostly) harmless. My kids are still at the age where they need to be constantly monitored but I'm looking forward to letting them handle their own arguments in the future. This book, while geared toward parents of older children and teens more than toddlers, gave me permission to parent the way I've been parenting and to "do me," as Dell'Antonia instructed.  Every parent needs to own and read this book!

Rating: PG-16 and up, mainly for reading level and content (it's a parenting book for parents)

Date Review Written: April 6th, 2019