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Book ReviewsAre you an author, filmmaker, publisher or product manufacturer that’s looking for an honest review?

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“My Top Cringe-Worthy Mom Moments” by Dallas Louis

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I try to stay true to the theme of fatherhood on this site but let’s face it…Mother’s Day is just around the corner and it seems only appropriate to hear motherly insight on their special day.

With that in mind, why not celebrate the contribution of mom’s everywhere by pondering those special moments…you know, the ones that make them cringe.

To get us in the spirit, I’ve gotten permission from author Dallas Louis, to post her top cringe-worthy moments with her kids.

So moms, sit back, relax and take a couple of moments for yourself.

And for you dads, don’t forget the special “mom’s” in your life this weekend. It would be nearly impossible to do it without them!

“My Top Cringe-Worthy Mom Moments” by Dallas Louis

“#10. A couple of years ago, Silly Bandz were all the rage. My children were not immune to this phenomenon, but my husband and I did limit the number of Bandz the kids could wear at one time, especially on certain occasions–church, for instance. One Sunday, we were sitting in the second pew, directly behind the preaching pastor. My oldest son, evidently bored, took off one of his Silly Bandz and began playing with it, quickly losing control. We found out that they shoot almost as far as real rubber bands when the escaped Silly Band zinged the pastor in the ear, making him jump, which made us jump, and set off an erie wave-like epidemic through the entire Sanctuary.

#9. Not to be outdone by his brother, my other son (on a different week, thankfully) realized that the new lighting in our Sanctuary cast a brilliant light on the back of the pastor’s white robe when we stood up for prayer. He soon figured out how many different shadow puppets he could create on the back of our Senior Pastor. The people behind us were laughing so hard, the praying pastor had to stop and collect himself before continuing. I now have to sit my little puppet master on the outside of the pew.

#8. A few years ago on a cross-country drive to California to visit my parents, the kids and I stopped for the night at a hotel in New Mexico. It had been a long day and I was in the bathroom getting my oldest ready for his shower. When I walked out, I noticed that the hotel room was filled with smoke! The two little ones, while left unattended for all of a minute and a half, had managed to set the air conditioner on fire! They pushed all of the buttons on the A/C and heater causing the machine to over-heat. The hotel had to be evacuated.

#7. Since we are talking about fires, may as well mention this one, too. While attending an academic competition we were all waiting for the next round to begin. Schools from all over our district descend upon one school to compete at various levels of math, science, music and art. The students and their families that are in between events usually wait in the cafeteria. That’s where we were…until the fire alarm was pulled. Brilliant. Five hundred people evacuated the area, while I rained questions down such as, “What were you thinking?!” and “Why in the world….” I was met with, “I just wanted to see what it would do.”

#6. Vivid dreams and sleep walking happen frequently in my house, and this has not been a big deal until one of my boys began to sleep walk in the middle of the night on his way to the bathroom. It took me several weeks (apparently super-sleuth is not on my resume) to pin-point the exact source of the unmistakable aroma of stale urine permeating my entire house. My son, during his nighttime wanderings, consistently mistook his closet for the restroom, dousing the floor and the wall. Fantastic. We had to replace the carpet and repaint.

#5. Brothers are notorious for fighting and my boys are no different. Last Spring, they were up in arms over a Nintendo DS. My older son got the game and threw it at his brother’s head. Bullseye. He nailed him right in the eyebrow and sent us to the ER for stitches. That wouldn’t have been such a big deal if we had not just been to the ER twice in the last two months for both boys already!

#4. We are trying to teach our kids the importance of reverence, or at least that there is a time and a place of be loud, and a time and a place to be quiet. Church is a time to be quiet. I thought we had communicated that to them fairly well, but I was wrong. During Communion one Sunday, my oldest son took the bulletin, wadded it into a ball, and launched it across the Sanctuary. I came unhinged. When I finally calmed down enough to ask, “What in the world were you thinking??”, his reply was, “Mom. It’s church. I couldn’t yell, and there’s a note on it for Jody.”

#3. We all know that siblings don’t always get along. Once, during the final moments of a photo shoot for our family, our oldest son who was three at the time gave his little sister a really good shove right between the shoulder blades. She was completely unprepared for this surprise attack and landed face down, letting out a blood-curdling scream that echoed through the entire building. Both of her eyes immediately started to turn black and blue. My husband and I were in complete shock. When asked why he had done this, my son said, “Well, I was trying to kill her.” Terrific.

#2. When my brother-in-law got married, he and his bride-to-be sweetly asked if our kids could be in their black-tie wedding. I had no idea that before the evening was over, my daughter would provide the photographer with the shot of a lifetime. Thankfully the kids did great during the ceremony – it was the reception that did us in. There was a small crowd gathered at the foot of a beautiful curved staircase, so I wandered over to check things out. Just as I reached the edge of the crowd, the photographer turned around with a huge smile and said, “I got it that time!” Everyone was giggling. What were they giggling at? A miniature vision in white, laying in a laughing, crumpled heap on the floor. My daughter, the sweetest flower girl ever had done an impressive swan dive from the fifth step up. Everyone turned to look at me. I hitched up my floor-length gown, stepped over my laughing child, said, “Someone should go find her father” and walked away.

#1. The Top Dog of Cringe-Worthy Mom Moments is as follows: several years ago we took the kids to Disney World and stood in line forever to see the Disney princesses. Our youngest son was two at the time – a round, little, blonde, blue-eyed sweet angel (or so he appeared). He did well with two out of the three princesses, but it was that third one that got us. Cinderella happened to be the final princess of our royal encounter, and also my two-year-old’s favorite. When she bent down to hug him, he ran forward to grab her. In short, there was a massive collision that ended with Cinderella on her back, my child wrapped around her neck, her dress up almost over her head, and her princess secret-service detail screaming into their head-sets, “PRINCESS DOWN! WE HAVE A PRINCESS DOWN!” My husband and I just stood there. There was nothing we could do. No one could untangle our little one from her, so they picked them both up at once. That quickly ended our session with the princesses.”

Got Something to Add?

Do you have some cringe-worthy moments worth sharing?

Just add your comments below…and we’ll all share in your pain!

Happy Mother’s Day!!

About The Author

Dallas Louis is the author of The Mommy Diaries: How I’m Surviving Parenting without Killing Anyone. An author and public speaker, Dallas lives in Houston with her husband and 3 young children. You can follow her on her site at www.DallasLouis.com, or you can get her insights on Twitter and take part in her community on Facebook.

A Readers Review: “A Boy’s Guide to Girls” by Campbell & Hawkins

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I think dads would be better off if everything came with a guidebook.

I don’t mean a set of verbal instructions to follow…but more like the playbook your high-school football coach carried everywhere.

A nice multi-colored, tabbed binder that would accommodate quick access to the situation of the day. Something with a lot of illustrations and diagrams.

Life would be so much easier if this were the case.

Think about it, the next time your son came to you with a marble stuck up his nose you could immediately turn to the section labeled “Quick Marble Extraction Methods to Clear Airways.”

Come to think of it…that may be a creative work for me to tackle in the near future.

In the meantime however, there are a few tools that may assist you in your quest.

A Boy’s Guide to Girls

There are very few things in the life of a man that are more daunting than understanding women. And although you’ve grown more capable as you’ve gotten older, they are still perplexing.

Now think of it from a young boy’s perspective. You take away the years that have developed maturity and emotional control, and you are left with a pretty horrifying dilemma.

Couple this with hormonal changes, and as a dad, you might begin to consider investing in restraints.

However, I can assure you that there are better ways to approach this.

For instance, you could consider reading the latest book from Campbell and Hawkins titled “A Boy’s Guide to Girls.”

No, it is not a book of pictures and diagrams, but it is written with the intent of guiding young men through the turbulent “boy meets girl” phase of life.

First let me preface my recommendation with a little intentional parenting sidebar. I would suggest, as a reasonable father, reading this book yourself before handing it off to your son.

That may seem like a no-brainer but it will help to have a grasp on what is being suggested in the text so that you know how to coach your son along the way. Plus, if you haven’t already set an age for dating, this may help you begin to decipher whether or not your son is even ready for a deeper relationship.

Topics for Teaching

Keep in mind that this book is intended for a core audience that begins around age 12…so don’t be overly critical with your stylistic expectations.

But, I would also warn against dismissing this book as completely adolescent. There are some great little reminders in this book that husbands will benefit from as well.

As a dad or as a boy, you can expect to cover topics like:

  • Are You Ready? – This section is actually a pretty thoughtful set of situational questions, which attempt to help a young man determine whether or not he is even really interested in girls yet. There is no reason for a boy to follow the crowd if their cares center more on tackle football in the back yard.
  • Getting to Know a Girl – Show genuine interest in them. This means that you actually care about their likes and dislikes, their dreams, their hobbies. Plus, this is a valid pursuit for us married guys as well.
  • Talking to Your Parents – Boy’s are coached on how to approach their parents when faced with things like dating and parties. Again, there are some really good tips here. The book urges honesty and respect and a willingness to see things from the parent’s perspective. Likewise, we dads could use these reminders when we are on the receiving end of a request like this.
  • Girls and Social Media – This is probably a conversation that you will have with your kids prior to dating age, but it lists some valid do’s and don’ts for a boy in the digital age. Specifically, it coaches boys to be careful about what they share online and how to conduct themselves respectfully.
  • Dating Activity “Do’s and Don’ts” – Going for a walk in a scenic place or getting a bite to eat…good. Making her play rugby with you and your buddies…not good. The authors also make a valid point here…it’s less about the activity and more about the time spent together. Once again dads, you should put this away in your memory bank as well.

Some Takeaways

Besides the five pointers that I listed above, the book offers 25 more that vary in scope and purpose. Some are light-hearted and some are heavy and meaningful.

Personally, I took four important lessons away from this book that lead me to my recommendation.

  1. It really encourages boys to work on focusing on someone other than themselves. Yes there are areas of inward focus, but the book does a great job of pointing out that it’s not always about them.
  2. The book actually teaches things that will help you parent your boy(s). It encourages respect, honesty and open communication. All traits that dads would long for their sons to know better.
  3. There is an abundance of practical tips and advice. It’s not just a theoretical parsing of words.
  4. It is easily adaptable. If your parenting style would lead you to change certain things, then you can talk through the reason for your disagreement.

As fathers you certainly remember how treacherous your adolescence was at times. From my humble perspective, this book will help you navigate it with a little less heartburn.

Have you raised boys…or are you currently raising them?

Do you have advice that you would like to add?

We would be thrilled for you to dialog with us in the comments section below.

More on the Books Publisher

For more information on this publisher and to view their other published works, check out their website at Boy’s and Girl’s Guide Books, and their blog at Growing Up Smart. You can also connect with them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for additional information and to be kept up to date on future projects that they plan to release.

A Readers Review: “Bad Dad” by Dave Lieber

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What if your parenting…I mean all of your parenting…was consistently on display for all to see?

This means that everyone would get to see the “full you”…not just the you that’s all smiles and endless patients.

If you’re like me, there are moments when your “fathering” would more likely solicit furrowed brows of disappointment than cheers of approval.

Needless to say, we don’t always make the best decisions.

Although we may want to be super-hero parents, we’re mere fallible mortals that are prone to missteps…and often those missteps arise at the most inopportune times.

Take Dave Lieber for instance.

As the Watchdog columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dave is a guy that has made his bones uncovering injustices and giving a voice to those that normally wouldn’t have a platform to be heard.

It turns out that his profession has also earned him some detractors as well.

And that’s where the story gets really interesting.

A Bad Dad is Born

After recounting the circumstances that formed his M.O. in the small Texas town in which he lived, Dave’s new book…aptly named “Bad Dad“…builds the scene.

As he and his son sit in a McDonald’s restaurant eating some breakfast, his son, having inhaled his food, demands that Dave hurry up and finish so that they can leave.

Still being under the spell of a newspaper and a tasty cup of coffee, Dave tells his son that he wants to finish his coffee and then they can go.

Well, for Dave’s son the idea of waiting patiently proved too much for his 11-year old schedule. There were friends waiting to play, and that needed more attention than coffee.

After a few more demands, Dave decided to leave and let his son walk the few short blocks back to their home. Something that most of us would have probably considered under that same circumstance.

Unfortunately, by the time Dave cooled off and returned to get his boy, the cops had been called and a crowd had formed.

Finally, the guy that had rubbed so many officials the wrong way was now at the mercy of those same people.

The Ensuing Storm

Let’s just say that things got pretty crazy for Dave and his family after the incident.

This watchdog reporter all of a sudden got national attention, but not for his stellar reporting.

Instead, the news outlets and the correspondence sent to his paper were debating his ability as a father.

I probably shouldn’t have been shocked that there was such a big deal made out of such a small incident. Leave it up to our media to blow things out of proportion.

However, just like the media coverage, this book demands that you think through the actions that you might have taken in a similar situation.

Although I probably wouldn’t have left my child, Dave expertly gets you to consider the “questionable” things that you’ve done as a parent.

Unfortunately, Dave did something questionable in a town that was more than willing to exploit his indiscretion.

It makes me appreciate my relatively quiet existence.

A Style that Engages

Beyond the fact that the story itself is an engaging read, Dave’s journalistic style is fluid and biting.

As he bounces back and forth from the incident with his son to the stories that gained him notoriety, you get a very real sense of his tenacity and passion for writing.

You also get to see Dave come full circle as he finds himself as the story line instead of the storyteller.

You get to see Dave the “dad”, who genuinely seems to be a good father…despite the fact that so many try to label him otherwise.

Honestly, I saw myself in his story…minus the media attention.

Dave also used this book to reveal a very sad truth. If you want to punish your kids for their behavior, do it when nobody else is watching.

It is the world we live in, but Dave writes about it in a way that causes you to beware of it and embrace it all at once.

It’s a book that every dad should read…for the good, the bad, and the horribly intrusive.

More About the Book’s Author

For more from Dave Lieber, you can visit the book’s official site, Dave’s personal website, follow him on Twitter at @DaveLieber, or visit the book’s Facebook fan page.

Teaching Your Daughters True Beauty and Real Fitness

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As a dad of three little girls, I often find myself cringing at our culture’s concept of female beauty and fitness.

Just turn on the Disney channel and spend a few minutes watching some of their programming. You’ll quickly see what I mean.

Although some shows do a better job than others, the stereotypical figures are slender, petite, and blemish free.

Never mind what is portrayed on prime-time with more adult programming.

What’s The Goal?

Well, you can choose to avoid raising healthy daughters, or you can adopt the norm and hope that your girls aren’t scarred too deeply by trying to be someone they’re not.

Personally, I would suggest picking up a helpful book with the right message.

The idea however, is to pick up something that teaches both the parents and the child.

Enter “The Girl’s Fitness Guide” by Muresan, Morar, and Hawkins.

With the combination of a retired NBA basketball player, a health and fitness expert, and a writer, parents are afforded a guide of how to teach their girls a healthy lifestyle. All the while the girls are encouraged through practical application and technique.

Even for the daughter that may be too young to comprehend, this book is something that can easily be re-taught after you’ve consumed the information yourself.

A thorough Teaching

Now, I may be a little biased towards the topic of exercise because I personally enjoy it and believe in its benefits.

With that being said, this book doesn’t discriminate or cater towards either of the two groups…with those being the knowledgeable fitness enthusiast and the dad that knows very little of the subject.

And trust me, even as a dad that is pretty solid in my understanding of physical fitness, I need to be reminded of how my thinking sometimes needs to change as it relates to my daughters.

So, regardless of depth that you may or may not have in this area, you and your girls can expect to grow wiser in twelve areas.

Those being:

  1. The Circles of Fitness. The culmination of exercise, body care, and nutrition.
  2. The Fact that Muscles Make it Happen. This is a break-down of the major muscle groups and their function.
  3. Exercise – The Big Picture. What it means to exercise and the make-up of exercise (cardiovascular, resistance, and flexibility).
  4. Warming Up and Stretching. The reason for performing these prior to exercise.
  5. Stretches. Actual diagrams of what stretches to perform.
  6. Aerobic Exercise. An overview and what constitutes an exercise as aerobic (running, biking, etc.).
  7. Resistance Exercise. Also an overview and what constitutes resistance (weight training) exercise.
  8. Exercises. This includes examples and diagrams of both aerobic and resistance exercise and the proper way to accomplish both.
  9. Nutrition. You will learn proper nutrition guidelines and the break-down of what your girls should be eating to remain healthy and active (not how to achieve the figure on the cover of the latest tween magazine).
  10. Body Care. This includes body hygiene, oral hygiene, and sleep hygiene.
  11. Putting it all Together. How all of these areas come together to represent the totality of fitness.
  12. 7-Day Exercise Program. Some practical ways to put the lessons in to a weekly routine.

Take a Deep Breath

As if being a dad wasn’t complicated enough, now you have to teach your daughters (and sons) how to be healthy and physically fit?

I’m afraid so…

But, the great thing about this fitness guide is that these things can often be done right in your own home.

Unless their activity level demands it, the book suggests that things begin slowly and with little more than some exercise clothes and some empty floor space.

This is especially true for the younger girls, because with too much exercise (especially resistance training), there can be damage done to their maturing bodies.

How about You?

Are there things you would suggest for raising girls with a proper concept of true beauty and real fitness?

Maybe you have a story of things gone awry, or maybe one that suggests great success?

Either way, give us your ideas in the comment section below.

Just remember, be smart, pick up this fitness guide, and join your kids in this journey of staying physically fit!

More from this Publisher

For more from this author check out their website, Boy’s and Girl’s Guide Books, and their blog at Growing Up Smart. You can also connect with them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for additional information.

A Good Book of Bad Habits

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Every once in a while you run across a book that surprises you.

I am certainly not a book snob, but I have a tendency to stick to a particular style of book. One that causes you to ponder deep thoughts…and maybe one that changes you a bit in the process.

That’s why my initial thoughts of reviewing Hawkins and Laube’s “The Book of Bad Habits” were lukewarm.

Thankfully, the process of writing causes me to be open to things that I wouldn’t have been otherwise.

It Runs the Gamut

I have read few…scratch that…I have read zero books that cover topics from peeing in the shower to taking drugs.

Being that the book is meant to guide young (and not so young) men and women through the perils of misplaced (or misapplied) tendencies, it stands to reason that it would cover everything from the vile to the sophisticated.

More importantly to me, it does so with a laugh and some attention to the gross reality of our quirks and eccentricities.

And with that, the funny anecdotes are delivered alongside some strong factual expertise by Dr. Laube…who happens to be an M.D.

I mean, as a dad, I find it very useful to know that when my 4 year-old passes gas that’s loud and obnoxious, I don’t have to dawn the gas mask and retardant spray.

And who doesn’t want to fully understand that the:

“German Sociologist Norbert Elias, in his two-volume “The Civilizing Process“, records prohibitions against spitting from the Middle Ages to 1910?”

Take-Away’s to Teach Your Kids

So what did I glean from this read?

  1. We all have a little adolescent in us. We may grow older but that doesn’t exclude us from doing some of the same things we tell our kids not to do.
  2. That there’s a need for the heavy and the lighthearted. We can, and should, teach our kids about the dangers of drug use, while at the same time teaching them the need to avoid “Slobdom”.
  3. That common sense is still king. When in doubt, teach your kids to use that squishy grey thing in between their ears.
  4. That even in today’s world, courtesy still matters to people. Even with the mellowing of old-fashioned values, most people still find value in our polite efforts. Personally, my girls will know that it means something when a man opens a door for them.
  5. That you can’t temp physics. When you place a 4,000 lbs. car in a collision with a person…the car always wins. So, let’s watch where we’re walking shall we!

What Now?

First things first…buy the book. It is a quick read that will make you laugh and equip you with some nuggets that will teach you and your kids.

Next, subscribe to the blog. There are some great insights within many topics…and it’s well worth freeing up some email space.

If you’re on Facebook then why not give them a like? It’s worth the two seconds and you’ll find some topics that may spark your interest.

And, for those using Twitter, follow them. My guess is that you’ll get a chuckle in the process.

Finally, happy reading…and good luck with those bad habits!

A Readers Review: Jim Higley’s “Bobblehead Dad: 25 Life Lessons I Forgot I Knew”

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You know those moments as a dad when you feel as though it can’t possibly get much worse?

Your work is stressing you out.  Weekends and evenings are chaotic at best.  The kids seem to tap dance on every exposed nerve in your body.  And all the while, time with your wife has been all but decimated.

As unfortunate as it may be, we all go through this kind of thing at some point…and probably multiple times in our lives.

In fact, I was in this specific state myself when I came across some material by a man that I have come to admire.  It is actually kind of humorous.  Just when self pity begins to set in, God usually thumps you on the head with a reminder that your challenges need some perspective.

For me, perspective came from reading some of the work by Jim Higley.

Suddenly my challenges seemed a little more trivial…valid I admit, but still pretty trivial.

Just A Little Sneak Peak

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and several emails and Twitter conversations later.

Jim had been writing a book that was culminated during a “recuperative summer” following an invasive cancer surgery.

With a release date set for June 2011, Jim requested some help in reviewing an early draft of the book through his Facebook Fan Page.

Of course I was interested!  Although I wasn’t the only one to get a sneak peak, I have to admit that I felt a little like Greg Focker being included in “The Circle of Trust.”

What I would come to find out is that Jim has a knack for making everybody feel as though they matter to him.  And it wasn’t him boasting about it…but a fact that could only be found in the blank spots just beyond the words.

The Power of Words

Although his book was packed full of insight, struggle, and perseverance, the words that impacted me the most were those that dealt with his response to those things.

Not having dealt with cancer personally, I certainly have had family and friends that have done battle with the disease.

This epidemic has a funny way of creating clarity in the midst of all the chaos.

Page by page, Jim recounted the stages of his diagnoses and recovery.  But the cancer really isn’t the protagonist of the book.  There was much more emphasis on the life that it emboldened and the memories that it made vivid.

Jim’s infectious zest for life is invigorating and unapologetic.  He not only urges you to take an inventory of your priorities, but he opens up the possibility of scrapping them altogether and rebuilding from the ground up.

He proves that life isn’t for the faint hearted, but insists that it can be strengthened through our hardships.

A Little Recommendation for You

So, what should you do about this?

Start by reading Jim’s blog, his column on Triblocal.com, and his contributions on manofthehouse.com.

Secondly, do yourself and favor and follow the progress of his book on his Facebook Fan Page.  If fact, you may also want to check him out on Twitter at @jimhigley…for some wise nuggets throughout the day.

Lastly, you need to buy his book when it releases in June!  Whether you are a dad or not, you will gain encouragement from his story and his life.