Gearhead Mom

Thursday, May 01, 2008

The Rookie Mom’s Handbook

Posted by Missy W. @ 1:07 PM

The Rookie Mom’s Handbook has arrived on the shelves.

I’ll start this review by saying that I’ve been given (and purchased) plenty of “new mom” type books. I flipped through them, smirked, and then put them in the “to sell” pile. Not so with the latest offering from the Rookie Moms. I wish I’d known about their site when Sy was born. It would have given me a LOT of new ideas and ways to keep the crazies at bay. So with another kid on the way, I am determined to actually implement some of their great ideas. 

So here’s what’s cool about this book.

Size:
The handbook is not huge, so you can slip it into your purse or diaper bag and read it in the car or park while your newborn sleeps and you dare not wake her up. It’s hard enough to be a new mom, but carrying around some huge ass What To Expect type book just cuts your indie street cred in half. This almost-pocket sized book is covert and cool. I would not be embarrassed if I ran into a friend while reading this book. I’d probably just crack it open and read some pearls of wisdom aloud to my unsuspecting friend. I also like that the Rookie Moms advice is in two forms now. It’s not like you can take your computer with you everywhere.

Voice:
This book is not at all preachy. Together, Gibbs Flett and Moss have a very “girl next door with an edge” voice. This helps you feel like you aren’t going crazy after all. It’s more like two of your good girlfriends giving you the honest and straightforward scoop on motherhood.

Content:
My favorite part! This book is not about how to childproof a year before you need to or how many vegetables to shove down your kid’s throat as soon as they hit six months. It’s about how to maintain your sanity, keep your cool (obvious or imagined) and have some fun with your new babe. The handbook is sectioned off by month, so that you can “make the most of maternity - all year long.” One of my favorites from month one (the hardest, I am just sure) is “Write a ‘did do’ list,” even for just one day to help remind yourself of all that you are doing. I was so overwhelmed when I had Sy that my sister convinced me the only goal I had to have was to brush my teeth. Some days even that was hard, so this idea really appeals to me. Their examples of “did do” -
“changed 2 wet diapers
changed 4 poopy diapers, one blowout
selected 2 full outfits
changed baby’s entire outfit 3 times
nursed for 4 hours
photographed baby asleep on couch
showered, mostly
ate breakfast
made myself lunch, ate half of it
made this list”

And that’s a lot to be proud of in one day, sister!

Skip ahead to month 9 and set up an email account for your child and email your baby all of their triumphs and tantrums. Or activity #171, which I did promptly after reading this book, “Throw Away Your Mom Shoes.” You can say that again, mamas. Goodbye ugly but functional red tennis shoes. Hello saucy black ballet flats.

The back of the book even has a section where you can enter some of your Rookie Mom Milestones, such as your new bra size, your first public nursing outing or first time helping a rookie mom (other than yourself of course). They also list some of their favorite reads.

I am so looking forward to taking these ideas out for a spin on the rare day that Sy will be in school and I’ll have a few hours of down time with Baby #2. Thanks for the ideas, Whitney and Heather!

Oh! And get this: If you’d like to purchase the book with a great discount, go to Quirk Books and use the promo code: ROOKIEMOMMY for 25% off your entire purchase on the site. Go stock up!

Snapshot:
While no longer a rookie, as I prepare for my second kid, I am excited by these ideas, all 250 of them.
A great shower gift or little treat for a pal just coming out of the post-partum haze.
Written by sassy moms for sassy moms, there is no patronizing tone or judgment here. Just good, creative fun with your kid.

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