The Biggest Bed in the World

The Biggest Bed in the World by Lindsay Camp and Jonathan Langley. Sorry no link because this book is out of print. I paid 20 dollars on half.com for it. This book is great. It is about a family that has a baby who sleeps in their bed instead of his crib, then they add like 5 more kids to the family. All along the way the dad gets or makes a bigger bed. Everyone sleeps in the same bed. Until the Dad has enough and instead of making a bigger bed he kicks all the kids out, (not in a bad, mean way) and goes back to the small queen size bed he used to have. The dad is having trouble getting good sleep and so everyone starts sleeping in their own bed and then... the bed feels empty and the dad STILL can't sleep. So they all move back into mom and dad's bed which is now once again the smaller version. Very sweet. And they all get good sleep.

As a parent who parents alternatively it is really nice to have books like this that reinforce our beliefs. I say it that way because I know some people reading this may see this as just using propaganda to support our decisions. Actually, this isn't too far off base. I was thinking the other day about all the moms who I hear complain that they feel like they are villianized for not breastfeeding, I live in a very conservative corner of Ohio. And while I do see some criticism there, about choosing not to breastfeed a newborn, I think that the messages we send our kids about bottles, cribs, regular schooling are very subliminal but strong. Using the breastfeeding example I do agree that their is a very vocal voice saying you should breastfeed for the first 6 mos to a year. But, I think the louder voice says you are bad if you do not use bottles in some way and if you breastfeed beyond a year. This voice is mostly through images and cultural portrayals. I sort of touched on this on the other children's book I reviewed. So yes, I am using this propaganda to my advantage. It is important to me that my kids feel normal. Right now we really need to find some children's books on homeschooling! This book does normalize co sleeping, or sleep sharing, or the Family Bed.

When we choose books for our children I think we are looking for images that support what we say. That help kids see what they live in action. In our house books have helped us with potty training and sharing. So it is nice to have some of these alternative books about being a family like us.

(By the way, I am not condemning any parenting. I think each family is unique and needs to use the best strategies in their house. We are very left of center in how we parent but by no ways do I think we are right! We are just doing what is best for us as parents and our personalities and how we intersect our particular children.)

Ma! There's Nothing to Do Here! by Barbara Park

Mag and I have decided that we are going to review both children's and adult books, and the intersection of parenting books as well. Actually Mag suggested it and I thought...I don't think I will ever put a review for a kids book on there. But, here I am, doing just that. I was looking for the book Playful Parenting at the bookstore when I came across this book. We are planning to have a baby in July or late June. I guess we are a little more than planning since we are 31 weeks pregnant. Anyway, the babe in waiting is posterior, so I feel tons of kicks, punches and other such things on the outside of my belly. So when I saw this title I had to stand there and read it. Knowing I would not be buying it. (Ha! Ha!) I am very choosy about the books that come into our house. Especially about babies and such. My daughter received a lot of big sister books after her brother was born and most of them have had to be secretly smuggled out of the house after a few weeks. The things is our babes don't come home from the hospital they come out at home, they don't get bottles or pacifiers from big sis, they get exclusively breastfed by mom, they don't sleep in cribs, they sleep with us. God Bless all of you that can take the time to fill up bottles, want to birth in hospital, those of you that have the energy to get out of bed to feed. That is what most of my friends do. I am just too lazy and we also feel that these things work for our family (they may or may not work for you.) Anyway, the images in most books center around bottles, cribs and pacis. So I have trouble with filling my kids with those pictures. So I assumed this book would give me a smile but I wouldn't leave with it. I was surprised when there were only three pics including these things and they weren't affiliated with the baby, at one point the baby does ask for a crib among shampoo and other things. They were more in the background very small, out of scale. So I bought it.

I liked this book because it the baby talks about all the stuff it can't wait to do when it has escaped. Like swing from monkey bars or paddle a canoe. In the end the baby decides to just wait until it is time. What I like about this book is that it gets the kids and mom excited about all the stuff the baby will learn to do. I creates a bit of expectation. It also is funny to me as a mama in gestation. I am able to avoid the things that most books have that make my kids feel different. (Believe me a four year old picks up on this.)

My favorite part comes at the end: "So, Ma, here's the plan. Let's rest while we can. I'll stay in here longer- get bigger, grow stronger. Then ready...set...YAY! I'll be comin to play! Well, that's it I guess. I've got your address. Kiss Pop for me, please...And give him a squeeze. I'll meet him soon, maybe! I LOVE YOU, Your Baby"

Our favorite book is Welcome With Love. this book is from a child's perspective about the home birth of his new sibling. Very accurate and very helpful in preparing your 2 year old for a home birth.