Hillary Frank, ”WEIRD PARENTING WINS” w/ Jane Marie

The best parenting advice that Hillary Frank receives doesn’t come from parenting gurus, but from friends and podcast listeners who use their creativity to flee moments of desperation. In Hillary’s book, one mother threatens to sing in public anytime her daughters argue. Another mom allows her daughter to play with tampons to get a few minutes on the toilet alone.

These are just a few of the gems available in Weird Parenting Wins: Bathtub Dining, Family Screams, and Other Hacks from the Parenting Trenches, a collection of unusual techniques parents use in stressful situations to calm their children and themselves. These “weird parenting wins” work for parents with children of all ages. From using The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song to lull a colicky infant to convincing her kids that Toys ‘R’ Us is a membership only club, parents in Hillary’s book are as ingenious as they are eccentric. They use their tricks to foster fun, inspire their kids to diversify their appetites, stop sibling rivalry, cultivate independence, develop manners, and open up. Not only does Hillary focus on kids’ needs, she also intersperses anecdotes to help moms and dads keep their cool, find time for intimacy, and enjoy the insane, heartwarming journey.

Frank is in conversation with Jane Marie, a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning journalist and former producer of This American Life.