When I was given this for Christmas, I was at first a little skeptical. My parents, and I think my in-laws, had all read or mentioned the Eyres as those parenting self-help book writers that left parents feeling overwhelmed.

Despite this initial reticence, I opted to give it a try and read a few pages. Our first, Abby, was about six months old and though Britt had already poured through a number of "What to expect when..." books aimed at parents, I had not myself read any more than selected passages (and few of those). This would be the book that I read to be a better dad.

And I am glad that I gave it a try. I think the Eyres might have had skeptical and busy parents like me in mind when they wrote it. With my short attention span and busy schedule, the book is organized and designed to teach quick, short lessons based on various animals. I began to think of it like an Aesop's Fables for parents. Most of the lessons are way beyond Abby, right now, but as she is growing, I am starting to see their applicability. The elephant's trunk is strong and firm, but gentle and articulated, as parents should be. Crabs never let each other each other climb higher, as criticism can do to families. Geese always put their goslings first, just as the family, children and spouse, should be the first priority.

And so on. Each chapter starts with a story or demonstration, followed by a real life example or two. Next, the principles are stated, followed by very short demonstrations of how different families have implemented the principles. If you don't like how the Eyres decided to apply the principles, there are a dozen or more examples of how other families did it, and each one different and unique to them. Then the chapter ends with a set of blank lines where you are encouraged to evaluate how you will apply the principles. It provided Britt and I a wonderful opportunity to discuss and evaluate what we want our family to look like and how we can begin to plan for the future.

Obviously, with only one child, and a baby at that, it's hard to anticipate everything that will happen. But this has help us to start off on the right foot, to begin making plans, and to make those plans together. I recommend this book to parents, grandparents, and nurturers everywhere.
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