This Full House Reviews: Were You Raised By Wolves?

My husband and I read a lot of books - honestly, they're stacked in nearly every corner of our house - however, our similarities come to a dead stop, right there, somewhere in between the kitchen and the wine rack against the dining room wall.

He's more of a non-fiction sort of guy, while I like to take my reading light, crisp and perhaps with a grain of salt - preferably dusted along the rim of a margarita glass.

So, when the Parent Bloggers Network asked if I'd be interested in reading, "Were You Raised By Wolves?' authored by Christie Mellor - who also penned the parent's guide to finding their happy place, "The Three-Martini Playdate" - I thought it would be a refreshing change from the mommy-blah-blah-blah-type handbooks out there.

Guess what?   

I was right, sort of.

You see, anytime I come across a book with the words "practical" and "guide" incorporated into the tagline, well...I can't help it...it rubs me the wrong way.

I guess it comes from my raising four children - not to mention, killer dust bunnies - while feeling overwhelmed and over-sensitized by Oprah's picks and then de-sensitized by Dr. Phil and his no-hold-barred way of practically shouting to the whole world, "You ARE a jerk AND a bad parent!"

No wonder I'm so confused and...so...YES, I seriously need some clues as to how to make myself feel like a real grownup, again!?!

So, every night, I waited for my kids to...you know...to FINALLY go to bed, poured myself a glass of wine, curled up in my favorite chair (the one the dog hasn't made stinky, yet) and found myself getting lost in chapters like, "Getting Acquainted with Your Kitchen," and "How to Throw a Real Grown-up Cocktail Party."

HUH?

I mean, the subject matter sounds simple enough - I'd know my sticky floor, anywhere - and that's the thing.

Look, we all know that being a grown up sucks, sometimes, and once the kids come along...well...my world got SO complicated that I quickly found myself losing touch with my instincts and still sort of forget the most basic levels of living.

That's what this book is about.

Simple stuff, like reminding people to stop talking on your cell phones, in public, and...all...the...damn...time (just stop it!) and really practical advice like:

"Don't ever write anything in an e-mail or instant message that you wouldn't be proud to see splashed across the front page of your local newspaper.  r u horny - for instance."

In all seriousness, I loved this book.

"Were You Raised By Wolves," is written like some of the old-school advice columns my MIL would have probably read in the newspaper - sprinkled with a bit of common sense and a dash of humor - and it would make a terrific gift for a kid graduating high school, or college and perhaps even a couple of new parents.

But, take it from a veteran dork, this book makes for some mighty fine light reading - as long as you take it with a grain of salt, preferably dusted along the rim of a margarita glass.

FIND IT HERE: Amazon.com

[This review was brought to you courtesy of Parent Bloggers Network.]

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