Who is the author of Weird Parenting Wins?

The author of Weird Parenting Wins is Hillary Frank.

Parenting

Listen to the Intro

00:00

Weird Parenting Wins summary

Name: Weird Parenting Wins
Rating: 3.5 (68 reviews)
Author: Hillary Frank

Hillary Frank

Bathtub Dining, Family Screams, and Other Hacks from the Parenting Trenches

3.5 (68 ratings)

22 mins

Brief summary

Weird Parenting Wins by Hillary Frank is a humorous and practical parenting guide that encourages unique solutions to common problems. It offers creative solutions to everyday challenges, making parenting a little less stressful and a lot more fun.

Topics

Family Life Family Planning

Table of Contents

Weird Parenting Wins
Summary of 8 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 8

What’s in it for me? Embrace the crazy fun that being a parent or caregiver can bring.

Everybody knows that having kids is no walk in the park. Those first months can whizz by in a sleep-deprived blur, while the years after are filled with their own unique challenges. No child is an angel, after all. There’s whining and crying and drama – and a hell of a lot more besides. And if you’re looking after kids that aren’t your own, the challenges are even more manifest.

It may seem daunting, but there are ways to make both your child’s life and your own easier. Done right, your relationship with your child will grow in a healthy way and develop as you learn from each other.

The child-rearing hacks laid out in this book-in-blinks don’t need to be followed to the letter. These blinks instead advocate an approach that involves engaging your own inner childlike creativity and playfulness. It’s a method the author knows well from her own experiences bringing up her daughter. You’ll see that a little bit of fun and a little less worry will get you a long way with children.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

about some postnatal side effects that aren’t spoken about enough;
how to entertain kids with take-out; and
how to get kids to act out their social difficulties.

It takes imagination to stop kids whining; stopping babies crying takes effort.

There are some experiences that every parent knows. One of the most common is dealing with a child that won’t stop whining. The author knew she would be faced with a bad case of the grumbles when she arrived at a ski resort with her six-year-old daughter Sasha. The outdoor queue for rental skis stretched back for an eternity. It would take them hours to get to the front.

In the freezing cold, it didn’t take Sasha long to start whining. Nor was there a chance that she was going to stop soon.

Now, when you’re a parent, it takes imagination to stop kids moaning. You can’t just tell them to cheer up. That method certainly wasn’t working with Sasha.

Consequently, the author tried to come up with some ideas that would at least make Sasha’s crying a little more entertaining for them both.

She suggested that if Sasha was so set on whining, then she would have to do so as if she were singing the blues. The author took the lead with the tune and sang about being bored in line and wanting to get to the skis before anyone else.

At first, Sasha was dubious. The whimpering continued. But then the author struck lucky. Quite by chance, she improvised a line about freezing her butt off. Now "butt" was a trigger for Sasha. It was one of her favorite words. After the giggling subsided, she tried singing too, incorporating the word butt as often as she could.

Before long, both were in fits of laughter, and the author still remembers it as a great parenting story. It was all about being imaginative in the moment. There’s no rule book for parenting. Sometimes you just stumble upon the solution by being weird and creative and testing things out as you go.

But if creativity is needed to settle young children, then it requires even more effort where babies are involved.

Sarah, a mom from River Forest, Illinois, and her husband, told the author a classical parenting tale about what it took to hush their baby. The initial thrill of having a newborn soon gave way to absolute exhaustion. Their child just would not stop screaming.

Then, in his sleep-deprived delirium, the father tried one last desperate measure. He picked up an electric toothbrush, switched it on, and began waggling it above the baby’s head. Amazingly, the baby hushed and was lulled to sleep.

From that night on, the parents placed the electric toothbrush, still on, in the cot. And every night it did the job.

There’s a moral to this. Don’t give up! You never know what’s going to end up working.

Get your kids to eat by changing their concept of eating.

If you think back to your childhood, you might remember how frustrating mealtimes were. What a waste of time! Who wants to be stuck at the table when you could be dashing around the house in your underwear?

For parents, this scenario can be a nightmare. Kids need to eat for all the obvious health reasons. But more importantly, no parent wants an irritable sugar-depleted child on their hands.

Parenting can calm children’s wild fantasies and make them feel braver.

Much like any other child, the author had a vivid imagination. She believed a lion hid beneath her bed ready to pounce the moment she drifted off to sleep.

Many children have similar fears, but though at times it might seem impossible to calm them, there are many ways to hush a child’s overactive imagination.

Siblings aren’t always kind to each other, and sibling rivalry is a sign of needing to feel loved.

The author has a brother, Josh. He's six years younger than her. When Josh was a baby, the author was fond of holding him, feeding him, and of course, playing with him. However, Josh’s presence also triggered a darker side to the author’s character.

There’s nothing unusual about that of course. It’s quite normal for sibling rivalry to spiral into unkindness.

Sometimes parents need to have a good cry, but there are strategies to stop you hitting crisis point.

Even if you think of yourself as generally even-tempered, kids will probably have brought you to your breaking point nonetheless. Sometimes you simply can’t do anything other than explode.

But such outbursts are nothing to be embarrassed about. Sometimes a valve just needs to be released.

Kids can entertain themselves, but it’s a skill they have to be taught.

Perhaps one of the most tiresome elements to being a parent is feeling like you’re constantly on duty, always ready to entertain. But no one can keep that up. We all need an occasional break from childminding.

The author’s own salvation came in the form of plastic condiment sachets of spicy and soy sauce from Asian takeaways. She – like many others– doesn’t actually use them. So she ended up with a glut.

Role-playing games help young children express emotions, but listening is often best when dealing with teenagers.

Most young kids will prattle away at a thousand miles an hour. They’ll talk at you while you’re driving or during evening meals. The most tenacious, like Sasha, won’t even let a closed bathroom door get in the way. But for all that nattering, children aren’t good at talking about their feelings.

One way you can get them to open up about their emotions is to role-play with them.

Sex can be problematic after childbirth, and some patience might be required until you find a solution.

We all know giving birth can be anything from wonderous to torturous, and that each experience is unique in its own way.

As for the author, she had to have an episiotomy. That’s a surgical procedure required when more space is needed for the baby’s head during labor. During this procedure, an incision is made in the perineal area.

Want to see all full key ideas from Weird Parenting Wins?

Key ideas in Weird Parenting Wins

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

What is Weird Parenting Wins about?

Weird Parenting Wins (2019) shows you how not to lose it while bringing up your kids – all you need is a little craziness. That means being creative and playful. Children approach life ready to deploy their imagination at every turn, and this book in blinks shows how you can be just as imaginative. You’ll find ways to make life easier for the whole family and even have fun in the process.

Weird Parenting Wins Review

Weird Parenting Wins (2019) is an insightful book that offers unconventional but effective parenting strategies. It is definitely worth reading because:

It presents a collection of unique and out-of-the-box parenting techniques that have been tried and proven by real parents, providing a refreshing perspective on raising children.
The book offers practical solutions for everyday parenting challenges, giving readers valuable tools to navigate the ups and downs of parenthood.
With its humorous and relatable anecdotes, the book keeps readers engaged and entertained, making it an enjoyable read for parents at all stages of their journey.

Best quote from Weird Parenting Wins

What I really needed was the prop-your-infant-up-as-if-sitting-in-a-chair hold.

—Hillary Frank

Who should read Weird Parenting Wins?

Overwhelmed parents
Anyone who is planning a family and wants to be prepared
Caregivers and guardians

About the Author

Hillary Frank is a media professional whose career took off when she was working for the podcast This American Life. She followed up by creating her own award-winning parenting and family podcast, The Longest Shortest Time. Hillary Frank also writes novels for teenagers and young adults, including Better Than Running at Night (2002) and I Can’t Tell You (2004).

Categories with Weird Parenting Wins

Parenting

Book summaries like Weird Parenting Wins

Two Awesome Hours

Josh Davis

Science-Based Strategies to Harness Your Best Time and Get Your Most Important Work Done

Step-By-Step Solutions to Consciously Create the Ultimate Parent-Child Relationship

18 min

4.5

The Power of Showing Up

Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

How Parental Presence Shapes Who Our Kids Become and How Their Brains Get Wired

16 min

4.4

How to Talk to Anyone

Leil Lowndes

92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships

The Creative’s Guide to Building a Business with Impact

18 min

4.2

Artificial Intelligence & Generative AI for Beginners

Parenthood in the Age of Fear

The Revolutionary Approach to Raising Your Kids by Keeping Your Cool

Find Your Voice, Speak Your Mind, Inspire Any Audience

Why We Eat When We're Not Hungry and How to Stop

17 min

4.4

Simplicity Parenting

Kim John Payne and Lisa M. Ross

Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids

13 min

4.3

Guns, Germs and Steel

Jared Diamond

The Fates Of Human Societies

The Science and Art of Longevity

20 min

4.3

How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids

Carla Naumburg

A Practical Guide to Becoming a Calmer, Happier Parent

Explore Freedom’s Deeper Meaning Beyond Resistance and Control

21 min

Theories of Childhood

Carol Garhart Mooney

An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget & Vygotsky

A Big History of Everything

Exploring Myths that Shape our Identity and Reality

20 min

The Daily Dad

Ryan Holiday

366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids

The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8 A.M.)

Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life

31 min

4.6

The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did)

Philippa Perry

Sound parenting advice based on psychology

19 min

4.5

The Science of Getting Rich

Wallace D. Wattles

Your Master Key to Success

11 min

3.7

The Whole-Brain Child

Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind

The Architecture of Belief

One small step toward understanding the greatness of the universe

21 min

4.4

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

John C. Maxwell

Follow Them and People Will Follow You

Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days

18 min

3.9

Minimalist Parenting

Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest

Enjoy Modern Family Life More by Doing Less

What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know

21 min

3.9

Raising Critical Thinkers

Julie Bogart

A Parent's Guide to Growing Wise Kids in the Digital Age

First Relationships and How They Shape Our Capacity to Love

17 min

3.8

How to Raise an Adult

Julie Lythcott-Haims

Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success

How to Build Habit-Forming Products

Why It Pays to Break the Rules at Work and in Life

18 min

It's Not You

Ramani Durvasula

Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People

20 min

4.5

Red Flags, Green Flags

Ali Fenwick

Modern Psychology for Everyday Drama

Short Life Advice from the Best in the World

Rewire Your Brain to Stress Less, Laugh More, and Achieve More'er

How to See What Others Miss

17 min

4.2

The Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith

The most influential economic book of all time

11 min

4.4

Mindful Self-Discipline

Giovanni Dienstmann

Living with Purpose and Achieving Your Goals in a World of Distractions

Using the principles of parenting at work to become a great leader and create great leaders

23 min

4.2

Antifragile

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Things That Gain from Disorder

20 min

4.6

The Bullet Journal Method

Ryder Carroll

Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future

26 min

4.2

101 Questions to Ask Before You Get Engaged

H. Norman Wright

Essential Inquiries for Lasting Love

17 min

4.0

Raising Securely Attached Kids

Eli Harwood

Use Connection-Focused Parenting to Build Confidence and Empathy

17 min

4.6

The Motivation Code

Todd Henry with Ron Penner

Discover the Hidden Forces That Drive Your Best Work

How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes

13 min

4.0

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.