Sure, your parents have changed a diaper, but it’s been a few years. Now they’re going to be grandparents. Perhaps they’re left wondering what, exactly, they will do when the baby cries or how they’ll spend a rainy afternoon with their darlings. In comes The Grandparents Handbook by Elizabeth LaBan.
The handbook includes intriguing-sounding recipes to try with kids (overnight pickles and chocolate-covered pretzels, for example) and activities grandparents can enjoy with young children (why not create a family newspaper or hold a mock election?).The book is packed with ideas, tips, and advice for new or seasoned grandparents. It’s a cute little hardcover book, complete with adorable retro illustrations.
So here are the only two gripes I have about the book: 1. Why is there no apostrophe in the title? As an English teacher, this bothers me. 2. Let’s go back to the diapers. Right in the beginning of the book, the rookie grandparent will find instructions for changing a diaper. LaBan assures her readers that diapers have improved in the last twenty or thirty years—now they’re disposable! But if the parents want to help out the environment “with cloth diapers, safety pins, and endless trips to the washing machine”? Just ask them to switch to disposables while the grandparents come over. “If they protest , tell them you’re out of practice and afraid of accidentally sticking the baby with a safety pin.”
Now, we don’t have to tell our Green Baby Guide readers how misguided this advice is. First of all, almost no cloth diaper enthusiasts use diaper pins anymore—newfangled cloth diapers come with Velcro closures, just like disposables! Also, I didn’t like the idea of the grandparents undermining the parents’ decisions about how to care for the child.
Despite the diaper blunder, it’s a great little book, and I will admit that most people would not get so worked up over the diaper chapter. I plan to give my own copy to my mom (who, by the way, had no problem changing my daughter’s cloth diapers!). With The Grandparents Handbook, she’ll have a grand time building gingerbread houses, going clover hunting, and making scones for an afternoon tea with Audrey.
We have one copy of the Grandparents Handbook to give away! Just post a comment before next Tuesday (the 22nd) and you’ll be entered to win!
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December 15th, 2009 at 6:24 am
I would love to give this to my parents!
December 15th, 2009 at 6:55 am
I’m a new grandparent and would love a book like this. By the way, I agree with both of your gripes!
December 15th, 2009 at 7:24 am
My mom has no problem using cloth either! If I win, I’ll just take a sharpie to the part about the diapers =)
December 15th, 2009 at 7:56 am
Anything to help out the new grandparents in our lives… !!!
December 15th, 2009 at 11:40 am
OOh, would love this for my parents!
December 15th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
All the Grandparents of my son Jake could do with reading this!
December 15th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Like you said, cloth diapers are easy! The grandparents in our family have no problem changing cloth…that’s really all they know. I would love a copy for my MIL who loves to watch the kids. She is always looking for creative ways to play with them too!
December 15th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
I love the first gripe. My husband is reading over my shoulder and complained about the lack of an apostrophe in another blog’s post. My Mum loves my cloth diapers
December 15th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
What an awesome book!! My parents will become grandparents (compliments of moi) in just 6 weeks. What an awesome gift!
December 15th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
I hate the no apostrophe thing! I was a journalism major and worked at a newspaper so I drive myself crazy analyzing grammar everywhere. Nothing a well place swipe of the Sharpie can’t fix!
I would love this to give to my husbands parents. I don’t think they’ve changed a cloth diaper or heated up breast milk (no using a microwave on that stuff or else!) before so this book would help put my own fears about their baby care skills at ease.
December 18th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
This would be a great book to give, my parents have EVERYTHING! And with a message that they need to hear too!
December 21st, 2009 at 2:48 pm
This sounds like a really fun book! Especially for my parents who are way too excited about being first time grandparents (My dad keeps rubbing my belly every 5 minutes – it feels like it anyway)
December 21st, 2009 at 5:33 pm
sounds creative and fun:)
January 5th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
I would love to have this book as a first time grandparent. When a baby is born so is a Grandmother~~~~