A shout out in praise of Betty MacDonald. The Mrs.Piggle-Wiggle books we all know, I think… but as I read them to Moomin I see how they function perfectly not just as teaching manuals for kids on how to behave and how naughtiness is repugnant – it’s also a perfect parenting manual, to teach the parents how to behave and how to be effective. All with a sense of humor and perspective.
The phone calls the mothers make to other moms in town are priceless… how the other moms annoyingly brag on their own children… how freakish their parenting standards are. I thought of all the moms’ club arguments I’ve seen about breastfeeding or co-sleeping; the playground conversations on schools, and laughed my head off at MacDonald’s exaggerations of parenting differences.
What I didnt’ know, until Iris sent me a package of books, was that Betty MacDonald wrote great books for adults… The Egg and I, Onions in the Stew, Anybody can do Anything (the best one) *EVERY* mommyblogger would like them. She’s damn funny! She’s outrageous! Her writing is beautiful.
We could go through women’s lit and label certain people honorary mommybloggers.
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