Bare Minimum Parenting: The Ultimate Guide to Not Quite Ruining Your Child

3.48 out of 5 stars

673 ratings by Goodreads

ISBN 10: 1982599308 ISBN 13: 9781982599300

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing, 2018

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This isn't a book about overachieving at parenting.

This isn't even a book about achieving exactly the right amount.

This is a book about doing as little as possible without quite ruining your child.

Overachieving parents want you to believe the harder you work, the better your kid will turn out. That lie ends now.

The truth is most kids end up remarkably unremarkable no matter what you do, so you might as well achieve mediocrity by the easiest possible route. The goal of ""bare minimum parenting"" is to turn your child into a functional adult with only a fraction of the effort spent by super moms and dads.

If you do it right, your kid will be no better or worse off than their kids, but with more free time left for you. That's more valuable than all the participation trophies in the world.

In Bare Minimum Parenting, amateur parenting expert James Breakwell will teach you to stop worrying and embrace your child's destiny as devastatingly average. To get there, you'll have to overcome your kid, other parents, and yourself, all of whom will push you to do more than is absolutely necessary. Honestly, by reading this far, you're already trying too hard. But don't stop now. You're exactly the kind of person who needs this book.

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About the Author

James Breakwell is a professional comedy writer and amateur father of four girls. His comedy went viral in April 2016 when Buzzfeed featured his kid-centric jokes in an article that quickly drew more than two million views. His jokes have been featured by USA Today, US magazine, DailyMail.com, Metro.co.uk, Huffington Post, 9GAG, theCHIVE.com, CollegeHumor.com, various ABC and Fox TV news affiliates, and countless other TV, radio, and Internet outlets.

Review

A witty and refreshing take on parenting in a modern world. I have always enjoyed following James' parental trials and tribulations on social media and it's fun to seeing his musings come to life in this essential handbook!

-- "Rebecca Mader, actress on Once upon a Time and Lost"

With humor, insight, and honesty, smart-ass James Breakwell tells you what no other parenting book has the guts to say-relax.

-- "Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author"

A painfully honest and hilarious parenting book for us non-parenting-book-reading underachievers trying to survive the whole parenting experience. You know, I really could have used this book before my kids drove me insane. Next time write faster, James.

-- "Brian Gordon, creator of the webcomic Fowl Language"

I've never felt so guilt-free ignoring my child to read a book.

-- "Laura Perlongo, Shorty Award-winning cohost of the web series We Need to Talk and guest commentator on MTV's Catfish"

A rollicking, entertaining manifesto for the half-assed revolution. Reading it was WAY more fun than writing my own books and raising my own kids.

-- "Carolyn Parkhurst, New York Times bestselling author"

Breakwell has a hit...Uproariously funny, and at times, unexpectedly poignant.

-- "Liliana Hart, New York Times bestselling author"

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