Naptime Is the New Happy Hour: And Other Ways Toddlers Turn Your Life Upside Down

by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor

Motherhood -- it's not for wimps.

Once the zigzagging hormones and endless, bleary-eyed exhaustion of the first year have worn off, you're left with the startling realization that your tiny, immobile bundle has become a rampaging toddler, complete with his or her very own, very forceful personality.

Just as Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay helped debunk decades of parenting myths to offer honest advice for the first year, Naptime Is the New Happy Hour is a voice of reason for every woman facing questions such as: Will refined sugar make my toddler's head explode? Is it wrong to have a cocktail at two in the afternoon? And what exactly is a Backyardigan?

With biting wit and boatloads of common sense, Stefanie Wilder-Taylor addresses all these concerns and more. Whether it's planning easy outings that are fun for both of you (fact: your child will find the local Target just as scintillating as the Guggenheim), dishing the dirt on preschool TV (those mothers who swear their kids don't watch television? Liars or psychos, every one), or perfecting the art of the play date, readers will find advice, anecdotes, and a reassuring sense of camaraderie to help them survive -- and even thrive -- during each hilarious, frustrating, and amazing moment.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Humor, Memoir, Adult, Chick Lit

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2008

About the author

Stefanie Wilder-Taylor is the author of six books including Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay, Gummi Bears Should Not be Organic and her latest, Drunk-ish. She also co-hosts the hit podcast For Crying Out Loud as well as Rose Pricks and Bored AF. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, three teenagers and her dog, Penelope. She no longer drinks but she may have a serious problem with sugar-free popsicles.

Reviews

[Jeri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Funny...it made me laugh out loud several times and also made me feel better about my failures as a parent...apparantly, there are other mothers who aren't perfect either ;) I did not like her use of profanity or how much she dwelled on alcohol. It would have been a better book (and still funny) with less of both of the above.

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naptime is the New Happy Hour puts in words some of the feelings to which parents of toddlers can relate. Being a stay-at-home Mom, I am well aware of the quirkiness of toddlerhood. Toddler television programming is utterly annoying, yet we cannot resist plunking our children's impressionable young minds in front of the set. We all know the lack of sleep, frustration at the various tendencies of toddler behavior, and the various Moms we encounter along the way who make us feel guilty for giving our kids processed food.

Does this make us drink our way into oblivion? Absolutely not. My liver is still intact. However, reading this book gives me great concern for the liver of the author. Call me crazy (or one of those striving-to-be-overly-perfect Moms, if you must), but I don't feel the need to have a vodka for dinner to get me through the end of a day with my toddler.

Naptime is incredibly funny and a hilarious "story" as to how one Mom copes with all of the trials and tribulations of toddlerhood. However, should this book be taken as a parenting guide (which is how the initial review I read presented it)? Absolutely not. I'd hate to think that we were educating an entire generation of SAHMs to drink, swear, and read obscene amounts of celebrity gossip to get through our days. So, read the book, but be willing to laugh at it. If you need actual parenting advice, pick up What to Expect or a book by Dr. Sears.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was much better than a lot of people made it out to be. I don't think the language is too much, I mean, we are adults reading it....hopefully. I don't think she's stuck on girl babies versus boy babies at all and there were instances where I laughed out loud.
From what I hear, Sippy Cups is better than this so I'm going to have to get my hands on that and take a look. Overall, if you're a new mom or an old mom and want a few light laughs while being able to nod your head and sympathize with just about everything she writes, this is the book for you.
Those moms at the park- the ones who look at you crazy if you give your kid a gummy snack? Yup, got them here and pegged them for the liars they are a long time ago. :)

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book. It was funny, but it seemed like the author was trying to hard. Her style of writing and humor got boring after the first couple of chapters, however, a lot of it is true.

I didn't like how in the 2nd chapter she talks about not taking your toddler to the mall play places because they have too many germs, then page 102 says no matter what you try to do- your child will get sick. Why not have them live a little and wipe their hands when they are done playing?
It is a great book to entertain. Not very educational, but helps people realize that there is no such thing as a supermom.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I reviewed this book here.

I really want to reiterate the language warning. As I said on my review, I have no problems with variations of darn and poop. But the author took it too far when she used a word that begins with "P." Perhaps others are comfortable with that word. I am not. I don't enjoy reading it, hearing it or saying it. I don't think it's funny and I don't think it added to the book. The language is actually why this book gets three stars instead of four. I think it really took away from the humor.

[Julie]

I really enjoyed the author's humor over the first few chapters but then quickly became bored. The humor is a little redundant.

If you are doubting yourself as a mom, feeling guilty about the things you are NOT doing as a mom, or feeling bad about not being the Superhero Mom which you thought you'd be (which should include every mom)...then this book is a nice mood booster. The author talks about the reality of being a mom- loving your child but not loving every single mom duty at every waking moment of the day.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I AM NOT ALONE!

I loved this book. Seriously. The only things that were slightly annoying were the drinking comments, but besides that I'm pretty sure that this came from my brain.

After finishing this book this morning it made me hug my little one and think about how, yes parenting sure can suck but, I am so lucky to be able to do it.

<3

[Linds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. Snarky and a bit irreverent, it is basically telling Moms it's very hard but relax and give yourself a break from the Mommy police. Remember that our Moms locked us outside while drinking a Tab and we turned out fine.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think it is actually possible to be too snarky. And, the author has a girl and some of the experiences are too girl baby -centric.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did laugh in parts so I'm giving it a 3, but most of it is overtop. My biggest problem is how she got a book deal with no experience except she gave birth, yeah lots of us have done that!

[Alycia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious musings on life/motherhood with a toddler. Definitely will check out the author's other books once I finish this.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun romp through Stephanie Wilder Taylor's mother-hood romp. While I think someone who has a toddler (or recently survived) would find this more humorous, I still laughed out loud several times.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mom read for new moms and seasoned moms. She says what we want to say but are too scared to say aloud

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great summer pool read for a new mom who could use a few laughs and a reminder not to take life to seriously.

[Sugarrr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this Book! IT was hilariously funny and spot on !!

recommended for all moms !!!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of snarkiness. I loved it.

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good one for overwhelmed mamas of toddlers

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining overall but many of the jokes are fairly outdated.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was at first thinking this was a 2 star book but I could almost give it a 4 now. I think I actually liked "Ketchup is a Vegetable . . " by Robin O'Bryant just slightly more overall but this one was definitely stronger in the last few chapters, felt like she got down to business a bit more. The author has a certain sense of humour that is sometimes funny and sometimes a bit of a turnoff. She definitely talks about alcohol a lot but that doesn't bother me and I didn't notice that the language was all that bad and I don't swear much but there was some language so if you are particularly sensitive then do stay away.

I was more annoyed at how she kept making fun of richer moms and stuff and then when she talked about Dora she flippantly said that her daughter could not negotiate with her gardener. I'm sure she just meant it to be funny but it sounded a bit snobbish to me. However, there is some good stuff in here. When talking about bragging mommas she gives an example of a woman saying "look at this expensive watch that my husband got me for no reason (not really a direct quote) and her thought is "I can think of a reason, he's cheating on you". I just about bust a gut.

I also loved the chapter on preschools as this is something that is weighing heavily on my mind right now and I haven't done much research yet.


But finally, the last chapter sealed it and made me officially like the book. Spoiler alert here but she is about to have twins! I am looking forward to the next book if she manages to get it written with all that is going on in her life!

[Damecatoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know that thing that Ellen Degeneres does? Let me see, here's an example:

"I don't need a baby growing inside me for nine months. For one thing, there's morning sickness. If I'm going to feel nauseous and achy when I wake up, I want to achieve that state the old fashioned way: getting good and drunk the night before."

That thing. Is there a name for that schtick?

Anyway, Wilder-Taylor does a lot of that. It's a device I find funny some of the time but not all of the time. And that's the difference between me reading this book and thinking it was a fine lunchtime companion (which I did) and me actually recommending the book to others (which I won't).

With a title like Naptime is the New Happy Hour, I think this book is supposed to be more about the "biting wit" the back cover mentions than the "boatloads of common sense." I might have found the wit more wonderful if I didn't know so many wonderfully witty people.* As I do, instead I enjoyed the common sense parts of the book so much more.


*I know, I know. Alliteration and repetition are so my schtick.

[Christy Keating · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book (once I finally committed to finishing reading it)....the author (who also wrote Sippy Cups are not for Chardonnay) is very clever and laugh-out-loud funny at times. She also has some good common-sense parenting advice, much (but not all) of which I agreed with and wish more parents woudl listen to...I'm pretty sure this is a mom I would like! That said, I did get a little tired of the repeated references to drinking, taking Xanax and using Unisom. I think I heard that the author actually ended up admitting to an alcohol addicition and ending up in rehab...if true, that wouldn't surprise me given the many references to needing to drink. I mean I love my wine as much as the next mom, but there is a limit.. Nonetheless, this was a very entertaining and funny read, that even Jonas liked when I read parts out loud to him. And, given that I now live with a toddler, I definitely "got it." They are a scary bunch of little people. :-)

[Aubrie Mabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

If anyone wants to know exactly what I'm going through with a toddler right now just read this book! I feel like this author followed me around for a week and completely nailed my life but that's not the case she just had her own toddler and wrote about it that's how similar lives with a toddler are I guess. the only bad thing with this book is that I felt it was too real and when I wanted to escape my life it felt like I was just reliving the day when I was reading about what it's like to live with a screaming two-year-old. Her thoughts on everything from potty training to what to feed your baby were my thoughts exactly! And it was so funny! It made me feel less alone in the decisions I'm making every day for Neko.

[Misse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun, smart and honest (very honest) "diary" of life with a toddler. It was an easy read. I had read her first book about life with a baby and looked forward to her follow up publication. I laughed out loud at so many things that she wrote that could have come directly from my life. It wasn't preachy, didn't give advice and made me realize that many others feel the crazy topsy turvy way I do most days. Only a few of my mom friends actually admit it in fear of being judged. It provided a nice escape and quite a few belly inducing laughs. I have been referring to myself as the cruise director of Cole's life since reading this!

[Tifnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is book was very funny and I totally enjoyed reading it. I gave it 4 stars because it was a very simple and easy read.

Naptime Is The New Happy Hour is about life as a new mom and all the things you didn't know, should have known, and all the things you have yet to learn. One of my favorite lines is, "...tyrant is tearing through your house screaming at the top of their lungs, by all means say, "Hey, Spa voices please!""

I have a couple of women I know who are pregnant that I am going to buy this book for. I had a great laugh and I'm sure they will to. Especially since they are 1st time moms.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is funny and an easy-read. The first couple chapters did put me off a bit, making me think, yes, my toddler does drive me crazy, but I still LIKE her! It sounded like the author sincerely didn't care for her child at all. But, it gets better, so keep reading. The best part about this book is it gives you a nice warm feeling of being a pretty good mom, even if your daughter's morning snack yesterday was cheetos and chocolate chips and she is currently running around in a diaper and her "dancing shoes". :) If you've been there and done that, you will like reading this book and seeing that others have too.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like her other book on parenting/being a mom (Sippy Cups Aren't for Chardonnay), this one on the toddler years was very funny. She's irreverent and foul-mouthed, but she really can make you chuckle at some of the most stressful parts of being a parent. When I read her essays, it makes me feel a little more relaxed, and a little less worried about how I'm measuring up as a mom. The Sippy Cups book was probably my favorite, just because I was completely in need of some chuckles and relaxation in that first month or two.

[Bree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book because it was the author spoke about that 18 months and later time frame of having a kid unlike all the "baby" books I have been coming across. She also views motherhood the way I do and at the time of writing the book she only had 1 girl. I could relate to everything. The small segment about spending time at Target was when I knew I found the right book for me. This is about not being the perfect parent and accepting that we don't need the stress that comes with perfection. It took a few days to read but hey I have a toddler who is turning my life upside down!

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found out right as I started reading this book that the author had to go into rehab because she had a drinking problem. So although the book was funny it made me a little sad when she made jokes about drinking (and there were a lot of them) because they probably weren't just jokes. Aside from that it was an enjoyable read and made me feel better than I'm not the perfect, mother of the year that I aspire to be and that there's other mommies out there just trying to make it through the day in one piece. Hope I'm not half way to rehab and don't realize it yet :)

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this today and got through it very quickly. It's a hilarious book when you are still adjusting to the new things that come every day with motherhood. First you have to go through adjusting to having a newborn and what you have to do w/ the baby...but then once they turn into a toddler - you don't stop learning and adjusting and this book talks about all of that. It's a fun read for those of you with kids or those planning to have kids (although it might scare you off :).

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved her other book: Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay: And Other Things I Had to Learn as a New Mom. This book was just ok though, it seemed as if she was trying to hard to be funny. There were moments when I did laugh out loud and just had to read aloud to my hubby & he thought they were funny. It took me forever to finish this book though because it just didn't entertain me the way her other book had. If I know what I know now I wouldn't have even bothered to read the book.