Thanks, Jen Singer, for a great new book!

If you’re like me, you’ve picked up a magazine in the waiting room of the pediatrician’s office, flipped to an article that looked interesting to you, and learned from some expert or another that you’re screwing up, big time.

My biggest moment of self-doubt came when I learned that watching Sesame Street may contribute to attention problems. Long after my toddlers had grown into squirmy children, someone did the research and found that the barrage of images meant to teach language skills and values about sharing may have contributed to thinking patterns that switch too quickly from one idea to another. Thus, the American Academy of Pediatrics warned that TV is not for anyone under the age of two.

But wait! How does a woman ever take a shower on a weekday if she can’t turn on a TV for a toddler?  How can parents put in a load of laundry, call the mortgage broker, clean up the errant doggie doo, without the logical pacifier of child-friendly television programming?

Before you get your undies in a bunch, relax. I’m not advocating that parents should use the TV as the all-day every-day babysitter for babies and toddlers. To the contrary, I’m a big believer in opening the cupboard where pots and pans are kept or pulling all the cushions off the couch as healthy, wholesome entertainment for kids.

On the other hand, there’s something to be said for bathing. Regularly. With soap. And if this is best accomplished with a “Dora the Explorer” video or a half hour of “The Backyardigans,” so be it. Nothing to beat yourself up over.

Thanks to Jen Singer – one of my all-time favorite mom/writers and founder of Mommasaid.net – we can all relax a bit and learn to trust our instincts when it comes to parenting. Jen’s new book “Stop Second Guessing Yourself: The Toddler Years” offers page after page of common-sense solutions and witty and wise stories to help moms and dads get through those demanding, yet delightful toddler years.

I’m a believer that while our kids don’t come with “instruction manuals” they do come with our own good instincts to lead and guide them through every stage of life. Jen helps parents of toddlers with a field guide that reassures, encourages and commiserates.

This is the book I wish I’d had in my purse while waiting in the pediatrician’s office. Get a copy so you can Stop Second Guessing Yourself and enjoy the precious few years while your baby toddles through this fun, funny and fabulous phase.