PARENTING:
Everything you will ever need to know from conception to eighteen

Annie Ashworth, Meg Saunders, Karen Dolby

Published Orion Books, May 2003
ISBN : 0 74285 264 7 – GBP 20.00

“Being a parent is the one job for which there is no training, no exams and little formal support to put you right when you go wrong. It’s a full time job, with no salary, unpaid overtime and no bonuses. It’s a job that involves a host of skills – those of nurse, teacher, artist, counsellor, nutritionist, chef, psychologist, taxi driver, driving instructor, policeman, diplomat and negotiator. Being a parent can make being chief executive of a multi-national company seem like a picnic.”

There can be few parents, grandparents and professional childcare workers who would not wholeheartedly agree with the above extract from the sleeve notes of a recent publication which, in my opinion, is an absolute “MUST HAVE.” It could be the best £20 any would-be parents could spend and local authorities may consider acquiring copies for child care staff.

This is an excellent quick-reference book covering subjects ranging from pre-conception to leaving home, including breast feeding, having fun with children, car safety, acne, sex education, CVs and job applications through to bereavement. The pedantic professional may well pick a few holes in the advice given, but I can find little to fault.

Personally, I only wish such a comprehensive book had been in my possession thirty-five years ago – and also in my parents’ possession – life could have been so much easier.

Also included are pages of useful (UK) addresses and web sites which could prove invaluable.

“So, whether you are a first or fourth time Mum or Dad, on your own or with a partner, a step-parent, grandparent, adoptive parent or foster parent, you’ll find the answers to many questions and the tried and tested strategies that will work for you.”

Reviewed by Diane Stevenson