What a fun read! Parenting books tend to have a way of putting me to sleep (maybe it's just me) or making me feel outraged (how dare you tell me I'm not a good parent!) - this book kept me awake and made me feel understood. Dale's stories are hilarious and her advice is encouraging and easily applicable to my daily life. I know a parenting book is good when I actually write notes down to look at later - I had two whole pages before I even hit the halfway mark on this book.

This would be a great gift for a new or soon-to-be parent and will definitely grow with the child.

In Calm The H*ck Down, author Melanie Dale offers a real and realistic look at parenting from newborns-teens. The advice Dale offers is encouraging and practical while also having the perfect balance of humor and light-heartedness. We could all use a bit of humor with parenting because let's face it, it's a rollercoaster ride!

This isn't a "how-to guide" but more of an "I have been there and here are some things that have worked with my kids and maybe will help you!" There is such a wealth of information that comes from parenting multiple children. As many of us know, you can do the very same things and come out with a different outcome, because every child (and person) is unique.

The most helpful thing I have learned along the way is once you "master" one thing, a new challenge comes along, and this is normal! And if you are worried you aren't doing a good enough job, well then you are probably doing just fine. <3

"Dale believes we are all putting too much pressure on ourselves and our kids to be perfect. Instead, she argues, we need to take a step back so we can actually enjoy this journey called parenting."

Some of the topics I found especially helpful included helping your kids develop healthy friendships, keeping kids the right amount of busy (not overscheduling), how to talk about sex (and consent!), and how to respectfully advocate for your kids.

I especially loved how she ended each chapter with a series of questions or prompts...such as "20 questions to ask at dinner besides 'How Was Your Day?'", "10 Things To Do Instead of Yelling", "10 Tips For Partnering While Parenting", "How to Talk to Teachers (they are people too!)" and "20 Ideas For Getting Your Monsters To Behave".

Whether you are a new parent or almost nearing the finish line (just kidding, there isn't one, LOL) this is the perfect book for new and experienced parents alike! 

Thank you to @Atria Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is fast becoming my new favorite parenting book. It is not so much how-to manual as it is a therapy session, more about style & strategy than specific situations, although it includes some very practical tips. It covers the years from newborn to teens and everything in between. And since the author became a mom in 3 very different ways to 3 very different kids, she has a wealth of experience and insight. And she is down right hilarious. I have found so much of the advice I would give myself but also plenty of new nuggets I’m excited to try.

So if you’re looking for a super serious parenting book, this one’s not for you. But if you’d like some great, practical advice given in a light-hearted manner (and don’t mind a few swears and some sci-fi nerdiness), have I got a book for you!

This is the first parenting book I've finished reading; usually I start them with high hopes and end up discarding them along the way. The stories Melanie shares from her own experience are laugh-out-loud funny. At the same time, the advice Melanie offers is encouraging and practical; she ends each chapter with lists like "10 Things to do Instead of Yelling" and "22 Age-Appropriate Chore Ideas." My kids are still little, but this is a book I definitely could revisit as they grow.

We could all use a bit of humor when it comes to parenting. One of my favorite quotes is "Your kids will change how you see the world." I can totally relate to the chapter about "What Happens in the Backpack Stays in the Backpack" it is a great reminder as I am dealing the the school years right now. The "You can Say no to Stuff" part is spot on as you are asked to volunteer for everything. Melanie reminds us that it's ok to say no. The biggest takeaway from this book is to lighten up about parenting. Love the parenting tips at the end of the chapters. I would recommend this book to other parents in a heartbeat. We all need the reminder to Calm the h*ck down!

This book is really funny. I laughed out loud at some of the stories. The antidotes are real, honest, and many people need to hear them. The parenting advice is common practice by many leading parent authorities. My reason for giving it three stars, is that from a trauma informed and adopted parent perspective she misses the mark on best connected practices. And I don’t agree with many mainstream strategies. I fall into a growth mindset strategy that values the relationship above rules. That functions under the principle children do well if they can. There is always a reason behind the behavior, a parents job is to find the why behind the behavior. I don’t think the author intended to be an expert do all I say parent advice book. She achieves her goal. We can all calm down.

So read the book to help calm yourself down. Read the book to remember we can relax many parenting standards. But don’t read the book as solid parenting strategies.

My other concern is that this book is from a blogger and author with a Christian perspective. She is quite liberal. As a parent who swears. And this book really is not written from an evangelical or bible based faith perspective. It’s not mentioned really, which is fine, but wasn’t what I expected.

Thankful to have read an advanced copy.

All the right things at the right time.
Melanie Dale does it again by pairing real life struggles with humor, truth telling, and valuable insight. This book is for everyone! Have a newborn? She’s your wiser friend whose been through it all; Have a teen? She’s your confidant and unpaid therapist; Have a significant other you’re sharing the parenting experience with? Pass this book over because it’s written for all.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a real parenting perspective.

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Fun book, lots of laughs! I liked how her chapters were each dedicated to different areas of parenting life. Personally, there were a few too many jokes about getting through it without killing the kids. She did challenge me to “lighten up” in some areas, and it was reassuring also - that surely we will all be okay and feel better if we don’t take all the little stuff so seriously and mostly focus on getting the big stuff right.

This book had me laughing out loud...she hit the nail on the head here. There are just some things we need to chill out with as we parent our kids and Melanie has a great way of pointing that out. Definitely one to grab in your next Amazon order!

Calm the h*ck down is the parenting book we all need in 2020! Melanie does a great job reminding us to loosen up and not take everything so seriously, our kids will be alright! Practical tips, real life stories, and lots of laughs! This book was easy to pick up and I didn’t want to put it down!
-stacy, Michigan mom of 3

Honest and hilarious. Melanie claims to be the last person who should write a book on parenting but really that’s what makes her the best for it. She doesn’t take herself too seriously and encourages us to do the same. She provided SO MUCH grace and permission to do what is best for our family and relationships. Highly recommend this for any parent.

Calm the h*ck down was one of the funniest most down to earth parenting books Ive read. It was a joy to read and I found myself relating to so many things. Between endless therapy appointments and IEP meetings along with the struggle of infertility. I highly recommend this book to any seasoned or new moms.

Thank you netgalley, the launch team and the publisher for the opportunity to read this amazing good. All opinions are my own.

Whether you’re a new parent, or you’ve been around the parenting block a few hundred times, I highly recommend Melanie Dale’s “Calm the H*ck Down: How to Let Go and Lighten Up About Parenting.” Using a combination of humor, her personal experience and practical parenting ideas and lists, Melanie encourages us to lighten up about different aspects of being a parent, from birth to the teenage years. Grace for yourself, grace for others, grace for your kids! Let this book help you calm down and enjoy the crazy adventure that is parenting!

I was on the launch team for this book and was asked to leave a review upon finishing.

This is not a typical parenting book for me. “Calming the heck down” is not always my specialty. I think deeply when it comes to discipline and sometimes put a lot of pressure on myself to do this thing “right”, rather than doing my part and trusting the Lord to do his work. Melanie writes in a way that allows a serious parent like me to sit back, relax, and audibly laugh in response to all the crazy things that go down when parenting little people. There were several times I stopped to read sections to my husband and other times when I jotted down some of her ideas. I won’t be recommending this one for a small group study, but I fully support it for a good cackle on the couch after bedtime.

Melanie Dale's Calm the H*ck Down: How to Let Go and Lighten Up About Parenting is a delightful, fun, and humorous look at the highs and lows of parenting, ostensibly through the lens of what we, as parents, can let go and lighten up about, but providing so many suggestions and examples of what we need to concentrate and focus on that I think this is a must-read parenting book. Moreover, this is a must-read parenting book for parents with children of all ages and stages from babies to almost adults. There are gems of wisdom in this book for all parents, especially about things that actually matter. The message of this book is clear -- lighten up and bring some humor to some situations, but also, know what is important, what is worth a discussion, a dinner-table talk, a repeated conversation. Melanie delivers her message with profound, and sarcastic, insights that, in the end, encourage parents to keep going on their journey of raising humans. This is a great parenting book!

“I am the worst, and that shiny book could not possibly understand how truly hideous I am at this job...”

Just as when Paul said he was the chief among sinners, along comes Melanie Dale with her banner of imperfect motherhood. Like an all star drum major, she leads imperfect mothers on journey to understand that we all need to chill the h*ck out.

In these pages I found myself laughing until my sides split, staying up way too late reading the encouragement that I needed for the day, and yelling, “ME TOO, SIS!”

This is for the everyday mother who swears into her pillow, yells occasionally (but always feels guilty), and for that weary mom who keeps trying to be the Pinterest mom of the year. Mostly, it’s for the mom that chooses to parent every day she wakes up and loves the stuffing out of the humans she has under her wing.

If that’s you, join the marching band. You’ll be glad you did.

I received this book in exchange for a review—seriously thankful it was this one!

Calm the Heck Down is the perspective every parent needs. Through her comedic writing style, Melanie Dale reminds us that it's all going to be OK. Throughout the book, she shares stories of her own parenting successes and mishaps, as well as giving concrete, helpful tips. This delightful read was the reminder I needed to calm down and look for the joy in my parenting journey.

This book was everything I didn’t even know I needed. As a mom to a VERY busy, active, opinionated toddler and a two-week old, it was so refreshing to hear someone telling me that parenthood doesn’t have to be taken so seriously. The book speaks to the fact that being a parent is one of the most beautiful things we get to do in this lifetime, but we’re putting too much pressure on ourselves to do it perfectly.

I read this book solely in the middle of the night during nursing sessions, and Melanie had me laughing, crying, and overall just being so thankful that I had it at this point in my life. I cannot recommend it enough!

I received this book early as part of the launch team.
Let me just say, I absolutely loved this book! Melanie is so relatable and I see myself as a parent in her. I too am a “bad” Christian and don’t want to be a “sportsball” parent! This book was so insightful and not your typical parenting book, it gives you permission to lighten up about parenting. At the end of each chapter is a summary of tips, which I loved. Also, loved the part about allergy moms, as I am one of those. You must buy this book and get extra to give to all of your mom friends!

I absolutely loved every minute of this book! I recieved an ARC copy, courtesy of the publisher but the opinions in this review are my own.

Melanie makes parenthood so relatable. She isn't afraid to be honest and say what we as parents often think or mutter under our breathe when our kids are out of earshot. As a mother of 3 myself. I can relate to the chaos and stress she describes. It felt like a conversation with my best friend. Her words are real, but encouraging. She gives am up front look at how we as parents can reduce stress in our day to lives without losing our minds.

I would absolutely recommend this book to any parent!