The Three-Martini Playdate: A Practical Guide to Happy Parenting

By Christie Mellor

Parents, it's time to right the balance. Time to take charge. Time to enjoy your life. Beginning with the surprising benefits of saying no to your child, Christie Mellor offers refreshing, wickedly funny, and actually quite useful advice. With recipes, opinions, helpful hints, and illustrations, this high-spirited book celebrates a better, more relaxed attitude toward raising your child. Book jacket.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811840549
• ISBN13: 9780811840545
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (CA)
• Length: 143 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.6" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 13 to 22 years
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Hilarious, Surprising, Arch Advice

With tongue firmly in cheek, Mellor deftly explodes all of the anxious mythology about modern, over-attentive parenting. Her book's not really an advice book, but a humorous riposte, even though there is a simple, fundamental message--relax, this isn't rocket science--hidden in plain sight. A welcome antidote to all the craziness. I'm much more appreciative of parenting/family books that use humor. I'd also urge you to read "I Sleep At Red Lights: A True Story of Life After Triplets," by Bruce Stockler, a laugh-out-loud memoir about trying to juggle, well, everything.

Just the Kind of Advice I Was Waiting For

Finally, a book about being an effective, responsible parent without losing your sense of humor along the way! If you think that today's parents let their kids run the household and the whole family's lives, and if you long for the days when children behaved in public, when parents weren't constantly excusing their kids' lack of manners, and when parents actually had their own lives, then read this book! Full of humor (some of it slightly acidic), the book does yield some practical advice and offers tips on how to parent well and not create monster children in the process. Read parts of it out loud to your spouse or friends for added fun -- I had my husband laughing his (...)off with some of the funnier parts.

Hilarious and charming

Finally, a grownup view of parenting, delivered with humor and insight. Christie Mellor delivers a subtle message of fairness and balance, envisioning an ideal household where grownups' wishes are given equal time with those of children. This means raising children not only to behave well, but to develop a working sense of justice. As comical as the book is, I think Mellor has given voice to an important set of values that deserve our attention. I hope the issues raised in The Three-Martini Playdate will be discussed in the media.From a delighted parent.p.s. As a big fan of Miss Manners (and now Miss Mellor), I was surprised to see the [comparison]. Judith Martin's humor relies on an imperturbably ladylike primness and pedantry; Mellor is far more slapstick, loopy and fun. Buy both, and see for yourself!!

Hilarious!

This book is right on! It's a humerous look at child-rearing. I am eight months pregnant and I work in education. I am constantly exposed to spoiled kids, over-the-top parents, and many of the stereotypes Mellor writes about in the book. I already know what kind of parent I DON'T want to be, and Mellor's book just confirms it. It's a great laugh!

definitely a five-olive read!

i read this during my son's naptime as my four-year-old was insisting I help dress her Polly Pockets...and laughed so hard i nearly wet my pants! A must-read for anyone with children! Cheers!