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.

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

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.

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.

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!

"They have super-good leadership skills, aka they are belligerent a-holes."

I knew after reading that line that this was going to be my type of book. I've read a variety of parenting books over the last eight years and this has been my favorite so far. It's filled with real-life, sometimes messy stories. It's filled with practical and funny advice for all parents. Melanie has made it clear this is how she does parenting and you can take it or leave it. If if didn't apply it you then skip the advice. If you've master the specific problem or topic she is writing about then skip that. I found this to be very well written and witty. Her stories made me laugh out loud. I've never shared more book quotes with friends, but I could literally highlight most of the book to share with others.

"And here’s the kicker. I thought I’d enjoy parenting more. I don’t.Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids and really enjoy a tremendous amount of the parenting action I see. But there are some parts that just aren’t enjoyable. It’s not all fun and games."

I really feel like Melanie is my spirit parent animal. 😂 She totally gets me in a lot of areas. I really feel like her advice to lighten up is just what I needed to hear especially after the dumpster fire that 2020 has been so far. Do yourself a favor and if you feel stressed out/burnt out take some time to read this book.

"Even if we do our best and it all goes to heck, I want us to lighten up and remain mostly calm. Our identity is not wrapped up in however our kids turn out. We can work hard on this parenting gig, but at the end of the day, they’ll make their choices and have lives apart from ours."

"That’s how we keep going, how this too, whatever this is, shall pass. Through relationships. We pick each other up and encourage each other to keep going. We celebrate the wins and mourn the losses together."

This is laugh out loud funny (And I did several times). It’s light-hearted yet practical and makes you feel like you have a friend who has “been there done that” in every aspect of parenting. Many times I ended each chapter feeling very seen and freed up from various “mom guilts” in my life. I recommend this book for anyone who needs some stomach cramping laughter in their life while also wanting to stop taking parenting and life so seriously.

Melanie has done it again. She has written a book that will delight you (especially if you like sarcasm) AND give you something to think about. And the book possibly might encourage you to try new things to make your life calmer. (Topics include, behavior, expectations, work, marriage, and the future to name a few).

I enjoyed this book and I’m not even a parent. In full disclosure, I do like reading non-fiction books about other people’s experiences, including those that don’t look like mine. But even as a non-parent, I found there were many helpful and thoughtful things said in the book that can be applied to my life without kids. Lessons about not quitting and how to have a mindset to tough it out and get through, trying something new and giving yourself grace, and a few tips for preparing the people in our life for future events, both imminent and distant future. So, don’t let the topic of motherhood dissuade you from picking up this book.

I also found Melanie’s views on parenthood refreshing and her parenting stories laugh out loud funny.

CONS:
1. There are some swears in the book, so if that is something you can’t live with, don’t read the book.
2. If you are non-religious and are bothered by any mention of religion, this book may not be for you. Although Melanie talks about her beliefs in a very neutral way, not forcing her beliefs on anyone.

The verdict, for me… this book was well written, delightfully funny, and thought provoking.

I was part of the launch team for this book and I'm so glad! Melanie is like your neighbor who is just a season ahead, sharing her hard-earned wisdom with grace and humor. She addresses everything in parenting, from how to help your middle schooler develop a hygiene routine to how to pass on your beliefs about faith and whether you should talk during movies. I read so much out loud to my husband while he was trying to sleep.

Calm the Heck Down
The book kept my interest all the way thru. There's a lot of info and suggestions; a delight to read and re-read.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!
This book was laugh out loud funny. Melanie Dale is a mom of 3 (1 natural and 2 overseas adoptions) and this book is her thoughts and lessons learned about all different aspects of motherhood. While I didn’t learn a whole lot, I was thoroughly entertained. The author is much different than myself but it was still relatable and fun. I loved the christian elements of this book and her connection to faith.
Overall I really enjoyed this book!