If the gimmick of a book written in baby talk–as in a talking baby–makes you gag, skip “The Baby Rules: The Insider’s Guide to Raising Your Parents” by Jamie Schaefer-Wilson and Jo Anne Germinario (Health Communications, $9.95). Hey, it could be worse–it could be written by a cat. Besides, believe it or not, this book isn’t gratingly precious; instead, it offers quick, practical tips for the busy and sleep-deprived (that’s you, new mom and dad).
Readers might be struck by the weirdness, supposedly coming from a baby, of such phrases as “did you know that improper latch-on is the main cause of nipple soreness?”
That aside, there’s oodles of info on everything from burping (the baby) and diapering (“tip for Dad: My diaper rash cream doubles as a great after-shave lotion”) to teething (“make sure you put [teething rings] in the refrigerator and not the freezer”) and trips to the doc (“see if you can put my top on before they give me my shots, because believe me, I am going to be upset after those needles, and it won’t be easy to get me dressed”).
On “us” time: “Don’t talk on the phone when you’re feeding me. . . . You may think that I’m preoccupied with my bottle or my food, but I’m staring at you hoping to make a connection.”