It was early fall and school had just started back up here for most of us. Then, I got an alert from one of my local mom Facebook groups of a new post. Upon opening that alert, I saw the below image being shared as homework seems to be a source of frustration from most parents (myself included).
I couldn’t help, but smile for more than a few reasons.
First off, as a mom to two small girls, who was a former math and science teacher, I have grown to loathe homework on a whole new level now more than ever and truly wish for a break from homework even this early in the school year or die trying.
See as a former teacher, I truly despised giving homework, because my young students grumbled and complained having to do it and was a chore to make sure daily that they did do their homework.
But now as a parent, I am on the other end of the homework struggles having to make sure my own kids do theirs and help them with it whether they get it or not through all the grumbling and fussing, too.
However, I was not only smiling that I could indeed relate to this above cartoon and many more these wonderful ladies have created, but I actually know the authors of this cartoon in real life, having actually met them personally at BlogHer ’15 this past summer, too! And I had also just finalized a chance to preview their new, upcoming book and share it here on my blog. So real life was truly intersecting with my blog life in more than a few ways!
Yet, proud, honored and humbled was only the beginning of my emotions.
So with the upcoming release of their latest book, Science of Parenthood: Thoroughly Unscientific Explanations for Utterly Baffling Parenting Situations on November 17th, I have an interview to share with the two ingenious creators of Science of Parenthood blog here today.
Read more below now to find out all you could want to know about these two ladies and their upcoming book in an exclusive interview with them, because this one is for all parents wanting a bit of a break from the daily craziness of parenting.
What’s Science of Parenthood all about?
Science of Parenthood started nearly three years ago as an illustrated humor blog. We use fake math and science to “explain” the stuff that puzzles parents every day. Things like …
Why are broken cookies “ruined?”
Why does it matter what color the sippy cup is?
Why can’t you put the straw in the juice box without your kid having a melt down?
Why will a kid whine-whine-whine for a toy, then lose all interest in that toy once they have it?
Where the eff is my phone?
We’ve come up with some pretty hilarious theories.
Our book, Science of Parenthood: Thoroughly Unscientific Explanations for Utterly Baffling Parenting Situations, is like our blog … but like our blog on STEROIDS! We utilized the blog to road test–perhaps we should say “field test”–material, and now the book contains the kinds of cartoons and writing that fans love to find at Science of Parenthood, along with all new cartoons, infographics, flowcharts pie charts and quizzes that we created just for the book. About 90 percent of the book is brand new material.
Divided into four sections–biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics–the book lives in the chasm that exists between our collective hopes and dreams and expectations of what parenting will be like … and the brutal, slap-you-upside-the-head reality of what parenting actually is. We cover all aspects of pregnancy, birth and the hilarious frustrations that come with early childhood (tantrums, picky eating, diaper blowouts, illness, sleep issues, play dates, toy creep, homework battles and encounters with crazy parents (not you, of course, we mean other parents). And you know what? You don’t even need to be a scientist to “get” it.
Our goal is just to make parents laugh. Because when you’re a parent, you NEED to laugh. Humor is a survival tool. After your tot has gotten the top off a jar of Vaseline and smeared every surface within reach–as happened to our friend Gail–or tried to “help” you paint a room and ended up covered in blue paint–as happened to Norine’s sister Shari–you have to laugh. Or you’ll end up sobbing. Or wearing one of those fancy white jackets that buckles up in the back.
Is any of the book autobiographical?
Pretty much all of the book reflects through our experiences as parents. Take the piece “Experimental Gastronomy: A Study in Potatoes” from the Chemistry section. It’s written like a scientific paper about an experiment in which a researcher tries to determine if a preschooler who likes French fries will eat mashed potatoes. Raise your hand if you can hypothesize the outcome (see what we did there?) The piece is completely based on Norine’s inability to get her five-year-old, who loves fries, to even taste mashed potatoes. Says Norine: “I tried everything! I even offered him extra chocolate for dessert, and he still refused to take even one tiny nibble.”
Why science? Are either of you scientists?
Not at all. We’re moms dealing with the same kind of crazy stuff everyone else is. Science just makes a great metaphor for the frustration, exasperation and humiliation that comes with everyday parenting. Think about Einstein and how he explained his theory of relativity: “Sit on a hot stove for a minute and it seems like an hour; sit with a pretty girl with an hour and it feels like a minute. That’s relativity.” Well, that’s parenthood too. One minute you’ve got a newborn covered in goo and then next, you’re watching teary-eyed as they skip into kindergarten without even a backward glance or a kiss goodbye. And yet, when you’re into your third hour of Candy Land on a rainy day, time seems to stand still. (If you haven’t played Candy Land with your toddler yet, trust us on this. The scars never really heal.)
Where did you get the idea for Science of Parenthood?
Our “eureka” moment came when Norine’s son, Fletcher, came home from school talking about one of Newton’s laws of force and motion: An object at rest stays at rest unless acted on by an external force.
Says Norine: “That instantly reminded me of Fletcher with his video games. He’d sit on the couch and play games all day if I didn’t confiscate the iPad. I jotted down, Newton’s First Law of Parenting: A child at rest will remain at rest until you want your iPad back. Later, I posted that on Facebook. It got a good response, so I started posting other parenting observations and giving them a math or science twist, like Sleep Geometry Theorem: A child will always sleep perpendicular to any adult laying next to them. Both of these are fan favorites and two of the very few cartoons we pulled from the blog to include in the book.
“As a writer, I’m always looking for new ways to tell stories. And in that eureka moment, it struck me that math and science make fantastic metaphors for telling the universal stories of parenting. Like scientists, we parents are always fumbling in the dark, searching for answers, wondering if we’re on the right track and second-guessing our methods. And because a picture is still worth a thousand words, I knew that these science-y quips would be a lot more popular on social media if they were illustrated. So I called Jessica and asked if she wanted to illustrate a book of these funny observations.
“Jessica was the one who saw that Science of Parenthood could be much bigger than a single book. She saw the potential for a blog and a social media presence and ancillary products. She quickly secured a domain name for us and created a Facebook page and Twitter feed. She began illustrating the observations I had already banked. Two weeks later, we debuted on Facebook; a week after that we rolled out the blog. Now we’re three years in, and along with Science of Parenthood, the book, we have mugs and magnets and posters featuring our images. Earlier this year we published two collections of humorous parenting tweets—The Big Book of Parenting Tweets and The Bigger Book of Parenting Tweets.
Where can readers find Science of Parenthood?
Science of Parenthood is available for pre-order as a soft-cover and e-book on Amazon right now. When it’s released November 17th, readers will be able to find it on Amazon and in bookstores.
And you can always find Science of Parenthood on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
About The Authors
Norine is the primary writer for Science of Parenthood, the blog, and Science of Parenthood, the book. A longtime freelance magazine writer, Norine’s articles have appeared in just about every women’s magazine you can buy at supermarket checkout as well as on The Huffington Post, Parenting.com, iVillage, Lifescript and Scary Mommy websites. Norine is the co-author of You Know He’s a Keeper…You Know He’s a Loser: Happy Endings and Horror Stories from Real Life Relationships (Perigee), Food Cures (Reader’s Digest) and a contributor to several humor anthologies, including Have Milk, Will Travel: Adventures in Breastfeeding (Demeter Press). She lives with her husband and 9-year-old son in Orlando.
The daughter of famed New Yorker cartoonist Jack Ziegler, Jessica is Science of Parenthood’s co-creator, illustrator, web designer and contributing writer. In her “off hours,” Jessica is the director of social web design for VestorLogic and the writer/illustrator of StoryTots, a series of customizable children’s books. Her writing and illustration have been published on The Huffington Post, Vegas.com, InThePowderRoom.com and in Las Vegas Life and Las Vegas Weekly. Jessica was named a 2014 Humor Voice of the Year by BlogHer/SheKnows Media. She lives with her husband and 11-year-old son in Denver.
Together Jessica and Norine published The Big Book of Parenting Tweets and The Bigger Book of Parenting Tweets earlier in 2015.
For more information, or to interview the creators of Science of Parenthood, please contact Joanne McCall at joanne@joannemccall.net or 503-642-4191.
Find book covers and author photos online at www.scienceofparenthood.com/press/
If you would like Norine and Jessica to visit your book group, contact Norine at norine@scienceofparenthood.
[Tweet “I hate homework. So cartoon and @SciofParenthood book had me at Hello! #GIVEAWAY #BoogieWipesTour”]
To win your very own signed copy of their book, a full goody bag and $100 Visa Giftcard, please enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below:
The words for this week are: Then or Break; Please feel free to linkup and join us this week.
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*Also, I recently updated my advertising rates and reduced my pricing for the fall season. So, please feel free to check out my pricing and hoping we can work together now.
Leanne@crestingthehill says
there will be many a mother having a quiet chuckle to themselves when they read that book!
Janine says
I totally agree, Leanne 😉
Bev says
Their website is hilarious, I’m sure their book is fantastic! I also had the pleasure of meeting them at BlogHer, and BlogU. I enjoyed running after them on the streets of San Jose 😉
Janine says
Now I am picturing you running after them in San Jose and most definitely wish I could have been there with you for that, but just glad I got to hang out with you in NYC this past summer still 😉
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
That sounds like an awesome book! I need to check it out.
Janine says
I truly hope you do, Robin and promise you won’t be sorry that you did! 😉
Lisa @ The Golden Spoons says
Great review! I met them at BlogU in 2014 & love their funny stuff!
Janine says
Aw, thanks Lisa and I know their stuff is just so funny and relatable, too! 😉
Jhanis says
Ah, homework. My son doesn’t trust me to help with his homework hahaha! I think I’m gonna love this book! I’ve always been a fan of SOP! I joined the giveaway so I hope it’s open WW! Hahaha!
Janine says
Aw, my girls fight over who I will help first! But still glad you entered and got my fingers crossed for you 😉
Bill says
It sounds like a good read and a good Christmas present for some young parents I know. Thanks for the recommendation, Janine, and Happy Wednesday to you.
Janine says
Bill, this is a great read for all parents and especially to keep the humor alive even in the craziest of times. Thanks and Happy Wednesday once again to you, too! 🙂
Allie says
I’m reading this book right now and it’s fantastic!!!!! I got to meet Norine this past weekend, at her book signing, She is so nice and REAL! Greta review Janine.
Janine says
I love that you got to meet them both at a book signing this weekend and also so glad you are enjoying reading now, too Allie!! 🙂
April G says
I hope I can get this before the holiday break. I will be on a reading spree (fingers crossed) and this is on the list. How exciting that you had the opportunity to meet them.
Janine says
Such a great book to have on your list April and got my fingers crossed you get to all on your reading list now 😉
Kathy Radigan says
I love Science of Parenthood and am so excited about their book! Great post!
Janine says
Aw, thank you so much Kathy and loved that I could use that pic of us with them together for this one, too 🙂
Ducks 'n a Row says
Oh Janine this book sounds absolutely FUN! Perfect gift for parents with a sense of humor — which is most of us. Having worked in schools for years, I have also seen both sides of the homework situation. Cannot tell you how many parent teacher conferences I sat in on where not completing homework on time – or at all – was a central topic. Ouch!
Can hardly wait to see their TWEETS! Followed so that I can retweet the fun!
Janine says
Yay and love that you are following the Tweets and hope you totally enjoy now, too 😉
Nellie @ Brooklyn Active Mama says
Ha, this book is so great. I am so blessed that my mom helps my kids with homework most days but when I have to do it, I pretty much want to jump off the ledge. I totally hope I win!
Janine says
I would love someone to step in with homework any day of the week. Seriously so not a fan at all!
Tamara says
I love that you all met. I met Norine at BlogU. I think what they have is so unique and brilliant and relatable. There are just no ways on earth that everything they do doesn’t become a household name!
Janine says
I know and totally agree, Tamara!!
Diane Roark says
Janine,
This sounds like a great book to help moms make it through what can be some difficult challenging times. Everyone always needs a good laugh.
Thanks for sharing,
Diane Roark
Janine says
A, couldn’t agree more Diane and all moms do need a good laugh now and again! 😉
lisacng @ expandng.coms says
Cool that they’ve written a second book! And yes to the homework struggles. Almost EVERY SINGLE NIGHT and it’s only freakin kindergarten.
Janine says
I know, Lisa kindergarten seems like the new first grade to me and don’t even get me started on first grade now either!
Dana says
I love these ladies! It’s amazing how universal so many parenting tribulations are, and laughing about it always helps.
Janine says
I totally agree on both counts, Dana! 😉
Jennifer | The Deliberate Mom says
I love humorous parenting books and this one sounds like it’s a riot!
What an awesome collaboration – plus I’m super excited to enter this giveaway! It’s rare to encounter a giveaway in bloggy land which is open to us Canadians!
Thanks for sharing!
xoxo
Janine says
So happy to share and also that you can enter the giveaway here, too xoxo 🙂
Ginny Marie says
Science of Parenthood always makes me laugh! I met Norine at BlogHer13, and it was a pleasure. 🙂
Janine says
Aw, totally agree and love that you got to meet Norine, too 😉
Kristi Campbell says
They are amazing. The book is amazing.
Janine says
Thanks Kristi and definitely agree with you 😉
Jen says
I love, love. love the Science of Parenthood ladies! How exciting that they have a new book coming out. I cannot wait! Thanks for sharing this Janine. I will be on the lookout now!
Janine says
Aw, you are so welcome Jen 😉
Rea says
Awww this book is amazing! It has a fresh and unique feel. I can already feel the humor and sense of it. I can totally relate with the french fries story. I always tell Reiko how the heck he can eat lots of fries when he won’t even have a single taste of mashed potatoes. LOL
Janine says
Rea, my kids totally with the fires LOL, too 😉
Gingi says
This looks like something right up my alley!! Thanks for the awesome post! – http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
Janine says
Aw, thank you Gingi and hope you get to try very soon, too!! 🙂
Leslie says
I didn’t mind Kindergarten homework, but 1st grade homework is the pits. We spend a solid hour most nights between reading, worksheets, extra reading, spelling words, sight word, and extra spelling words. And then there are the long-term projects, and the nightly extras like following the moon phases and required dinner discussions. This book sounds pretty hilarious. I really need to find out why the sippy cup needs to be a specific color…or in our case, a specific bathroom stepstool…
Janine says
Please don’t get me started on first grade homework. Ours still doesn’t sound as bad as yours though, but still so not a fan, especially common core math, which is just the absolute worst!