Chaos 2 Calm
The Mom-of-Multiples' guide to an organized family
“Parenting singletons is not for the faint of heart. However, parenting multiples is much like being a superhero,” the author writes. And the superhero parent of multiples draws his or her strength from meticulous preparation and organization. Of course, not many are born with such powers, so Tomlin sets out, often in minute detail, some of the steps to take.
Divided into eleven chapters, the book covers a significant range, touching on establishing a realistic budget, solidifying family values, proper etiquette for baby showers, and bringing the babies home. Supported by organizational spreadsheets, which are also included on the accompanying CD, the brief chapters are arranged by topics such as making bed rest productive and finding a nanny. A few specialty chapters highlight guest expert authors on topics such as baby-proofing the home or raising an eco-baby.
The strength of this offering is the wealth of insider tips and Web links which accompany each topic. For example, Tomlin offers a long list of companies that parents of multiples can write to for freebies. These range from the practical, such as free formula samples, to the quirky, such as writing to the White House for a personalized greeting for the new babies.
Among the many tips offered for keeping the babies organized is developing a placement system for them: “If you have twins, place Baby A on the right side and Baby B in the left side in all situations.” Tomlin also suggests assigning a color to each baby and maintaining these practices until each child is easily differentiated from the other.
Tomlin is herself a mother of twins. She is also the owner of a professional organizing company, Sorted Out, and has been featured on HGTV’s Mission: Organization.
Although this book is geared to parents of multiples, the majority of the information regarding organization would be beneficial for any parent. At times, there seems to be a bias toward a suburban middle class readership with comments such as, “Designate a particular bathroom that will be used exclusively for the children.” On balance, however, the information, tips, and advice provided are sensible and approachable, and will be useful to any parent bringing a new baby or babies home.
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
