Product Description

Hilarious and helpful book for fathers explains the reality of toddlerhood. Downeys hilarious no-nonsense style makes Dads, Toddlers and the Chicken Dance a refreshingly politically incorrect but informative guide for dads whose babies have metamorphosed into a creature known as toddlerus destructivus.

Get the low-down on all the thrills and chills of raising a toddler, including:

Babysitting Nutrition Common sicknesses Money Lawnmowers Arnold Schwarzenegger Television Bedtime Toddler-proofing your home Speech development Spanking Tantrums Toilet-training Birthday parties Parental sanity Sperm testing Contraception Choosing a preschool Bathtime The chicken dance Vasectomies And, of course, lots of stuff about sex!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #606186 in Books
• Published on: 2000-11-20
• Released on: 2000-11-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

About the Author
PETER DOWNEY B.Ed., M.A., J.P., Ed.D., describes himself as outstandingly ordinary. He lives in a red brick house with his wife, his trio of daughters and a rabbit named Chloe, to whom he is allergic (the rabbit, that is, not the kids). He brews his own beer, takes milk in his coffee and often walks to the corner store to buy bread and the paper. He wrote this book because he believes in fatherhood; because he wanted to warn his paternal brothers about the challenges of living with a small child; and because he thinks all other parenting books are lousy. The main reason, however, is so he can claim his vasectomy as a tax deduction. He lives in Australia.

Customer Reviews

A MUST READ for all Dads: Old and New
Downey's book is a must read for all dads, old and new to this game of parenting. I was the fortunate recipient of this book, and having read Downey's earlier book, "So You're Gonna Be A Dad," I knew immediately that Downey would deliver with hilarious material that would make a difference in raising my two daughters. I have not been disappointed.
One significant diifference between Downey's book and others is that his approach diminishes the anxiety that comes with being a dad. He lets you know that there's a lot of other guys going through the same things, and they're all doing just fine.
Perfect holiday gift--better yet, the PERFECT gift to give Dad when his son or daughter turns two. I give Downey's book, "Dads, Toddlers, and the Chicken Dance" the highest rating possible: *****.

the dirty goods for new dads
As a 46 year old father of 2 young children, I have found this book to be very informative and very humorous(actually at times horrifying for fathers to be). The book could be classified as humorous horror for fathers. Peter Downey touches on all important aspects of childrearing in a down-to-earth, easy to read, practical, "lets get our hands dirty on this" fashion. Fathers with children will really identify with the problems discussed in this book. He doesn't shy away from touchy topics like sex, nudity in front of the children or physical discipline. He's obviously read the "professionals" on childrearing and his advice on how to deal with the many problems we dads encounter reflects this, but is also heavily flavoured with his own personal strategies developed on the frontlines of being a dad to 3 children himself. Of course, if you're a perfect dad, doing everything right or if you're not a dad you may want to read the book for it's humour, with which Peter is not stingy.

fatherhood, warts and all
i originally bought this book for my brother-in-law whose daughter was soon to turn one, but when i started reading it in the bookstore, i knew i had to keep it for myself (and my husband). even though our oldest is only four, as parents of PTIs (pre-schooler, toddler, and infant), we have gone through many of the experiences that downey writes about. A sense of humour is your best weapon during toddlerhood. It's great that there's a book out there written by a man, and with a man's point of view. now my husband knows that other fathers feel the same way about diapers, poops, endless questions, bedtime wars, etc. every so often, my husband will burst out laughing while reading a chapter here or there (usually in the bathroom with a locked door). that's when i knew this book was worth keeping. here's to more fathers like downey (and my husband)!