Book Description
‘All parents and would-be parents should read this book. It will change their lives.’ Mary Ann Sieghart, journalist and bestselling author of The Authority Gap
🤷Why do mothers wake first when their baby cries at night?
🤷♂️Why do fathers take so little time off work to bond with their newborn babies?
🤷♀️Why are mothers never praised for being ‘hands on’?
🤷Is there a biological difference in mothers’ and fathers’ parenting instincts?
🤷♂️Why do nurseries and schools often call mothers first when there is a problem?
🤷♀️Why don’t we expect fathers to have a more active role in caring for their children?
As a new father and Head of Investigations at The Times, Paul Morgan-Bentley found himself lying awake in bed one night after settling his three-month-old back to sleep. With all these questions buzzing in his mind, he decided to go on a mission to answer them.
Drawing on his own personal experience of fatherhood – from the utter joy to the sometimes overwhelming panic Paul and his husband felt caring for their new-born son, to the chemist who calls Paul ‘MummyDaddy’ and the juggle of nursery pick-ups with work deadlines, Paul delves into what it really means to share the parental load.
With a range of case studies, research from around the world, and conversations with leading scientists, The Equal Parent explores the truths behind the falsehoods about parenting roles – and why challenging these myths to achieve parenting equality will benefit all of us: mothers, fathers and, most importantly, our children.
A myth-busting must-read about creating parenting equality for fans of Caitlin Moran, The Danish Way of Parenting and The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Equal Parent' by Paul Morgan-Bentley.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Paul Morgan-Bentley and Thread Books.
Publication date 2nd March 2023
This is the first book I have read by this author.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching unique cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is a 'A myth-busting must-read about creating parenting equality for fans of Caitlin Moran, The Danish Way of Parenting and The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read.' I am a fan of Caitlin Moran so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Thread. I have yet to read a book published by Thread that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of an introduction, 9 chapters and an epilogue.
I will start by saying that this isn't my usual chosen genre but I'm an eclectic reader and happy to read most books. I must say that if you are the same as me and don't normally read non fiction then don't let that put you off and pick up your copy of this great book today. This is one of those books that should be in hospitals, classrooms, play groups and absolutely anywhere and everywhere that parents and children go and it should be read by professionals in all areas of child care along with parents around the world. It is an absolute eye opener and some of the experiences Paul went through as a Dad and some of the things that were suggested to him was absolutely shocking and my jaw dropped reading them!! This book really does go to show how different mums are treated than dad's even when there is only a Dad to care for the child.
AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ FOR ANYONE WITH CHIIDREN IN OR COMING INTO THEIR LIVES!!!
If is a great read packed with valuable information, tasks and tips and Paul's writing and narrative skills ensures the reader that he actually cares about everything he has written about and you can hear the shock, proudness and so many other emotions he has gone through to tell his story in both his writing and voice. He gives his own experiences and tells us where he got any information and statistics from. I ended the book absolutely shocked at how much things need to change to make this world easier and better for Dad's when taking their children out. It wasn't just about Dad's though but also about working parents and one of the things I learnt in particular shocked me!! I was absolutely shocked and disgusted at how much nursery costs. I Robin and Paul were paying £348 a week for Solly to go there four days a week and if they were to send him full time it would cost £19,750 a year!!! I just don't understand how the hell anyone can justify these costs and how they expect people to live like this, particularly now with the cost of living going up. I absolutely loved the titles of each chapter which gives an insight into what the chapters contain. I am going to include these in my review as I'm sure some of them will catch your eye and maybe even intrigue you enough to pick up a copy of this fantastic read. The chapter titles are:
🚹 INTRODUCTION: YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE LETTING YOURSELF IN FOR, DON’T YOU?
🚹 GO HOME AND GET SOME REST PANIC AND BONDING IN THE DAYS AFTER BIRTH
🚹 WHO DOES THE NIGHTS? THE MOTHER AND FATHER INSTINCT
🚹 YOU’LL STILL GO TO THE OFFICE A BIT, RIGHT? REIMAGINING PARENTAL LEAVE
🚹 WHICH ONE OF YOU IS QUITTING? RETURNING TO WORK IN THE NURSERY YEARS
🚹 WHO IS THE REAL DAD? WHY PARENTING IS ACTIVE, NOT A GENETIC Condition (Love this one in particular!!)
🚹 DADDY-LED WEANING! HOW NEW FATHERS CAN SHARE THE DOMESTIC LOAD
🚹 SORRY, IT’S JUST FOR MUMS WHY DADS NEED TO BE SEEN AT BABY APPOINTMENTS
🚹 BOYS DON’T WEAR PINK HOW TO STOP LIMITING WHAT OUR CHILDREN CAN BE
🚹 I HAVE TEN DADDIES! EMBRACING MODERN FAMILIES
🚹 EPILOGUE WHEN ARE YOU HAVING ANOTHER ONE?
I read approximately half of this book on kindle and listened to approximately half on audio book. I must also give a huge congratulations to the narrator and author Paul Morgan Bentley who not only brought the storyline to life by really portraying his emotions through his voice so a HUGE congratulations Paul!! I cannot imagine that this was anywhere near an easy feat!!! I am looking forward to discovering more books read and written by yourself as you definitely have a perfect "book" voice!! I sometimes struggle to absorb the storyline through an audio book but if you are the same as me I can promise you will not have that problem with this amazing narrator!!
I absolutely have to share this quote from the book with you as I Absolutely loved it and 10000% agree with it!!!!
" 'To say that a woman who did not give birth to a baby was not a biological mother, to me, is inaccurate because she has all these very biological responses,’she said. ‘Prolactin [a hormone usually associated with breastfeeding] can go up in an adoptive mother. Oxytocin would be changed. There are the neural changes that Feldman and others have documented in Israel now.’I am biased, but I found this rethinking of the term ‘biological parent’really beautiful. Referring to me, Hrdy said: ‘You are very biologically a father.’ "
An Eye opening and intriguing look into the world of parenting from a Dads perspective.
Genres covered in this book Parenting Morals & Responsibilities, Family Health, Non Fiction, Child Care and Parenting amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as all parents,, carers and childminders.
275 pages/7 hours 31 minutes
This book is just £3.99 to purchase on kindle, £8.29 in paperback and £16 for the audiobook (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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Author Bio
Paul Morgan-Bentley is Head of Investigations at The Times and specialises in undercover work and in-depth reporting. He has won The Cudlipp Award for campaigning journalism at the National Press Awards and is among the writers who have been shortlisted the most times for British Journalism Awards.
Paul is also an advocate for men properly sharing responsibility for caring for their children. He lives in Buckinghamshire with his husband, Robin, and their son, Solly.
Purchase Link
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0BKGRRH9V/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1678875185&sr=8-1
