REVIEW: The Three-Martini Playdate

From the Contra Costa Times, 4/14/2004:

WE LOVE THIS BOOK

Maybe it’s not your kind of humor, but to us it is so very funny — even the memory of the best bits can send us into fresh torrents of giggles. The absolutely hilarious volume of which we speak is “The Three-Martini Playdate: A Practical Guide to Happy Parenting,” by Christie Mellor (2004, Chronicle Books, $12.95).

In chapters such as “Children’s Music: Why?” and “Bedtime: Is Five-Thirty Too Early?” Mellor explores the importance of grownup time and expounds upon the joys of saying “no” to one’s little darlings. Following is her “Helpful Hint on Helping Your Youngster With School Projects”: “Start saving your empty shoe boxes now. Empty shoe boxes fill a variety of project needs, from a smart ‘California Mission’ to a clever Story-Time Diorama to a Valentine’s Day mailbox. The best way to secure enough shoe boxes is to continue to buy dozens of pairs of shoes. I know this may be difficult for some of you, but we all have to make sacrifices to ensure that our children are project-ready.

“You may have to occasionally splurge on some really well-made Italian footwear, which for some reason provides the sturdiest boxes, but it will all be worth it when you see the bright, shining look of accomplishment on the face of your child, who has created an authentic 1:87 scale Viking ship for his World Explorers project out a of a stalwart Prada shoe box. It’s those little intangibles that make parenthood so worthwhile.”