Life is Short Laundry is Eternal

I was the lucky recipient of Scott Benner’s giveaway of his debut book, Life is Short Laundry is Eternal, Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Dad, on his blog Arden's Day. 

I must admit I was delighted to be the winner, as this was a book that I had on my list of must-reads.  I’ve been a follower of Arden’s Day since October 2012 when I discovered the diabetes online community -  the DOC as Benner affectionately refers to it in his book - after my own daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in February of last year.  I had read some excerpts from the book through this site, and was intrigued enough to want to read it.

Right from the opening chapter I was hooked.  It felt like we were sitting down together on the sofa chatting…..about our mutual dislike for laundry.  And this was the tone for the rest of the book, like old friends chatting about life, work, family, values and history. 

I’m a big believer of parental leave.  Not just maternity leave, but parental leave.  I feel that it’s not just the mom’s job to raise the kids, or to stay at home, but it is a shared responsibility between both parents.  How you’re family dynamic works for you, is your decision, but people need to know that there are other, non traditional options, out there. I feel this was portrayed beautifully here. 

Scott seems to downplay what he does, with anecdotes of how he came “close to breaking, losing or otherwise ending Cole’s life three times” but this makes him relatable.  All the fear that he felt before his first child was the same fear that I felt before mine.  Just like most parents, he is initially apprehensive as he learns the ropes, but appears to do everything with love and for the betterment of his family. 

Although I found it very easy to relate to the entire book, the chapters about Arden’s diagnosis with T1D were definitely the most emotional for me. It brought me back to our own diagnosis day and all the fear and uncertainty came flooding back. I’m hoping that in the years to come, my family is able to fit diabetes into our lives as seamlessly as it is described here.  I’m sure it’s founded from a tremendous amount of work, but they make management look easy and natural, when diabetes is anything but.

The emotion that Scott shows towards his wife is incredible, and every woman should be so lucky to have a partner that is so obviously head over heals in love with them.  I love how he thanks Kelly for giving him the opportunity to be there for their children, and acknowledges the work that she does outside the home.

To me, his underlying messages are to learn from your mistakes, communicate, and just love your family.  Don’t just walk away if the going gets tough, that “if you stay until the end, the good parts will far outweigh the bad ones”.

I laughed, I cried and I nodded my head in agreement. 
Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Life is Short Laundry is Eternal, Confessions of a Stay at Home Dad today.

I received a copy of Life is Short Laundry is Eternal from a give away from Scott Benner's blog Arden's Day.  This review is completely of my own opinion.