Sweetie...Squeeze Your Cheeks!: You Don't Know How to Be a Mom (and That's Ok, Neither Did I)
In the car one day, Jennifer Tiras' recently potty-trained toddler, Avery, informed her that he had to poop. (Yikes; please, not in the new vehicle!) Thinking fast, she responded, "Sweetie ... squeeze your cheeks together, and hold on just a few minutes!" When Jennifer looked in the rearview mirror, he was holding his face and squishing his cheeks like a determined little fish. This hilarious "wrong cheek" incident inspired her to document the special moments in her family life.
Jennifer graduated from the University of Houston in 1994, magna cum laude, with a degree in Early Childhood Development. With a good grasp on "how to handle children" she eagerly embraced motherhood ... and quickly learned an eye-opening life truth: Nothing could have fully prepared her to be a mom! Nevertheless, she blended her educational knowledge with her heart for children and developed tips and strategies for every stage of motherhood!
Having trouble with an infant's sleep habits? You, the parent, are in control! Let Jennifer show you some practical steps for sleep time. Does potty-training seem like you are entering a blind tunnel with no guidance? Simplify it with eight clear and achievable steps to potty-training success. How about the really big issues, like when to talk about sex, earning their own money, and keeping them close in the older stages when they want to drift away? Jenn has thought of it all, and she's got you covered!
By weaving together detailed experiences from her teenage years to today, Jennifer tells story after story about every stage of motherhood and how it all comes back full circle. It is truth. It is emotion. And it's told in a priceless, entertaining way that keeps the reader eagerly flipping the page to see what Jennifer might say next.
Motherhood doesn't come with a manual, but it does indeed come with a mother.
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JENNIFER TIRAS graduated from the University of Houston in 1994, magna cum laude, with a degree in Early Childhood Development. With a good grasp on "how to handle children" she eagerly embraced motherhood ... and quickly learned an eye-opening life truth: Nothing could have fully prepared her to be a mom! Nevertheless, she blended her educational knowledge with her heart for children and developed tips and strategies for every stage of motherhood!
"Jennifer is a bold communicator and taught me how to have frank, tough conversations with my boys. She helps take taboo topics, remove emotion, and speak 'boy mom' in a way that penetrates their thick heads."
-LeeAnn Moore
"Raising my kids alongside Jennifer for the last twenty years has been a total blessing. She is an honest and straightforward friend-one who could always look at the little bumps in the parenting road and offer some humor, love, and advice for any situation. Love that she is sharing this with the world!"
-Lisa Watson
"I met Jenn Tiras nineteen years ago in a playgroup as a newbie mom of one; she was a seasoned mom of three. We became fast friends as I loved her candor in all things boys! Her stories were not only helpful and practical, but straight-up hysterical. To this day we reminisce all things parenting-parenthood is forever hood. I can always count on her for a good story or a nugget of good advice. You will too!"
-Kate Scheinman
"Even though Jenn is younger than me, I have always looked to her for advice. Jenn is a no-nonsense mom who is not afraid to say 'no' to her kids. She knows how to get the 'job' done and has mastered the role of guiding her boys to be successful members of society while giving them enough freedom to be independent. I feel fortunate to have her in my life and thankful to share the journey of motherhood with her."
-Michelle Blum
"I was blessed to meet Jenn almost twenty-five years ago (with our oldest sons) in playgroup. She has since raised four amazing boys who are now wonderful young men. I have always appreciated her parenting with logical consequences, strength, and love."
-Tiffany Leyendecker
"Jenn is straightforward, loving, and full of invaluable advice and wisdom. 'Busy boys don't have a lot of time for trouble, ' she would say. Her boys were active with school and sports, numerous clubs, and activities inside and outside of school. There was not a lot of downtime for anyone. Most importantly, Jenn always positioned herself to be a parent first and not a friend. Always loving and supportive, she made sure to enforce the rules made-and because consequences were carried out, not many rules were broken more than once."
-Alyssa Tiras
"While raising our children together, I didn't know that Jenn kept a journal of her four boys and their development from birth through leaving the nest. She doesn't claim to be a better parent or that the way she did things is the right way. What she does do is take you through her journey with an easy read that is raw and comical. Her insight, parenting tips, concern and love will keep you turning the pages."
- Elizabeth Karkowsky
