You Can’t F*ck Up Your Kids: A Judgement-Free Guide to Stress-Free Parenting

Powers, a journalist and former Yahoo executive, suggests parents “do more for your kids by doing a lot less” in her upbeat and practical debut. As a mother of two, Powers experienced plenty of judgment, from peers and even strangers, for her parenting choices. In founding the Yahoo! Parenting website and, later, creating the #NoShameParenting movement, Powers sought to make people think twice before being critical of parents. Here, she covers all the relevant topics, starting with pregnancy and delivery, including debunking C-section myths. Not shying away from controversy, Powers takes on breastfeeding vs. formula feeding (“one of the biggest battle lines in the so-called mommy wars”) and discipline—she admits that she’s a “huge fan” of bribery, and, though not a believer in spanking, admits very occasional and mild spanking might work for some families. Powers liberally draws on personal experience, including her difficult childhood, and on expert opinions, books, and research studies. However, it’s her unflagging encouragement that readers will find most helpful. Asking readers to “focus all the energy” wasted on self-doubt “on the one thing that matters: loving our kids,” Powers provides parents with an appealing and easy-to-use primer. Agent: Todd Shuster and Justin Brouckaert, Aevitas Creative Management. (Mar.)