Cap'n Billy "The Butcher" MacDougall's Guide to Pirate Parenting: Why You Should Raise Your Kids as Pirates and 101 Tips on How to Do It

The entire mini-van chapter is a MUST READ!!!!! Ahoy! - You in the SUV! Prepare to boarded!

Reviewed by Susan Pettrone for Reader Views (5/07) As I am the parent of pirate "Barnacle Boo" who eats, sleeps and dreams all things pirate, I was both hesitant and eager to read this book. Since said "Barnacle Boo" has his `cabin' (we're not allowed to call it a room anymore...it's his CABIN thank Ye' very much!) arrayed in every bit of pirate memorabilia from fish netting, to personalized cabin sign (thank ye' Uncle Joel!) to hand-painted maps on carpet....I was sincerely wondering what other advice could be given this mother of a sea captain. I shouldn't have worried. Not only is this book easily read and understood by parents of all grades of pirates, from the very beginning pirate starting in mere infancy, but it also covers the most advanced of pirates with every level in between. With chapters easily found and documented such as "Baby pirates-mapping out your child's future" and "Quelling mutinies-disciplining your pirate," even this mother of a pirate found plenty of advice I had not previously considered, such as under the heading of "shall I maroon my pirate?," the author suggests to ". . . maroon him in the produce section of a grocery store. He won't find anything to eat there." THAT I found not only great advice but a suggestion I wish I'd had during my last shopping trip when said Barnacle Boo decided to push his pirating limits by demanding more sugared "pirate puffs." This mother was pushed to the limit of making Boo walk the plank but since there was no plank available, I settled for a "general pirate grounding from pillaging" instead. But, as useful as the part on proper pirate discipline was my favorite part of the entire book was the section entitled, "Your Pirates first ship--How to convert your minivan into a Pirate Schooner." I especially enjoyed the section where you are taught how to rename your future vessel with a proper pirate moniker. Somehow "town and county unlimited" didn't have the dashing tone Barnacle Boo desired, but he WAS satisfied with the moniker we worked out from the book. We took the toss of the dice, "Happy Curse" and adapted it to a more sinister level thus...."Barnacle Boo's Bloody Curse" was born. This name my son felt had a rough, tough pirate-like air to it and also showed the vessel had been on many a dangerous voyage! Personally, I have no problem whatsoever with the changes to the minivan, but I do suspect his father will be a bit reluctant to fly the skull and crossbones through the sunroof....but as Barnacle Boo says, "We'll cross that gangplank when we come to it!" Seriously, I do have a son who is crazy for pirates and he does have a room that is pirate-themed. He is a creative child and it takes all my energies to keep up with him and his thirst for new creative pirate items. This book gave me not only a chuckle but did stir the imagination with more than one idea within its pages. And I found myself laughing aloud on more than one occasion, when I realized how very much some of th

Tim Bete gives us a hysterical look at riasing children as pirates. I was laughing out loud as I read his book and you will too. A must read for every parent no matter what age your children are!

With the popularity of movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, and the daily insanity involved parenting kids, it didn't take long for humor author Tim Bete to put it all together in his latest book Cap'N Billy "The Butcher" MacDougall's Guide to Pirate Parenting. Keeping a sense of humor is vital to every mom and dad's success in the wild adventure of parenting. And Bete does it best. "Most parents have been on the wrong end of a mutiny at one time or another" says Bete, "My book teaches parents every aspect of pirate growth and development - from baby pirate care through the teen years - so their kids can become self-respecting swashbucklers of the high seas or suburbs." I have often said that my kids are like Picky Eater Pirates, pillaging and plundering the joy from our family dinners with words like "Yuck!" and statements like "What is THAT?" Up until now, I just thought I was the only one raising pirates! It's so good to k know I'm not alone out here on the salty seas! If you haven't slept through the night in years, are awakened by someone standing 2 inches from your face breathing on your nose, and spend your days using a hook and pulley system to get over the Mount Everest pile of dirty laundry on your floors, then you need to learn to laugh at life. Chuckle at the daily stresses and demands of parenting. And Guide to Pirate Parenting is for YOU! In that laughter, you might just find the strength to get out of bed each day and face the morning without Lucky Charms in the pantry. Trish Berg Author of: The Great American Supper Swap - Solving the Busy Woman's Family Dinnertime Dilemma and Rattled: Surviving Your Baby's First Year Without Losing Your Cool