Babies Don’t Make Small Talk (So Why Should I?): The Introvert’s Guide to Surviving Parenthood

All parents want the same things: to balance work and home life, to raise happy kids, to never attend a baby drumming class, and to build a secret room in their home where they can hide (preferably not the bathroom). Yes, an introverted parent would more keenly want to be free of the slew of attention and expectations that accompany both pregnancy and parenthood, but even the most outgoing person is sure to reach their limit eventually. Here, with laugh-out-loud humor and well-earned experience, Julie Vick offers coping mechanisms for everything from sharing the news that you are becoming a parent to the moment the baby is born (one way or another, it will happen), from managing doctor’s visits to handling playdates. She offers advice on finding childcare and ignoring the nursing versus formula conversation with strangers. Witty yet valuable, her tips, checklists, and the occasional chart focus on the time from pregnancy through preschool.

About the Author

Julie Vick on Points in Case – Julie has written for New Yorker “Daily Shouts,” Parents magazine, Real Simple, and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency; and most importantly, one of her tweets once appeared in In Touch Weekly.

Editorial Reviews

“This will be an invaluable resource for introverts about to become parents, though anyone with kids will appreciate Vick’s perspective on the absurdity of parenthood.”
―Publisher's Weekly

“Julie Vick offers up a ton of hilarious (and actually useful) advice, along with her (awkward) experiences, in a great book for any first-time parent!”
―Jen Mann, New York Times best-selling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat

“Being a parent is challenging to say the least. Julie’s book had me laughing so hard my six-year-old told me to leave the room because it was disturbing their remote learning.”
―Biz Ellis, coauthor of You’re Doing a Great Job!

“Julie Vick has given birth to a delightful book sure to be beloved by exhausted parents and anxious expectants.”
―Brooke Preston, coauthor of New Erotica For Feminists

“As a comedic introvert myself, Julie Vick's seamless blend of hilarious jokes, comedic checklists, and actually great advice made me laugh, learn, and even . . . consider having a child myself. A rare feat!”
―Caitlin Kunkel, coauthor of New Erotica for Feminists

“From pregnancy and birth through the early childhood years, Julie’s book will guide the introvert through being suddenly shoved into situations where she has to interact with other people on a regular basis. I laugh-snorted while reading this!”
―Janine Annett, author of I Am “Why Do I Need Venmo?” Years Old

“Babies Don't Make Small Talk (So Why Should I?) will make you laugh out loud while dispensing much welcome advice, from strategies for dealing with invasive pregnancy-related questions to baby shower coping mechanisms to avoiding people entirely by moving to Finland.”
―Devorah Blachor, author of The Feminist's Guide to Raising a Little Princess

“I was pleasantly surprised that in addition to being a very fun read, Babies Don’t Make Small Talk (So Why Should I?) also has a wealth of actionable advice. . . . The way Vick incorporates subtle humor in unexpected places is delightful, and the comedic lists that are interspersed throughout the text are fantastic.”
―Andrew Knott, author of Fatherhood: Dispatches from the Early Years

More Book Details

• Publisher: ‎ Countryman Press (August 10, 2021)
• Hardcover: ‎ 208 pages
• Dimensions: ‎ 5.8 x 0.8 x 8.6 inches