Lessons from a Default Parent Surviving the Front Line of Family Life Without Losing Your Sh t

This is a new book. Condition: Brand New.

Heartfelt, hilarious advice from the parent who is depended on the most (and often feels appreciated the least)

'Funny, reflective and honest. Reading this book is like sitting down with your bestie for a proper mumlife debrief' - Giovanna Fletcher

'More demanding than 'hell', this is parenting purgatory for authentic women who've put their lives on hold to be mummy' - Katherine Ryan

'A brilliant, comforting and funny read for any default parent' - Ellie Taylor
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What nobody tells you about parenthood, from one of the 'silent partners' behind the Parenting Hell podcast.

School-run coordinator, party planner, clubs organiser, laundry sorter... and maybe even a 'real' job on top! Sound exhaustingly familiar?

From assumptions surrounding who is going to stay at home with the kids to the never-ending list of school admin, being 'the default parent' rears its head in a plethora of ways.

This book is for all the defaults out there - bored out of their eyeballs or so overwhelmed they could scream expletives into the wind for a solid hour - to know their invisible labour is seen and valued.

With heartfelt and hilarious advice, Lou Beckett provides much-needed comfort and community for the one who is depended on the most (and often feels appreciated the least), and maybe - just maybe - how we can begin to rebalance the parenting scales and muddle through a little better, together.

Book details and technical specifications

Format: Hardback
ISBN13: 9780241762912
Published: February 2026

Number of pages: 240
Width: 145 mm
Height: 224 mm
Depth: 25 mm

Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Ltd