The year I was divorced, when Kyle was 7 and Miranda was 11, I wrote my second parenting book. By June of 1994, The Answer is NO: Saying it & sticking to it had been published and I had done a few bookstore signings.
The weirdest person to show up was in Denver, I think. A woman seemed very interested in the book, but proudly announced that she and her husband tried never to say "no" to their 4 year old boy. They twisted and turned the language so that they were actually saying "yes" when, in fact, they were giving the message "no." I thought this must have taken amazing somesaults of the mind. Cheerfully, she bought a book and had me sign it, but I have no idea if she "got" that the book was actually about setting limits, and not being ashamed of it.
I was excited when the local Barnes & Noble in Pasadena hosted a signing. Although Vroman's was my favorite local bookstore, I was pleased that the relatively new B&N chain-member in the Old Town part of Pasadena was interested. The signing was on a Friday evening, there would be lots of street traffic, and we would, no doubt, sell a bunch of books.
Except no one showed. Well, some people showed: my publisher, her husband, a couple of her friends, a couple of mine. The minutes passed. Then most of the appointed hour passed. Then: the dreaded approach of the store manager, bringing you a stack of books to sign, because they don't expect any more people to show up. It was pathetic. Where were my readers? Where were any readers? Where was the foot traffic? Weren't there any worn-to-a-frazzle parents left in Pasadena with children who were demanding, badgering, and felt entitled to everything they saw or thought of?
Well, if there were such parents, they weren't at Barnes & Noble looking for a great, easy-to-read, charmingly written, and very effective guide to stopping misbehavior. No, they were not.
They were at home. In front of their televisions--glued in fact--watching as a white, Ford Bronco drove slowly but persistently down and then up the 405 for a long, long time.
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2 comments:
Cyn - I noticed on amazon your book got five stars!!!!!!! Wonderful my dear!
i used it and it did work!
Di
Wow....an ambulance-chasing, consumer-driven, parentally-conflicted, post-modern culture....all the makings for something very sci-fi....and maybe upon reflection; the ingredients for a sequel: From OJ to Britney - Avoiding the Legacies of Bad Parenting!
Auntie, they really need you out there...
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