Is everyone hanging out without me?

This book by Mindy Kaling is an odd collection of essays (for want of a better word) and observations by the writer best known as Kelly Kapoor of The Office (for those that don't know, she is predominately a writer for that show).

I am going to quote a large chunk from the book so I hope I am forgiven if it somehow rewards her with more book sales. Details on the book are here. It's an easy and entertaining read that you'll zip through.

Part of the book is aimed at teen girls (or just teens), and one part is worthy of a lengthy quote. In the chapter titled 'Don't peak in High School' she discussed the issues of being a wallflower, not being super popular, and that it's nothing to worry about. "Not only do people not care about any of that the second you graduate, but when you get older, if you reference your successes in High School too much, it actually makes you look kind of pitiful...What I have noticed is that almost no one who was a big star in high school is also a big star in later life. For us overlooked kids, it's so wonderfully fair."

We know this. We've lived it and seen it. But as parents, we are too old (regardless of age) to have any idea about anything (even if later on our kids will remember we were right). Kaling is young, and famous. So that gives her kudos we will never have. And not the parent of our child. So they might even listen a bit.

If your kids watch The Office, get it for them, as it may just make some of High School a little easier, and for girls, it deals with dieting and body issues (and teasing). Maybe they won't 'get' it, but it can't hurt to hear someone else say the things we remind them of. If they don't know who she is, maybe read it yourself and work out how to sell them on the idea of reading it...

She's very honest about growing into your skin, working out who your friends are (and why) and all those other issues we face as adolescents. That teen stuff is so unnecessarily horrible - your world view is so small that it takes on a damaging disproportionate reality. If you only knew how stupid it all was, you'd be so much happier, hormones aside...

It's not a parenting book, it's classed as Humour/Autobiography. But isn't that how we learn best?

Linking up with #BooknificentThursdays