Ann is a pregnancy and parenting book author and mom of four.

I'm the creator of The Mother of All Books series and a mother of four.

Member Since

Aug 21, 2006

Sites

• Yahoo! Parenting @ Yahoo! Canada

What is the next…

Purchase you’ll make?

If I had to put money on this answer, I'd say it would be a book. It's almost always a book. I am about to start revising the Canadian edition of The Mother of All Pregnancy Books, so there are more research materials to be bought -- and I'm always collecting vintage pregnancy and parenting advice books.

Trend in design?

Cheap and cheerful. Isn't that always in style? It is for me. I just bought a cheap and decidedly un-cheerful office space and I'm decorating it with 99 cent IKEA vases, old books, old boxes, etc. So whether or not cheap and cheerful is actually in style with the rest of the world, it is for me.

Car you’d like to own?

The car I actually own: a Honda Pilot. It's my dream machine -- and I love the license plate my husband ordered for me: MOM OF ALL. (I have a pregnancy and parenting book series called "The Mother of All." That was too long for a license plate.)

Big step you’d like to make?

Writing a novel. I'm actually signing up for a novel-writing course this fall, so I guess I'm going to have to at least try -- or look pretty stupid to my instructor.

Fad that will fade?

Overconsumption chic.

Vacation you’ll take?

I'm not big on "big vacations." I'd rather spend time up at the family cottage or enjoy an overnight getaway with friends. I'm hoping to get together with some mom friends this fall.

Thing you’re going to fight for?

This could be a very long list. I'm a bit of a crusader. I feel strongly about writers being able to make a living off of their work (and that means having fair publishing contract terms). I feel strongly about parents being treated with respect and being presented with a range of options so that they can make informed choices, given that they are the true experts when it comes to their own children. I feel strongly about the importance of parents connecting with other parents to share their ideas and wisdom -- as opposed to allowing themselves to be lectured to by "experts" who are serving up cookie-cutter solutions on the issue du jour. (I could go on and on.)

Secret that’s going to leak?

There's going to be a backlash against parenting experts who claim to have all the answers -- and who serve up "one size fits all solutions" that can't possibly meet the needs of all parents and all children.

Hollywood blockbuster going to be about?

A stay-at-home Dad who isn't a caricature or a bimbo. A highly successful working mom who isn't evil incarnate.

Life you’ll lead?

My personal mission is to inspire parents and writers. I've been through some very difficult times as a parent and a writer, and I share my experiences quite openly because I think that it's helpful to other people to know that other people have hit rock bottom and carried on.

Fountain of youth?

I don't really care about the fountain of youth. I'm happy to be dipping my toes in the fountain of wisdom. I think that's the privilege that comes with getting older (I'm in my early 40s): you realize you have an opportunity to learn something from every person you meet. And, because of the type of work I do, I come in contact with thousands of people every year. I'm always learning.

Book you’ll read?

Right now I'm reading Rosie by Anne Lamott and How to Grow a Novel by Sol Stein.

Thing that will change the world?

I think what will make the biggest difference is if we move out of isolation and come back into community with one another. In my book Mealtime Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler, for example, I talk about how we can ease the burden of making meals as a family if we start supper clubs, organize meal-making swaps, and do bulk-cooking with our friends. And in Sleep Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler, I talk about all the things a sleep-deprived new mom can ask her friends to do to help her (and all the things they, in turn, can offer to do for her) in order to help her feel more rested. This can help her sleep deprivation to feel like less of an "emergency," which may reduce the pressure to start sleep-training her baby before her baby is developmentally ready to start to learn to sleep through the night.

Guilty-pleasure food in which you’ll indulge?

COFFEE!

Person to whom you’ll say, “I love you”?

My husband, my four kids, my friends, my sisters, my Dad, my writer-buddies, etc. etc. I love a lot of people.