and interview the author. I enjoyed the book. It's a fun read. There are all sorts of goofy definitions, like "wishjack" - blow out the candles on another kid's birthday cake. Any parent will find themselves nodding with most definitions, because they are pretty universal to all kids. It would make a great gift for any parent - or parent-to-be, to give them a taste of what to expect in a lighthearted way.1) This book is fun - what inspired its creation?
The Kid Dictionary was inspired simply by my becoming a parent. Soon after my son was born it dawned on me that all these peculiar things I was experiencing and trying to describe to people should really have names of their own. Your world is so different once you have kids but all you have is the same language you had before you had kids. When you weren’t tired all the time. And I thought, you could probably fill a dictionary with all the words you could assign to the unique and unusual things you experience as a parent. So fill a dictionary I did. The Kid Dictionary.
2) How did you come up with the words to use?
I always sort of enjoyed and was intrigued by etymology, the study of words, and some of what I learned about root words and suffixes and prefixes and other elements of language served me well. I think it helped me come up with pretty good words that hopefully seem plausible as there’s some semblance of science behind it. Sometimes anyway. Certainly there are words that I created which I merely thought sounded like the thing I was trying to describe (“Skleeve”, “Scoozer”)
The situations that the words describe are just little slices out of the life of a parent. And that’s what I think appeals to people –The fact that they can relate to the things being described. There are so many things about raising kids that you experience as a parent that we ALL experience as parents.
Hopefully you read words and definitions in The Kid Dictionary and you see yourself and your partner and your children. And I hope it strikes people as fun and funny, and demonstrates the underlying unity amongst parents.
3) Do you have a favorite definition?
I love them all. Because like I said, the KidDefinitions in The Kid Dictionary are snapshots of my kids growing up. When I wrote most of these words they were things that I was seeing happen with myself and my kids day in and day out. And now, as a couple years have past, they’ve developed beyond some of these things. And those words serve as a reminder of how funny, peculiar, crazy or maddening those particular things were. And I wonder if when people whose children are grown read things in The Kid Dictionary it will remind them of some forgotten times spent with their children and their days as younger parents. I hope so.
4) Are there more "definitions" that didn't make the cut into the dictionary?
Believe you me, there are SO many more Kid Dictionary Words and KidDefinitions on the way if anyone’s interested. I’m writing them every single day, and a great many of my conversations with other parents start off with them saying “Eric, you need to make up a word for this….” The inspiration is never far. As near as the nearest kid or his mom or dad.
If people want more, I’d love to hear from them. And for them to help spread the word so as to pave the way. And if anyone has a scenario that needs a word created to describe it, I’d love to hear from them as well. People can email me through my website www.TheKidDictionary.com. My zany book trailers are there for their viewing pleasure as well.
5) How important do you think a sense of humor is in parenting?
I think that parenting without a sense of humor is like threading a needle blindfolded while wearing boxing gloves. Which is to say - near impossible! We have to laugh. So laugh! And remember that we’re all in this together.
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