NPR's Book of the Day Loryn Brantz's 'Poems of Parenting' gives parents permission to laugh out loud
May 6, 2025
Loryn Brantz, an artist and author known for her humorous take on parenting, discusses her poetry collection, 'Poems of Parenting.' She shares hilarious insights on the challenges and joys of raising young children, encouraging parents to find laughter in the chaos. Brantz reflects on the phrase 'mom brain' and how her creative journey shifted from children's art to relatable poetry for adults. Excerpts from her book highlight the beauty of embracing imperfections and the power of humor as a coping mechanism in modern parenthood.
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Emotions Behind Parenting Tasks
- Traditional parenting books fail to capture the emotional experience of parenting.
- Loryn Brantz's poems fill this gap by expressing the feelings behind daily parenting tasks.
Playful Nicknames Help Parenting
- Lauren Brantz uses playful nicknames like "spicy little nugget" to creatively connect with her daughter's big feelings.
- This imaginative play helps calm her daughter and shifts perspective to teamwork rather than conflict.
Poetry Born from Exhaustion
- After a rough night of parenting, Lauren wrote the first poem impulsively, capturing raw exhaustion.
- This sparked a flood of poetry expressing honest parenting emotions that became her book.
