There is so much to learn about becoming a parent.

Isn’t this a great book? So helpful. There are lots of books like this that really help prepare you for parenthood.

Here’s another great one. Again… so helpful.

But guess what.

There is something you need to know that isn’t included in any parenting book.

This is a well kept secret… a deep, dark, difficult secret to deal with.

What I’m about to tell you is not easy for most expecting parents to hear.

Are you ready?

Here it comes.

Along with all the new preparations you are making to become a parent, along with all the things you are trying to learn, there is something no one else has shared with you, that you are going to have to learn…

You are going to have to learn to draw!

Now take it easy, take it easy… I know what you’ve been through.  We’ve all been there.

We all believed we were artists when we were five. Our mothers told us our drawings were amazing and hung them on the refrigerator with pride.

Then one day, in the sixth grade, we were asked to draw our shoe.

Ta-daaahhh! We thought as we completed the assignment.  Piece of cake.  Just wait until the teacher makes an example to the whole class of this beauty.  I even included the details of the tied bow and the little holes that the laces go through.  This is AWESOME!

And then, as you looked around the room your pride rose even higher because you saw a couple of students still working on the assignment when yours was already done.

Not only talented, but quick too.

You decide to get out of your seat and meander over to a best friend’s desk and chit chat until it’s time to turn in your work.

And then… you see it.

The drawing of a shoe that your friend has created, which in one quick and jolting moment alerts you that… your entire life as an artist has been a lie!

You stare at the shoe. You know it is a picture of a shoe. You can see that. But for the life of you, your brain can not in any way, shape, or form figure out how someone… namely your goofball friend… found those kinds of details and shading possibilities by looking at their stinky, old, STUPID shoe.

It’s ok.

You see… you’re among friends.

We’ve all been there, and we’re going to get through this together.

It’s simply time to come to terms with the fact that the art you abandoned at age twelve, now must be picked back up again and pursued.

How do I deal with this?

I practice.

You’re going to need to start practicing too.

Pull out those Disney DVDs, flip them over to the backside, and start copying the characters. Memorize the methods… you will most certainly be tested on your skills when you least expect it.

When you’re new little one reaches the age of two or three is when it’s going to happen.

One day, when you’re out to dinner with your sweet little family and you’ve just handed the waitress your menu after placing your order, your darling little angel is going to flip over her child’s paper placemat, hand you a crayon, look at you with those big beautiful adoring eyes and say,

“Mommy… draw me a picture.”

or

In my case with Remy it was,

“Mommy, draw me Lightning McQueen.”

Now you might get lucky and instead of a favorite Disney or Nick Jr. character, your little darling may ask you to draw a house, or a tree…

But if this is currently what your trees look like… this is not going to cut it.

Your very small child whom has admired you and your husband as infallible heroes up until now, will no doubt find the first crack in that facade, if she asks you to draw a tree, and this is what you produce for her.

And trust me, it’s going to get far more complicated than trees.

It’s only a matter of time before she asks you to draw a, “Beautiful Princess.”

Again… this is not going to cut it.

Luckily however you have stumbled upon this website, and I am here to help you… ALWAYS.

This is a fantastic new book Remy and I have been using.

It shows you how to draw and paint all kinds of princesses and ballerinas.

It even shows you some neat figures you can make by gluing on embellishments using different textured papers.

It’s really a fun book.

I believe the book is intended for eight or nine year old girls to begin learning how to draw princesses and ballerinas themselves. I’m telling you though, this book and others like it are wonderful for parents of babies and toddlers. This will prepare you for that moment at the Macarroni Grill when your munchkin expects you to start creating a castle on that paper table cloth they so thoughtfully provide you with.

Yes, the book includes instructions on how to draw a castle.

Wonderful, fantastic, step-by-step instructions.

Here is the one Remy and I created.  I drew and Remy colored. And after I had created all these sweet little princesses, Remy said,

“Mommy, draw a big scary dragon.”

This is not in the book, but remember… my firstborn is a boy.  I’ve been through all of this before but from the male perspective which requests dinosaurs, aliens, robots, monsters, and of course… dragons.

And please remember also… one of my goals in life is to become an author and illustrator of children’s books. I’ve been practicing drawing my entire life.

After that sixth grade shoe incident instead of abandoning art, I committed to practicing, practicing, practicing.  It was in my blood.  I see the same passion for art now in Remy.

So after I drew that monstrous dragon attacking the castle, there was just one problem.

The princesses all looked way too happy to be dealing with an attacking, ferocious dragon.

I quickly came up with a solution to the problem.

The two most important keys to parenting:

#1 Be prepared

# 2 Be flexible

And don’t worry… if you have little boys, there are lots of books just like this princess one, to help you learn how to draw robots, aliens, and Star Wars characters.

These books make great gifts for families of all ages.  I especially like them for families with very young children so that kids and parents can grow in skill with the books.  I would even be so bold as to include a book like this in a gift basket at a baby shower with a note to the parents that it’s time to, “Start practicing.”

You can find “How to Draw Princesses and Ballerinas,” and other books like it, for sale below.

3 Responses to “What Nobody is Telling New Parents”