Comic Book for Sleep-Deprived Parents Hits the Nail on the Head
A sense of humor is an essential part of surviving parenthood. Making it through the dog days of parenting is a lot easier when you can laugh at yourself. You know, when you’re showered with pee on the reg, can’t remember what day of the week it is or are constantly sporting a baby vomit scent. Laughing at the situation is a whole lot better than raising a white flag.
Lucy Knisley totally gets it. The illustrator is known on Instagram for her quirky cartoons that depict the all-too-real aspects of parenting in a hilarious way. “I started making them when I was trying to get pregnant, but felt weirdly shy about posting them for a while. It wasn’t until later that I realized I’d internalized a lot of fear about what it meant to be a mother and a professional artist, and worried that sharing these comics publicly would destabilize my career,” Knisley exclusively tells The Bump. “Once I started sharing them, it was this huge relief to find so many people that related to my comics, and so much power in claiming the muse of motherhood!”
With the help of Macmillan, Knisley’s set to launch a new book featuring a collection of her funniest pictures yet. Titled Go To Sleep (I Miss You) the book depicts the highs and lows of being a new parent. Last week, the mom released the cover art on social media, and revealed the comic book would be available in stores come February.
“My sketchbook was a lifeline in early parenthood…This book collects those comics, scrawled during naptime or after bedtime, that are so raw and immediate. I hope that they’ll help others make sense of this crazy time,” she says.
The photos feel so real because, well they are. They’re inspired by Knisley’s real-life experiences, specifically including her up and down relationship with, you guessed it, breastfeeding. “I found breastfeeding demanding and weird at first (let’s be honest, I found it that way throughout all 13 months I nursed!)…Nothing has ever made me feel more animal, for the good and the bad,” she admits. “It’s such a strange experience, and I’m so glad I wrote about it because I felt like I was losing my mind while at the same time like I was a damn hero.
Whether you need a good laugh yourself, or have a new mom friend who could use a pick-me-up, the comic book is sure to do the trick. It’s the perfect companion for those late night calls of duty, and will hit the nail on the head when you wish baby would just. Go. To. Sleep. But then have separation anxiety once you’re back in bed. This is parenting!
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