Tom Burns

Books can be a remarkably useful resource for parents, but I don’t mean “useful” in the faux-lifestyle advice, What to Expect When You’re Expecting sense. Children’s books – the books we share with our children – can actually make your job as a parent EASIER, which is amazing, considering they are essentially some pieces of paper glued together.

There's this stereotype of the only child: that they're spoiled and self-centered. That their parents are the worst kind of doting, helicopter kid-worshippers. That they're inherently lonely.

And then it happened. "F*ck," she whispered. "F*ck, f*cking, f*ck this!" An enormous smile crossed her face, which only got bigger when she saw my smile. We both laughed, she squeaked out one more "f*ck," and then she gave me one of the biggest hugs I've ever received.

Why have we decided that father-daughter time should involve an element of role-play—and mother-son time should not?