The TAO of Da-da: Or, "Strong Winds CAN Blow All Day Depending on How Much Sugar Has Been Ingested"

De: Gary Clemenceau

Narrado por: Boyd Barrett

The TAO of Da-da is what happens when a sleep-deprived (male) parent starts misremembering excerpts of The Tao de Ching while high-speed toddlers crash and burn and scream into walls and furniture and innocent bystanders, with you just standing there, Legos stuck to your face in fascination-of-the-abomination, pretending that epic tantrums and parabolic dinner arcs are business as usual.

Sample TAO of Da-da parenting wisdom:

Empty your mind of all thoughts Like you had any left?

Let your heart be at peace but try to stay conscious.

Watch the turmoil born of Small Beings but only contemplate using the duct tape...

TAO marries a haggard dad's wry, self-deprecating view of his own role with the wisdom of a venerable Chinese philosopher... along with select funniness from Da-da's award-winning parenting-humor-and-horror blog, "Triumph of a Man Called Da-da."Really, every day you survive as a parent is a triumph, and somewhere in there is The Way, or The TAO of Da-da.

©2013, 2015, 2018 Gary Clemenceau (P)2025 Gary Clemenceau

For Every Dada, and Mama too

I have the written copy and laughed a lot when reading. Listening has also been a unique treat, and also made me laugh all over again.

Full of wisdom from all the classic Dad experiences, and collectively shared humor (and pains) of life. I love the approach to teach the wisdom of fatherhood, while still keeping up the mystery which preserves the thought that we (as Dads) do actually have that wisdom! The audio tone and pacing was perfect for that experience.

When my own child grows into family of their own, this item will be passed on. Mostly so I can listen with great satisfaction to all the "hey, I did that and my kid is doing it too" reactions.

Highly Recommended for New and Used Parents!

If parenting came with a manual, Tao of Da-da would be the footnotes. I read the book version first, but the audiobook is a treat: bite-sized entries full of dry humor, minor existential crises, and the kind of self-deprecating parenting wisdom that only comes from repeated failure and selective amnesia. (My wife and Iistened to it, together, which we seem to be doing more and more these days.) There are lots of LOL moments. But the real magic here is the narrator. He’s got that warm, slightly bemused grandpa voice — like he’s seen some things, and he’s not entirely convinced you’ll survive them, but he’ll tell you the story anyway. The combo is hilarious, oddly comforting, and sneakily insightful. Highly recommended for anyone raising children or recovering from having been one.