Cribsheet

A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool

By: Emily Oster

Narrated by: Karissa Vacker

Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

From the author of Expecting Better, an economist's guide to the early years of parenting.

With Expecting Better, award-winning economist Emily Oster spotted a need in the pregnancy market for advice that gave women the information they needed to make the best decision for their own pregnancies. By digging into the data, Oster found that much of the conventional pregnancy wisdom was wrong. In Cribsheet, she now tackles an even great challenge: decision-making in the early years of parenting.

As any new parent knows, there is an abundance of often-conflicting advice hurled at you from doctors, family, friends, and the internet. From the earliest days, parents get the message that they must make certain choices around feeding, sleep, and schedule or all will be lost. There's a rule - or three - for everything. But the benefits of these choices can be overstated, and the trade-offs can be profound. How do you make your own best decision?

Armed with the data, Oster finds that the conventional wisdom doesn't always hold up. She debunks myths around breastfeeding (not a panacea), sleep training (not so bad!), potty training (wait until they're ready or possibly bribe with M&Ms), language acquisition (early talkers aren't necessarily geniuses), and many other topics. She also shows parents how to think through freighted questions like if and how to go back to work, how to think about toddler discipline, and how to have a relationship and parent at the same time.

Economics is the science of decision-making, and Cribsheet is a thinking-parent's guide to the chaos and frequent misinformation of the early years. Emily Oster is a trained expert - and mom of two - who can empower us to make better, less fraught decisions - and stay sane in the years before preschool.

*Includes a Bonus PDF of graphs.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Emily Oster (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Both refreshing and useful. With so many parenting theories driving us all a bit batty, this is the type of book that we need to help calm things down.” (LA Times)

“Parents who find comfort in statistics, and especially those who enjoy Malcolm Gladwell’s works, will appreciate [Cribsheet].” (Booklist)

"Cribsheet, a new book by Emily Oster of Brown University, shows that in the hectic haze of parenthood an economist’s perspective can prove surprisingly clarifying.... Parenting can be fraught. Cribsheet aims to help parents do better.” (The Economist)

Such a great book

I just love how Emily Oster presents information! I would recommend this book to any parent-to-be or parent with younger kids. She just does such a good job of tackling the mountains of data and research out there and explaining it all in an easy to stomach way manner, no pushiness either! I feel more confident making my own parenting decisions after hearing her logical summation of the various thought processes and related research.

Also, the narration is pleasant and easy to listen to, Karissa Vacker does a great job!

Practical Advice

Helpful to review the research and learn that there are many ways to parent, with pros and cons fitting each family uniquely.

Balanced and data focused

I loved all the information that was provided in such a straightforward and balanced way. In addition to data she discusses how to use that data to assess risks and make a decision that is right for YOUR family, which feels both refreshing and ultimately so helpful. Knowing some of these studies she brought out did help me make decisions I struggled with before and feel better about going toward as the kids get older. The narration was great and easy to follow!

Great insights

Loved learning about toddlerhood and choices for parents at this stage. The performance was great and not boring

Can’t stand the narrator’s voice.

The only complaint I have about this audiobook is the author’s choice of narrator. I don’t want to be read a bedtime story and the narrator’s tone is too gentle and quiet for a book of this nature. It really detracts from the great data and presentation of findings.

Love Emily Oster, not this narrator

I enjoy this book, but the lady narrating it is rather annoying to me. She sounds very worrisome the entire book and misses the author’s sense of humor. If you can stomach the narrator’s voice, give it a listen.

biased but overall well done

This is a good book with some good advice. there are some obvious personal biases in the author's writing but she does a good job looking at different subjects from an analytical point of view. As a pediatrician I agree with most of what she says, although she does make suggestions that are skewed toward what she wants the data to be interpreted as. I would advise people to discuss things with their doctor before making decisions. But altogether one of the better books on this topic.

The book that requires some visuals too

A data driven book cannot be fully appreciated by just listening; it needs visuals too.

Not as amazing as Expecting Better

But the scope was harder/larger and there are less good data and studies in child development than in pregnancy research. Oster does a fine job summarizing and helping to create a decision framework for new parents. As new parents ourselves, we'll definitely be using the print version as a reference over the next few years.

Good data driven information

Good review of the studies and data available from the view of an expecting father and resident physician.