Lou Beckett: Lessons From A Default Parent [2026] hardback

'Funny, reflective and honest. Reading this book is like sitting down with your bestie for a proper mumlife debrief' - Giovanna Fletcher

'More demanding than 'hell', this is parenting purgatory for authentic women who've put their lives on hold to be mummy' - Katherine Ryan
'A brilliant, comforting and funny read for any default parent' - Ellie Taylor
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What nobody tells you about parenthood, from one of the 'silent partners' behind the Parenting Hell podcast.

School-run coordinator, party planner, clubs organiser, laundry sorter... and maybe even a 'real' job on top! Sound exhaustingly familiar?

From assumptions surrounding who is going to stay at home with the kids to the never-ending list of school admin, being 'the default parent' rears its head in a plethora of ways.

This book is for all the defaults out there - bored out of their eyeballs or so overwhelmed they could scream expletives into the wind for a solid hour - to know their invisible labour is seen and valued.

With heartfelt and hilarious advice, Lou Beckett provides much-needed comfort and community for the one who is depended on the most (and often feels appreciated the least), and maybe - just maybe - how we can begin to rebalance the parenting scales and muddle through a little better, together.