Parenting TIps: Science Journalists Emily Willingham, Tara Haelle Debunk Common Parenting Misconceptions

Science journalists and authors Emily Willingham and Tara Haelle had a frustrating time gathering facts for their new book, "The Informed Parent: A Science-Based Resource for Your Child's First Four Years." The experience was extensive and exhausting, but it freshened their views on some common parenting misconceptions.

Most Fathers Are Severely Deprived Of Sleep

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Willingham revealed that, contrary to popular belief, fathers are deeply deprived of sleep too. While most women are permitted to stay at home to care for their newborns, men still have to wake up early and report to work.

"Even when family leave is offered to men, studies indicate that a lot of them don't take advantage of it," said Willingham. "One of the upshots of that is that men have a steep level of sleep deprivation, while women who can stay at home with the infant can sleep when the baby sleeps and get slightly more sleep during the day."

As per Scary Mommy, one sign that a man isn't getting enough sleep is when he becomes inattentive and stares blankly into space while being asked by their partner to perform various baby duties early in the morning. Another is when he yawns his way through dinner or while attending social gatherings.

Alcohol Is A No; Sushi? Maybe.

For her part, Haelle was surprised to learn just how detrimental alcohol could be for a pregnant woman and her child. She initially thought drinking small doses of liquor during pregnancy wasn't a big deal. She later changed her mind after reading various studies about it.

Haelle also raised the issue of sushi consumption during pregnancy. While she isn't recommending the dish to expectant mothers, she isn't preventing them from eating it either.

"I can say that restaurants serving sushi in the United States are supposed to be following the Food and Drug Administration regulation that most fish is flash-frozen right away," Haelle reckoned. She continued that consumers are thus unaware of what happens to the seafood after defrosting, which leaves customers with no choice but to trust that the establishment is following the FDA's regulations.

The aforementioned topics are only a few of the misconceptions Willingham and Haelle touched on in their new parenting book. For those interested, "The Informed Parent" now retails on Amazon for $14 in paperback.