Lessons from a Default Parent - Signed First Edition

by Beckett, Lou | Memoirs
Published 12/02/2026 by Dorling Kindersley Ltd (DK RED) in the United Kingdom
Hardback | 240 pages
224 x 145mm | 342g

Signed First Edition - Hardback - Publishes February 12th

'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

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.