In the Beginning…There Were No Diapers

Tim Bete
Sorin Books (2005)
ISBN 1893732878
Reviewed by Kelli Glesige for Reader Views (1/06)

If you are a parent, grandparent or anyone who has spent any amount of time with young children, you will enjoy this humorous, and sometimes only too true, book about a dad and his view on parenting. I found myself smiling and thinking, “How true!” so often to his whimsical stories about being a dad.

“In the Beginning…There Were No Diapers” was written by Tim Bete, contributor to the Christian Science Monitor, to share his insights of what parenting is like while keeping an underlying message of the faith and blessings given to him by God, but it is all done in a fun and amusing light. Bete says he believes God created parenthood so we could get just a glimpse of what God’s job is like. “The greatness of it all is that God fills our lives with daily minor miracles”, says Bete, speaking on the joys our children bring us.

I found “In the Beginning…There Were No Diapers” to be extremely pleasant and upbeat. Bete writes not only of his experiences with his children, but he comments on his marriage and spouse, his life and habits, and what life in general is like for him as he grows older and wiser In one chapter, Tim notes the similarities between himself and his resemblance to God. It took God six days to create the universe, and it took Tim six days to assemble the family grill. On the seventh day, God rested. Tim’s wife shares that not even God is better than Tim at napping on Sunday. And in another witty exchange, we are told that Tim’s current exercise regime, besides keeping up with active children, consists of skating on thin ice and pushing his luck.

I like the way that each chapter relates humorous antics about some aspect of fatherhood that we can always get a chuckle from. But, before ending the chapter, we are given a subtle and very important message about what makes each chosen adventure of fatherhood so extremely important, special and worthwhile. Fatherhood has its ups and downs, trials and tribulations, but with the outlook that God wants for us, we will certainly know that more children can only equal more love in the home.

Particularly amusing were the thoughts shared about the children playing T-ball. I could so relate with Tim’s stories of the boys playing their game when the ice cream truck happened to make a drive by, as I have a son whom the chapter could have been written about. I also enjoyed how Tim described his son playing with his toys and explaining how the object of the game was to stand on the toys, never letting a foot touch the floor. Once again, this same scenario could have come from my house. It is obvious to me that Tim definitely got his stories from first hand experience.

I encourage everyone to take a look at this book. It is a delightful read and will make you smile. Mr. Bete knows how to take the ordinary antics of children and make them into truly priceless miracles!

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