Gin and Phonics: My Journey Through Middle-Class Motherhood (Via the Occasional Pub)

'I was asked the other day what I thought the hardest part of parenting was. I'd have to say that it's definitely the kids.'

TikTok sensation Clara Batten has dedicated the last few years to seeking the answer to one of life's most crucial questions:

Is it possible to raise and nurture two small humans without losing your bloody mind?

The good news is, now she's found (some of) the answers and is sharing her secrets with the rest of us! In this riotous book, Clara reveals:

• when it's acceptable to buy your kids lunch from a kebab shop.
• why a jar of pickled herrings from Waitrose is the ultimate guilty pleasure, nay necessity, for a sleep-deprived parent.
• how to finally pursue your acting ambitions in your forties (despite a toddler sh*tting on the stairs during a self-tape audition).

Most importantly, Clara shows us that no matter how much we adore our little treasures, life isn't just about their A, B and bloody Cs.

CLARA BATTEN is an actress, writer and social media comedy creator who goes by the TikTok and Instagram handle @clara_batten_. She is co-writing a comedy series and recently acted in the Sky Original film A Christmas Number One.

Her self-deprecating comedy sketches and acerbic wit have garnered Clara a legion of online fans. She has been featured in YOU, the Daily Mail, the Sun, the Poke and Netmums, while her sketches have been shown on BBC Breakfast and Loose Women.

She is married and lives in East Sussex with her husband, Adam, and two children, Cressy and Monty. Gin & Phonics is her debut book.