Wiped — life with a pint-sized dictator

In her book Wiped! Rebecca Eckler has just given birth to her daughter, whom she nicknames 'the dictator.' In it, she shares the first two years after becoming a mother.

The story of Wiped! in a nutshell

Rebecca chooses a planned C-section, immediately switches to formula, hires a full-time nanny, and has plenty of money to spare. On paper, she should be living the dream. But Rebecca is not happy. To recover, she takes a two-month holiday in Maui. Even that feels overwhelming, so she hires a babysitter every day. Her biggest worries? Extra weight and hair loss. Wiped! reads like a diary, and after a while it becomes dull to read yet again about Rebecca wondering whether her butt is too big.

Not much of a plot

There’s not much of a storyline in Wiped! It’s all about Rebecca’s troubles. For example, Rebecca and her fiancé watch Supernanny Jo Frost and sigh with relief that at least their daughter isn’t as bad as the children on screen. I think most mothers will recognize that feeling. Another recurring theme is Rebecca’s nightly worry that something might happen to her daughter, prompting her to check whether the baby is still breathing.

I’m not such a bad mom after all!

Just as Rebecca sighs with relief that there are worse children than hers, I sigh with relief that I’m not such a bad mom when I ‘watch’ Rebecca. At least I haven’t lugged around a portable DVD player everywhere and stuck it in front of my kids. I don’t think Eckler deserves praise for an exciting story, but she does deserve credit for her honesty. She really shows herself in all her insecurity and selfishness.

A funny side note

People constantly mistake Rebecca’s daughter for a boy—even though she dresses her head to toe in pink! When I first saw a photo of them together, my immediate thought was:

'Weird, why is she in the picture with some random boy instead of her daughter?'

More about Rebecca Eckler

Rebecca Eckler is active as a Canadian author, journalist, and the founder of RE:BOOKS Publishing, an independent press she launched in 2022. Eckler continues to write for various publications. Recent articles include topics such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnancy complications in British Columbia, the origin of the phrase “I love you to the moon and back,” and tips for parents preparing their children for overnight camp.

For more updates and insights from Rebecca Eckler, follow her on Instagram @rebeccaeckler.

P.S. I love the clever title Wiped, with its double meaning : )

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