Monmouth Co. Dad Pens Book Of Tips For Parents Of Fussy Eaters

SHREWSBURY, NJ - Hazlet native Jim Daly boasts a secret talent that he hopes to share with parents around New Jersey and beyond. While the Shrewsbury resident and father of three works leading deal negotiations for a Big Tech firm by day, when he’s home with the family, he’s a master at leading deal negotiations between all three of his children ages six and under to eat their food without a fuss.

Daly says the key to no-fuss eating is getting creative by playing different characters, incorporating tricks or telling jokes to make his children laugh. It was humor that made eating time a breeze: all of a sudden, Daly found himself lending his talents to other parents.

“Finally, my wife Kathleen said, ‘you gotta write these down and share with other parents,’” Daly told Patch in an email. “I looked into the market, and noticed there … are a ton of mom books out there, but I felt there could be a market for a book that brought fun sport/movie references to tackle the Fussy Eater problem.

After teaming up earlier this year with college student Rebecca McSherry for illustrations, Daly penned his strategies and self-published a book of tips for parents online through Amazon KDP and Ingram Spark. The book is now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble as well as other retailers.

“This is my first time writing on child care techniques and I'm really excited and hopeful the tips get the creative juices flowing for other parents,” Daly remarked.

“If five different parents use the book and get their kids to eat or even just a laugh, it's a win in my book.”

The final product, dubbed “When All Else Fails: Dad Ideas to Get That Baby to Eat” was released on Nov. 13 and already boasts several five-star reviews on Amazon.

But the 10-year Shrewsbury resident says the release isn’t his last. In fact, Daly notes that his next project is slated to include input from his entire family:

"My wife, kids, and I have a few books we are going to pursue next year focused on other fun parenting ideas," Daly said. "After doing this, my kids' dream is to be a published author now too, and we are going to make that happen for them."