How to Dungeon Master Parenting: A Guidebook for Gamifying the Child Rearing Quest, Leveling Up Your Skills, and Raising Future Adventurers

by Shelly Mazzanoble

Overview

2025 National Indie Excellence Award Finalist, Parenting & Family

2025 Independent Publishers Book Awards (IPPY Awards) bronze medalist, Parenting

2024 Zibby Awards, Best Book for Parents selection

2024 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist, Family & Relationship 

2024 American Book Fest Best Book Award Finalist, Parenting

Gather your party, it’s time to level up your parenting game!

For years, millions of fans have looked to the beloved roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons for fun, friendship, and entertainment. And now parents and parents-to-be can use D&D to gain inspiration and how-to when it comes to their most challenging and rewarding role yet. Dungeon Masters are not just expert storytellers and arbiters of the rules, they’re compassionate, creative, quick-thinking leaders who embody the same traits that make a great parent.

Where do you find an adventuring party who will have your back? What must-have starting equipment should you own before venturing into babyland? How does your gaming style reflect your parenting style? You don’t have to know how to be a Dungeon Master to master parenting—just think like one. Kids may not come with rulebooks, but now their parents do.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609389819
Publisher:	University of Iowa Press
Publication date:	11/12/2024
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Shelly Mazzanoble is coauthor of Welcome to Dragon Talk: Inspiring Conversations about Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Love to Play It (Iowa, 2022). When not writing about her life as a part-time sorceress, Mazzanoble writes about parenting, reality TV, and the humorous side of middle-age life in her weekly Substack, Middle-Aged Lady Mom (shellymazzanoble.substack.com). She lives in Seattle, Washington.
 

Editorial Reviews

Make no mistake about it, parenting is a quest. With barbarian meltdowns, monster naps, and mimic emotions, it can be tough to navigate that quest. Shelly’s book gives parents a new way to approach parenting. Now we are Dungeon Masters and adventurers. Told with a delightful and fun voice, the book contains actionable and specific advice that will help any parent dungeon crawl through the darkest odyssey.

Shannon Carpenter

A lighthearted and practical guide for parents who love tabletop roleplaying games. How to Dungeon Master Parenting is an engaging book that offers relatable advice for parents who enjoy tabletop roleplaying games. Shelly Mazzanoble’s friendly and nonjudgmental tone creates a welcoming atmosphere for new parents, making it a great read for those about to embark on their own parenting adventure. The book provides practical guidance and helpful tips, along with relatable anecdotes and humor to help parents navigate the challenges of parenting with a smile. You will even find the stat blocks and legendary actions for your small human! Shelly invites you to the adventure of parenting by showing you how to use your skills as a player and Dungeon Master to help you multi-class into parenting. This book does a good job of showing how one parenting style will not fit all and how to have a sense of humor as you adapt and learn how to best work with your own children. A must read for all soon-to-be parents!

Dr. Megan Connell

While geared toward D&D fans, this rollicking playbook will delight even the least experienced wizards learning to safely install a car seat. By gamifying parenting and sharing her own pitfalls, Mazzanoble offers a fresh take on everything from defining discipline styles to making friends as an adult and classifying a child’s moral attitude (watch out for chaotic evil). Like the best kind of Dungeon Master, Mazzanoble will make any player in the hazardous game of parenthood feel more supported and less alone.”—Booklist, starred review

“Readers of all styles of parenting book and gaming fans will find solid advice and humor in abundance in this wonderfully unique resource.”—Library Journal, starred review
 

“A must-read for any Dungeons & Dragons fan ready to take on the most dangerous adventure of all: parenting. Equal parts funny and practical, How to Dungeon Master Parenting is like a core rulebook for raising kids. I wish I had this kind of advice before my wife and I started our own party of adventurers.”—James Breakwell, author, Only Dead on the Inside: A Parent’s Guide to Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse
 

“In this funny and relatable book, Shelly Mazzanoble proves that parenting is the ultimate adventure—challenging your endurance, strength, and ability to deal with unexpected challenges. I’m just disappointed there aren’t more sleep spells to help out at bedtime. Funny, relatable, and easy to read in small spurts during naptime, this book is the perfect gift for the D&D-loving parent in your life.”—Julie Vick, author, Babies Don’t Make Small Talk (So Why Should I?): The Introvert’s Guide to Surviving Parenthood
 

“Mazzanoble has created the ultimate manual for RPG-loving parents hoping to maneuver the magic and mayhem of raising little monsters of their own. A critical hit for any grown-up geek aspiring to conquer parenthood!”—Aaron Reynolds, author, Fart Quest
 

“As a parent and D&D fanatic, everything about this book resonates with me. Shelly brings her humor, warmth, and infectious energy into every page, making this not only a useful parenting guide but a dang fun read! A must-buy for any D&D-inclined parent!”—Michael Witwer, New York Times bestselling author
 

“The epic-level handbook of parenting is finally here! As a friend, fellow parent, and seasoned Dungeon Master, I can verify that this book is filled with laughter, sage advice, and practical tips that transform raising your kids into an epic quest. A must-read for all parent adventurers out there!”—B. Dave Walters, author, Dungeons & Dragons: A Darkened Wish
 

“Who knew a book on parenting would make me a better Dungeon Master . . . or wait . . . a book on Dungeon Mastering would make me a better parent? Whichever it is, Shelly’s book is an insightful, pithy guide filled to the brim with stories and gems on how to be the best parent/DM you can be. Your quest is to figure out if it goes on the game shelf or in the nursery. Enjoy!”—Todd Stashwick
 

From the Publisher

Shelly knows that storytelling and collaboration is the real magic behind D&D, and it comes through on every page. A vibrant new generation of DMs and players will find a lot to love here as they embark on new adventures together.

Jim Zub