Boston-area Mom Uses Fighter Jet Background To Create Checklists For Busy Parents

BOSTON - Feb. 22, 2015 - PRLog -- Former Naval Aviator turned author, Kim Arrington Johnson, presents research-based strategies, concise to-do lists, and a collection of practical tips from hundreds of experienced parents in her debut book series, The Parent’s Pocket Checklist. The first two books in the series, The Parent’s Pocket Checklist: An Essential Guide to Pregnancy and The Parent’s Pocket Checklist: An Essential Guide to Baby’s First Year, will be released at a launch party outside of Boston on March 3, 2015. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the local launch will benefit Cradles to Crayons, a Boston-area children’s charity. Proceeds from the books’ national launch will benefit a four-star charity for military families, Operation Homefront.
     Many readers may ask, “Why checklists?” To that, Johnson replies with a smile, “Checklists are efficient, and in today's busy world, parents are short on time and overloaded with information. Yet filtering out the junk wastes precious time and having too many choices paralyzes us.” In her thoughtful yet concise book series, Johnson gets straight to the point covering everything that she wanted to know as a new parent, examining a broad spectrum of topics beyond typical pregnancy and baby books. Expect to find information on pregnancy dos and don’ts, baby registry recommendations, toxins causing autism and ADHD, vaccines, anxiety and postpartum depression, financial considerations, app recommendations, packing lists for travel, how-to lists for breastfeeding, infant care, and sleep training, early educational tips, and more.
     Johnson spent her twenties and early thirties relying on checklists in aviation. Checklists helped her sort through complex problems, like an engine fire, and they also helped her fallible memory recall the mundane, such as startup and shutdown procedures. In Naval Aviation, the aircraft’s “pocket checklist,” called the PCL, was so indispensable that it sat in a special pocket of Johnson’s anti-gravity suit for fear that it would become detached in an emergency or dynamic flight. You never wanted to be in a situation and not know what the PCL had to say. While parenting may not be as fast paced as flying in a fighter jet, it is loaded with potential pitfalls and important yet forgettable minutiae. No one can be expected to remember every step, especially in an increasingly complex world. Helping parents navigate both the pitfalls, such as avoiding toxins for pregnant women and children, and the minutiae, juggling the intricacies of modern life while finding joy in parenting, have fueled Johnson’s passion for her work.

Kim Arrington Johnson is a former Naval Aviator turned author. She is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and spent nearly a decade as an F-14 RIO and F/A-18F WSO for the U.S. Navy. She holds an MBA from Duke University and worked for Goldman Sachs before becoming a mom, starting a blog, and uncovering a world of information that she wants to share with other parents. Kim lives in the Boston area with her husband and two children. Read more at www.parentspocketchecklist.com.