Two thumbs up! Parenting Wild Things

Listen up friends!

I am a researcher by nature.  For each stage of my life, I've got a book books for.  When dating I had the dating books, when engaged, when first married, when pregnant . . etc.  Hence I've got my favorites.

Allow me to share with you one of my favs now.

Parenting Wild Things
Embracing the Rumpus

(- got any 'wild things' yourself?)

It's an e-book . . that was new to me.  First e-book I read; but that is neither here nor there . . .

First off,  I love this author's style of writing.  It's a quick and easy read.  She is authentic, witty and sincere.
She says:

"So I know quite a bit about imperfection. My parenting has been riddled with it."

Ever since I found her blog I've read her posts nodding my head and feeling very comadre with her.  The book is the same way.

The first thing she tackles is a mommy's tendency to compare herself to other mothers by sharing her own experience:

"I stare at the computer screen, reading the blog of another mom and stew, yet again, in a pile of self-pity and loathing. “I’m nowhere near as patient as her”, I bemoan. If my Three Year Old destroyed something of mine, I’d be furious. I would react, I would yell, I would sigh, I would damage the heart of the little soul that has been entrusted to me. I read the accounts of these super moms and grow surer every day that I am a terrible mother and that I’ll never be anything different." 

I loved her idea of kids being like aliens:

"I’m sad to say that I have spent too much of the last 10 years treating my children like they are criminals with ill intentions; like they purposely make that mess, or break that thing, or blurt out that inappropriate comment, just to upset me. 

But the truth is, my children aren’t criminals and neither are yours (well, at least not yet).

They’re aliens."

This actually was my favorite chapter.  And then at the end of the chapters she throws in these "challenges" . . . a little goal you can aim for to put some of the ideas into practice.

To be honest, I didn't agree with everything, but I don't think that's necessary to be able to reap some real gems from her experience, from her book.

I think Jennifer Bowman is a gem, this book is a gem and to sum it up in one word: Enjoyable


You can get a copy for yourself here.


Do