Friday, July 31, 2015

Be the Best Mom You Can Be (Book Review)

Truth be told, the title of this book didn't really appeal to me.  Ugh. Too much pressure.  But the subtitle caught my eye: "A practical guide to raising whole children in a broken generation".  I don't need mom perfectionism, but I do need advice on helping my children navigate an increasingly broken world.

Marina Slayton is no dewey-eyed, Pinterest-inspired supermom.  She's raised her children in different environments, different countries, and has learned the value of what's really important. She's had to deliberately forge a path through motherhood without the benefit of a positive role-model mom herself.

Her message is not about what you do as a mom, but who you are. Are you working toward becoming a whole person, in Christ?  Do you cultivate and nurture relationships with your spouse, your children, your friends? Do you focus too much on your children's achievements or being a perfect mom?  Do you get your directions from the World or from the Word?

I love her openness and honesty about her own struggles. There were gems of wisdom in every chapter.  Even chapters specifically on working moms and single moms contained advice that's applicable to everyone.  You don't even need to be a mom to benefit from this book.

This would make a fantastic book study as there are Scriptures and questions and applications for each chapter.  There would definitely be no shortage of discussion.  Highly recommended.  I think I'll read it again!

I received a free copy of this book from Booklook Bloggers in return for an honest review.