Not Guilty: My Guide to Working Hard, Raising Kids and Laughing Through the Chaos

by Debbie Travis

Book Overview

"I want this book to read like you are getting together with your best girlfriends over a glass of wine to let loose about life and, most of all, to laugh about it all." Debbie Travis Debbie Travis,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307357228
• ISBN13: 9780307357229
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: Random House Canada
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.7" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Full of anecdotes about her life as a working mother

Not a parenting guide in the Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 way -- but it's more like a composition of funny (and some sad) anecdotes from Debbie Travis' life that relate to how she decided to handle parenting. Debbie Travis is an interesting person so I enjoyed reading about her upbringing in the north of England--she touches lightly on tragedy, in a matter-of-fact way. With a six month old brother, and two younger sisters in the house Debbie's father died from colon cancer (as her mother also did 23 years later). A tough two years followed for her mother and the family. Though her mother did remarry, improving the family's situation and Debbie reluctantly and eventually agreed to being adopted and taking her step father's name (Travis). She left home around 17 to be a model (two cute pictures in the middle of the book from that time) did the modeling adventure thing then met the love of her life, Hans who whisked her away to Canada. Having two boys, one right after the other, while renovating a Victorian home started her on her parenting and her home decorating adventures. So as a busy mother with toddlers she caught the painting effects bug and soon practiced away in her own home, kiddos nearby. Word-of-mouth admiration led to starting a business and building a clientele. Soon she had more customers and requests for instructive paint courses then she could find the time for and childcare became a more pressing daily need. The idea of a painting instruction video came up, and soon that led to producing a tv show and the rest is history. But taking on a career like that meant there were sacrifices to be made: like living in a smaller house with little/no yard because it's across the street from the kid's school. Conveniences like that meant saving precious time that could have been wasted driving. Another example is using the word "No" often. Debbie has a few funny stories discussing the trials and tribulations of 1. accepting the idea of getting a housekeeper/nanny and 2. Finding a good one and keeping her. Mostly Debbie pokes fun at herself and takes the lighter side of things...lots of stories delivered in a comfortable, chatty way (like the time her toddler hit her in the head with a hammer). Good reminders in there for mothers to relax, take a breather, and keep life's little events in perspective: are the kids ok? Everyone happy and healthy and safe?. A stomach-wringing near-tragedy shared about a quarter way through discusses Travis' life-changing lesson on perspective.