Not So Fast: Slow-Down Solutions for Frenzied Families

By Ann Kroeker

Book Overview

We're raising our kids in a high-speed, high-pressured, 24/7 world. Pushing children to get ahead, we cram everything possible into our days to maximize their chance at success. We're overloaded, overextended, overcommitted, and over-caffeinated. And we're paying a price: Our relationships are anemic; our health, in jeopardy. Half-awake and half-hearted, we can't sustain this pace. But how can we possibly downshift without missing out?

Not So Fast: Slow-Down Solutions for Frenzied Families explores the jarring effects of our over committed culture and offers refreshing alternatives. Author Ann Kroeker relates her own story of how embracing a slower everyday pace resulted in a more meaningful family and spiritual life. Practical ideas and insight will spark creativity and personal reflection. Plus, ponder real-life stories from parents who chucked the high-speed lifestyle and reaped the rewards of richer relationships. Not So Fast offers hope that families struggling with hurried hearts and frantic souls can discover the rejuvenating power of an unrushed life.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1434768880
• ISBN13: 9781434768889
• Release Date: August 2009
• Publisher: David C Cook
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Must have for busy MOMS

I absolutely loved this book. Ann offers up some great suggestions and solutions for families that is Christ centered. I bought several copies and gave them to my friends as gifts. Great book!

Ready to slow down?

Ever feel like the pace of life has you meeting yourself coming and going? Feel like your children are running so fast they don't have time to be kids? Tried to slow down, but don't know how? Then this book can be a great help to you. It is an easy to read with bite sized chapters that can be read while waiting for your child to finish a lesson or sports practice. The author has given lots of ideas and possible solutions in the book -- enough to help you creatively adapt it to your family. She addresses many issues including slowing down spending, sexuality, high tech, adding time to create and love. There's so much in this book. Lots to ponder and adapt to your family.

A terrific resource for families.

You can find a lot of talk around the Internet and news about the busyness of life, and the busyness of families. We live in a 24/7 world that never shuts down. Email and cell phones have made our lives "easier", but they've also made us accessible 24/7. In the drive to succeed, many of us put our children in as many activities as we can, hoping to make them into better people. Is that necessary? It's your decision. In this book, however, Ann Kroeker has had the courage to step up and say, no it isn't necessary. In her book she talks about the effects that an overcommitted culture can have on our families. Her perspective is Christian and she shares her own story about how embracing a slower pace of life has impacted her family in positive ways. I love the parts where she talks about the importance of letting children have a somewhat unstructured childhood, and encouraging them to explore and play and have fun. With chapters called, Slowing Down Childhood, Too Fast to Care and Too Fast to Rest, or Slow Enough to Savor Traditions and Slowing Down Spending, Ann gives honest practical advice. Each chapter ends with Slow Notes, a section with practical ideas you can implement immediately. Each chapter also ends with Live From the Slow Zone, with anecdotes and experiences from people who are actively living a slower paced life. Applicable scriptures are sprinkled throughout the book. One highlight for me was the family Load Line, where much like a ship has a load line or limit to how much cargo it can carry before it is unsafe, so a family has that same load line where too many activities can negatively impact family life. Another highlight was about traditions and the importance of not only having family traditions but taking the time to savor and enjoy them. I love the resources at the end of the book. Ann has extensive footnotes which give references and sources for her information. She also lists blogs and other resources at her website. I thoroughly enjoyed this gem of a book. It is one I will reread as I look to find ideas and ways to simplify my family's life.

Wonderful book.....take the time to read it!

I have really been enjoying this book and absorbing it slowly!! I think the story of the violinist really spoke to me as I have seen myself doing that. I have often hurried my children on when they saw the potential that adults all missed. This book really convicted me as I have seen myself where everything is being busy and no time is taken to sit and do some of the important things. She shares a story of how her husband almost died and how it put life into perspective when she realized how short life is. I needed a good reminder of that! This book is an excellent book for any mom or dad to read. It will remind you how short life is, enjoy the fleeting things, and don't waste time on the unimportant! I will be recommending it to all my friends!

Please take the time to read this gem...

Love it. Hope you all read it. Tell your friends about it. Kroeker had the nerve to shout "slow down!" and for the last few years this is exactly the way we've been trying to live. It was encouraging to hear someone else testify we don't have to be part of the over busy American lifestyle. She gives plenty of practical applications and solid reasons why living a fast life, causes us to miss out on LIFE. Hat's off to this author.