The Mommy Survival Guide: Making the Most of the Mommy Years

by Barbara Curtis

Book Overview

Love is a commitment.Motherhood may be the best job in the world but it is definitely not the easiest. Sleepless nights, hectic mornings, and activity packed evenings make mommyhood a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0834122804
• ISBN13: 9780834122802
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Sanity and Inspiration

As a mother of a toddler and a brandnew baby, you know it's important when I've squeezed out a few minutes to review this book. This is my new favorite gift for baby showers. Not only did Barbara help me regain my sanity, she has also affirmed my motherhood, inspired me to be the best mother I can be, and given me a set of tools and a direction to go in. I also highly suggest the other books of hers I've read...Mommy Manual and Lord, Please Meet Me in the Laundry Room. I've been telling all my friends about these books. They are written by a very wise woman!

A Must Read

Lately, I've read a lot of mommy-type manuals, but this is by far my favorite. I'd call this a "girlfriend's guide" to being a mommy, except that other "girlfriend guides" tend to be catty and bitchy...and Curtis' guide definitely is not. But if you've ever wanted friendly advice from a mom who's been there and done that, then The Mommy Survival Guide is for you. I giggled, cried, and dog-eared my way through this book. (In fact, so many pages are dog-eared, I've made the book twice as thick as it was originally!) I found truly practical tips for raising happy children, and lots and lots of advice for hanging in there when the going gets tough. I disagree that The Mommy Survival Guide is just for Christians. Yes, Curtis is a Christian and she speaks freely about Christianity. But she's also lived on the other end of the spectrum, as an addict and as a New Age seeker. This is just one more area where readers can benefit from Curtis' experience. So unless you feel true hatred toward Christians, I think you'll enjoy this book. I highly recommend The Mommy Survival Guide; it has become my new favorite to give away at baby showers!

Encouragement for Christian Mommies in all stages of their mothering journey

This book is a delight to read and would make an excellent gift for mothers in all stages, from mothers of babies to mothers of slightly older kids, and it is one that mothers will want to keep and reread as their kids grow older and the mothering quandaries change, since Barbara talks about struggles and experiences with her adult children, too. Barbara includes tips for handling toddlers and helping them reach their full potential, tips for mothers who feel lost or like they aren't living up to their own potential as mothers, and Barbara shares her philosophies and personal stories about gender roles, prodigal children, instilling moral values, and above all, she encourages mothers to place themselves and their children in God's hands. This is very definitely a Christian book, and while I think non-Christians would enjoy a lot of the essays ands information in this book - it isn't the first book of Barbara's I'd recommend for a non-Christian. Try The Mommy Manual instead of you are not a Christian. Chapters such as "What They Really Need Is Jesus" will probably not be helpful to non-Christians. Overall, this is a great introduction to Barbara's philosophies and her personable writing style - when I read her books I really feel as though I am sitting down for a nice cup of tea with her, and I think mothers will really enjoy her warmth and her frank style of writing. My only complaint about this book is that because I have read her other published books, and enjoy reading her blog regularly [], I have already seen nearly all of this material in some form or another. So as a regular reader, this was like a compilation book in which I got to enjoy some of Barbara's best essays, revamped a bit. For that reason, I'd say this would be the best of all of her books to give as a gift, but for fans of her writing that have been reading for a while, I might instead wait for Mommy, Teach Me!, out later in 2007, which promises a wealth of practical information about raising little ones.

What an encouraging book!

I was hooked before I finished reading the first chapter. I am a mom of four children and have often struggled with the adjustment it has been to go from three to four kids. I have also often looked at moms of many (5 and up) and wondered when it all came together for them. I figured that they had to have had a time in their lives where they struggled and wondered how to make things work smoothly in their homes. In the first chapter of this book, Barbara so sweetly shares that she did not always have it together. She encouraged me by letting me know that she was not always very patient or organized. She shares that God has used her children to grow her and refine her and to bring her to where she is today. I felt so affirmed and encouraged by her words. I honestly have not yet finished this book, but I know that it is one that I will return to over and over as I take this journey of mothering. I highly recommend it to any mother, new or not so new.

Encouraging and Helpful

Motherhood is full of difficulties. We mommies have good days and not-so-good days. On the good days, I praise God and give myself a little pat on the back. However, it is on those not-so-good days that I need a friend to come along side to encourage me, help me find a solution, and/or offer some much-needed perspective on a situation. Barbara Curtis does just that in her latest "mommy" book, The Mommy Survival Guide: Making the Most of the Mommy Years (MSG). Curtis writes as only a real mommy can. I connected with her from the opening page: "Once upon a time I was a pretty normal mom. But that was before I ended up with 12 kids. When did I begin to change? Was it with Number 3? Number 4? Maybe Number 5? I don't know. For a while, with babies arriving every 15 to 20 months, it all became a blur. And yet at the same time it all became clear, as though I could finally see what was the important part of being a mommy. So many things I thought really mattered turned out not to matter at all. And so many things I hadn't thought of turned out to be the most important things of all." MSG is divided into six sections: * The sooner you surrender, the better. * Kids will be kids--let them. * A little bit of Mommy goes a long way. * Less is more--really. * When the going gets tough, just keep going. * Anything can happen, but God will be there too. One of my favorite aspects of Curtis' writing is her honesty regarding motherhood. Curtis understands its demands. She has struggled through relinquishing her rights in order to be a better mother. This makes MSG stand apart from other popular mommy books. Curtis never advocates taking a "mommy vacation." Rather, she is honest about the sacrifice and selflessness it takes to become a great mother with great kids. She shares a bit of her own journey in surrendering to motherhood. For example, she writes of how her frustrations diminished after she changed her attitudes regarding sleep. She explains, "So, yes, motherhood will change you--if you let it. And believe me, you do want to let it change you, because when you've refined the art of not thinking of yourself, you will very much like the person you become." MSG is also incredibly practical. Curtis writes about those topics that weigh heavily on most mommies' minds: sibling rivalry, teaching self-control, television use, simplifying life, and much more. Each chapter has some nugget of wisdom or advice or a simple tip that a mommy can use. In addition to sharing her family's stories and experiences, the end of each chapter includes a list of ideas, fun stuff, things you need to know, or a helpful resource to check out. Not only is she a mother to 12, Curtis also homeschooled her children and is a trained Montessori instructor. She has years of experience from which she shares her thoughts on child training and teaching. She offers advice for saving time, having fun with the whole family, and helping kids through tough times,