I have a bunch of books that just never got reviewed and I want to start fresh ASAP and review books within a week or two of reading it at the most. So I need to catch up on these reviews. Considering I read these over a year ago, I may not remember enough for a full review anyways.
Confessions of a Bad Mother by Stephanie Calman
Stars: *****
Summary: Do you feel that other mothers are “doing it properly” while you’re getting it All Wrong? Do you give your children chicken nuggets for supper, herd them into bed and slump down exhausted for a drink? Do you wish there could just, please, be a little less pressure? If you try your best but frequently feel like a failure, if you – or your children – are in any way imperfect, then join the club: the Bad Mothers Club. Stephanie Calman has broken every rule and done it all “wrong”. From giving birth with her pants on to making her kids watch more telly, she has persistently defied all accepted wisdom and professional advice.
This book is funny and a great stress relief read for moms who are worried they aren’t good enough. Very humourous and the accompanying website is a great resource: http://www.badmothersclub.co.uk In fact the author has a new book: How (Not) to Murder Your Husband.
However if you are very adamant that how you parent is the ONLY right way, don’t read this book.
Buy Confessions of a Bad Mother
1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12 by Thomas W. Phelan, Ph.D.
Stars: *****
Summary: With humor, keen insight and proven experience, Dr. Phelan breaks down the task of parenting into three straightforward jobs: Job 1: Controlling Obnoxious Behavior, Job 2: Encouraging Good Behavior, Job 3: Strengthening Your Relationships
I’m not exactly still putting these ideas into practice but they are great ideas. If I wasn’t busy reading other parenting books I’d read these one a few times over and fully put it into practice. As with self-help books, most parenting books do no good unless you put them into practice.
The book contains example narrations to show you how to use their advice. There are 1-2-3 Magic books for various topics and they have sold a lot. This book is the Winner of the National Parenting Publication Gold Award and a new, 4th edition has come out since I read this one.
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Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher’s First Year by Esme Raji Codell
Stars: ****
Summary: Just as it says, a diary of a teacher’s first year. She teaches fifth grade and has all kinds of creative ways to teach. She also includes 25 tips for teachers and teachers-to-be.
I remember liking this book a lot. I wanted to be a teacher at one point and so I’ve always liked reading teacher memoirs. I love when teachers have creative ideas. If you look at the reviews on amazon, they are quite split between 4-5 stars and 1-2 stars. The ones who disliked the books talk about the author being stuck up, focusing on how awesome she is or being obnoxious but I didn’t get that feeling at all.
Buy Educating Esme
*All books were received in exchange for a review if I finished them. All opinions are honest and are my own.
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