Melinda Means

This is a book that I wish I could have had when I was raising my own children. It would have saved me a lot of regrets and heartaches. Melinda & Kathy show you how to take the gifts that God has given you and with His help be able to mold yourself into the kind of mother that God intended for the children that He gave you. We spend so much time as mothers trying to be "as good a mother as everyone else" and we miss the true joys that are right there in front of us. Even though my children are grown and gone the book taught me how to let go , to not dwell on what I can't change but to be thankful that I did the best that I could. This is a book that I would recommend to a mother to be for a shower gift or a mother who has several children. It is never too late to stop looking around at all our failures and to start looking up to the One who is the perfect parent....God… (mehr)

Probably every mother has at times wished that her child came with an instruction manual. Wouldn't it be nice if there was an outline to follow, complete with a guarantee that the child would grow up to be perfect? There are no perfect children or perfect moms, but there are good moms. Despite what someone else may tell you, their way is not necessarily the best way for you and your child.

In Mothering From Scratch, Melinda Means and Kathy Helgemo show how to develop your own mothering style that will allow you to be the best mom for your kids. The book aims to help mothers examine their strengths and weaknesses in order to find what works best, find mentoring and support from other moms, and push past the fear of doing it wrong to allow grace for both mother and child.

For me, reading Mothering From Scratch was like receiving permission to breathe a little easier. I've had people in my life who tell me all about how they raised their children, with the unspoken (but sometimes spoken) message that their way is better than mine and I need to do it their way. I know I'm not alone in receiving this kind of “help.” So to hear that it's okay to be different is a wonderful reassurance. In a sense, I'd known this deep down and had continued to do what I believed was best for my child and I, but to be reaffirmed by someone further down the parenting road gives me more confidence. I especially liked the emphasis on playing to your strengths while working on your weaknesses.

Mothering From Scratch is a great tool for struggling moms and I recommend it to all moms. I fully expect to read it again in another year as I expect it's the kind of book that can speak differently to me at different points in the mothering journey.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."… (mehr)

I found Mothering from Scratch: Finding the Best Parenting Style for You and Your Family to be true to its title. I liked reading this parenting book because it focused on helping the reader determine the type of parent she wanted to be based on some insightful questions. It really helped me think of the different types of parent I could be based on what I wanted rather than a cookie cutter definition of what the "best" type of parent is. I feel that this book is best read leaving some time between chapters to reflect on the the material and questions posed.… (mehr)