Comments on Musings of a Bookish Kitty: Bookish Thoughts: Between Interruptions edited by ...

I really wish this book had been out 9 years ago w...

2012-02-06T19:55:06.133-08:00

I really wish this book had been out 9 years ago when I had my daughter! I had terrible post-partum depression after. I eventually found A Life's Work by Rachel Cusk, which chronicles her first year at home with her child. She is quite honest, and it helped me somewhat to know I wasn't alone in sometimes not liking motherhood at all.

I relate to Nan too - we've only just started not having our youngest sleep in our bed. Instead, he goes to his sister's bed and sleeps with her. He really doesn't want to be alone! Everyone and all the child-raising books say, 'make him stay in his room yada-yada;'. I just roll my eyes know and know that some day he will outgrow it, and all we can do is try to help him feel safe at night. My point is, there is no one right way to do things, no one single answer, no solution, except the one that lets your children be themselves, and that lets them know you love them.

I'm going to email you the rest. Hugs to you and Mouse!

Thank you, Heather. I am so glad I got to be a pa...

2012-01-30T11:18:41.695-08:00

Thank you, Heather. I am so glad I got to be a part of this tour. Reading Between Interruptions was very helpful--not to mention being able to discuss it with all of you.

I appreciate all your support, Stacy. I know you&...

2012-01-30T11:17:33.993-08:00

I appreciate all your support, Stacy. I know you've had an especially difficult time having to deal with your son's health issues. I was so happy to read you finally know the cause! Such a huge relief. And now you can take action to try and prevent further episodes.

Young ones are so much work! So full of energy. It's wonderful on the one hand but exhausting on another. I feel for you. I completely agree with you--the choice of not to work or work is a personal one and has to be made by the family. Both working outside of the home and staying at home bring their challenges--have pros and cons. There are days I wish I could stay at home and days I am glad I work. LOL We do what we have to do.

Thank you, Trish. I am so glad you shared about y...

2012-01-30T11:13:32.174-08:00

Thank you, Trish. I am so glad you shared about your experience with postpartum depression. It is a lot more common than I think most people realize.

Stacy shared a quote with me in an e-mail from a book she recently read about how mothers feel like failures and therefore we are less likely to talk about what we are experiencing. It really struck a chord for me. I don't understand why it's so easy for me not to judge others and yet when it comes to myself I do it all the time. We're so hard on ourselves. What you said in your post about the need to relax--so true. And not in terms of physically relaxing, but rather in the pressure we put on ourselves. I need to learn to do that. It's so hard though.

Big hugs to you and Elle too, Trish.

It was very good, Samantha. I imagine quite a few...

2012-01-30T11:07:13.472-08:00

It was very good, Samantha. I imagine quite a few parents can relate to some of the essays in this collection. It's well worth reading if you get the chance!

Nan, it does seem like the old traditional family ...

2012-01-30T11:05:40.728-08:00

Nan, it does seem like the old traditional family with one parent staying at home to care for the child is more of a rare thing now. It's much harder for a family to get by on one income these days.

Eight years without sleeping through the night! I can see that being me with or without the help of a little one. Haha!

Thank you, Kris. I am so sorry you are having to ...

2012-01-30T11:02:05.336-08:00

Thank you, Kris. I am so sorry you are having to deal with issues of depression now. It's such a happy time in your life and that only makes it even harder--you know you should be feeling better and yet . . . Big hugs to you. If you need to talk, please e-mail me. You aren't alone.

This sounds like a must-read for all moms, regardl...

2012-01-29T15:01:18.748-08:00

This sounds like a must-read for all moms, regardless of what stage of mom-hood they are in.

I'm glad this one really touched you. Thanks for being a part of the tour.

This looks like a great one, Wendy. It is so much...

2012-01-28T20:17:02.612-08:00

This looks like a great one, Wendy. It is so much harder to share the dark side of motherhood, but it is the only way to really connect and know that what you are feeling is normal. As a stay-at-home mom I am desparate to find some relief during the day. I feel like I should be able to handle a 15 month old from 7 am to 6:15 pm without any help, but I can't do it any more without losing my mind! No choice (working/not working) is perfect, it can only be the best choice for you.
I'm adding this book to my wish list!

I feel like I have done a fairly good job of makin...

2012-01-28T18:06:42.328-08:00

I feel like I have done a fairly good job of making motherhood look easy (at least on the blog), but it's so easy to only share the good and glowing moments and not the frustrations and tears and isolation. It's also hard not to feel the jealousy and the inability to measure up, always comparing to others and feeling weak or inadequate or the such. I still feel a pang of guilt that I wasn't able to breastfeed as long as I wanted (the stress became overbearing) and I really resent when people make backhanded comments about my being a working mom. Somehow I wish there could be a bit more understanding at how unique each mother and child are and how supportive we can be for one another.

I think I'd really like this one and I'm so glad you were able to bring it to our attention. I've been SLOWLY reading What Mother's Do and really loving it. It sounds a bit like this one except just one author. I would certainly recommend that one to all new mothers.

Wonderful post, Wendy. Big hugs to you and little Mouse.

This sounds like an amazing book. I hard a really...

2012-01-25T06:50:19.208-08:00

This sounds like an amazing book. I hard a really hard time adjusting when my oldest was born....and I'm sure that I could relate to some of these essays as well. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one. I'm going to have to read it as well :)

I've begun to think of the 'non-traditiona...

2012-01-24T12:01:10.315-08:00

I've begun to think of the 'non-traditional' family as one in which the father or mother works outside the house while the partner stays home with the child.

I may have told you that we went 8 years without sleeping through the night! Now I sleep 8-10 hours a night. Still making up for it. :<)

Fantastic review! This is one I will have to keep...

2012-01-24T11:55:20.223-08:00

Fantastic review! This is one I will have to keep in mind as my time to be thrown into motherhood is coming soon. I'm dealing with a lot of depression issues now, which has my OB worried about how I'll deal with postpartum. So something like this might really benefit me.

Some people sure make it sound so easy though, don...

2012-01-24T09:28:58.302-08:00

Some people sure make it sound so easy though, don't they? It was quite a culture shock for me. I didn't really know anyone with young children and I hadn't been around babies since I was babysitting as a teenager. And being in my late thirties, I had my routine down. Throw a baby in there and everything completely changes. I knew it would--my mind knew it would, at least. I just wasn't as prepared as I thought I was.

Thanks, Staci. I know nothing can quite prepare y...

2012-01-24T09:23:12.044-08:00

Thanks, Staci. I know nothing can quite prepare you for motherhood except actually being there--but a good warning to at least help ease the way and lighten expectations.

Thank you, Lisa! Thank you also for letting me be...

2012-01-24T09:19:04.503-08:00

Thank you, Lisa! Thank you also for letting me be a part of the tour!

Kathleen, I do think it would be a good addition t...

2012-01-24T09:18:28.266-08:00

Kathleen, I do think it would be a good addition to a new mom's library. And I agree. I wish I had had more conversations about the reality of motherhood either before or right after--I would have been better prepared for just how hard it would be and I wouldn't have felt like I was a failure or less than--not entirely anyway. :-)

I do that now--keep a stiff upper lip with coworkers and even family and friends. The only place I've really talked about it is here--and with my doctor.

Thanks, Kathy. That is so true. In reality, no one...

2012-01-24T09:03:48.136-08:00

Thanks, Kathy. That is so true. In reality, no one is perfect. I don't expect my daughter to be so why should I expect it of me? I remind myself of that when those thoughts of my not being good enough rear their ugly head.

Aw, thanks, Sandy. I am sorry you had to go throug...

2012-01-24T09:00:59.781-08:00

Aw, thanks, Sandy. I am sorry you had to go through all that. I can't even imagine how hard it must have been for you. I hear you on not thinking it was right to complain. I wanted a child so much--stressed over it even--and then once she was here was totally unprepared for just how life changing it would be. Even knowing it would be life changing. Being the type of person I am, finding myself at such a loss and so emotional (something I have tight rein on usually), it's been challenging. It is for everyone to varying degrees, of course. But we can really only speak to our own experiences.

I confess I still have the tough it out mentality. It's how I was raised and has been ingrained in me. My doctor hasn't pushed, but she wishes I'd consider medication. I keep rationalizing to myself why I don't need it.

It did come at a good time, Heather. And thank yo...

2012-01-24T08:44:52.740-08:00

It did come at a good time, Heather. And thank you for your kind words! I have a hard time talking about my feelings, especially the negative ones, and I really don't have any close friends. I think those things contribute to my feeling of isolation more than anything. So, books like this really do help someone in my situation, I think.

I used to roll my eyes anytime anyone said that--t...

2012-01-24T08:41:12.461-08:00

I used to roll my eyes anytime anyone said that--that only other parents would understand. Now I totally get it and find myself saying the same thing.

Thank you so much, Linda. I am glad I was able to...

2012-01-24T08:40:20.308-08:00

Thank you so much, Linda. I am glad I was able to read this book. The women's stories really spoke to me. I do wish I had come across it sooner, but now is a good time too. :-)

This sounds really interesting. Motherhood isn'...

2012-01-23T18:04:37.718-08:00

This sounds really interesting. Motherhood isn't all smiles and sunshine, and I think it's good for people to admit that -- if you can't admit it, you can't deal with it. Thanks for the great review.

I think it's so important for women to be hone...

2012-01-23T17:11:21.403-08:00

I think it's so important for women to be honest about being a mom. Doesn't mean you're a bad one but that you're REAL!! Sounds like a great book and it couldn't have come at a better time!!

Wendy, what a beautiful review! I'm glad this...

2012-01-23T15:42:22.974-08:00

Wendy, what a beautiful review! I'm glad this book came to you at the right time. Thank you so much for being on this tour; you were the perfect reviewer for the book!