Two Terrific Comfort Books for Mom
By Debra Sansing Woods
Mothers spend a great deal of time every day dispensing comfort to the children in their care. There are those hugs and kisses; the tears gently wiped away when a toddler falls and scrapes his knee; the storybooks read, one after another; and, of course, all the good-night tuck-ins before the little ones fall off to sleep.
I love being a mom, being the one to dispense that super-comforting mother-love, the love children seem to thrive on. And like most moms I know, I’m best able to provide such comfort when I receive ample comfort myself.
Some of the most nourishing comfort I know of for mothers can be found within the pages of a new and wonderful style of mothering book – a style in which the mother-author shares with refreshing candor the highs and lows of motherhood while supporting and affirming other mothers in the good they are doing and gently encouraging them onward and upward as the mothers to their children. If you are looking for a little comfort in the form of a terrific mothering book, for yourself or a mother you know, here are two books which are sure to please:
Being the Mom, by Emily Watts
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I confess that as a mom in the mission field, I’ve always carried the secret wish that another LDS mom lived right next door to me. My kids could play with her kids. She and I could share the joys and heartaches of motherhood. We could support and encourage each other, laugh and cry together as we gave everything we’ve got to the work of raising our children.
Although my wish has yet to come true, I’ve found enormous consolation in my discovery of the LDS author, Emily Watts. She is the mother of five and the author of several delightful books including Being the Mom: 10 Coping Strategies I Learned by Accident Because I Had Children on Purpose.
In Being the Mom, Emily Watts proves to be a reassuring voice for any LDS mom who’s in the trenches of motherhood. As she shares her wonderful personal anecdotes and her thoughts on raising kids, she is, without doubt, down-to-earth, funny and yet full of reverence for family life.
A few of the coping strategies she so thoughtfully passes on in her book include “Learn to Laugh: Today’s Embarrassment Will Likely Be Tomorrow’s Comedy,” “Be Discerning: Sometimes a One-Mile Effort is Enough,” and “If It Can Be Vacuumed Up, Wiped Off, or Washed Out, Don’t Worry about It.” Emily backs up each of her strategies with clever, real-world suggestions for implementing them.
For me, Emily’s book serves as a calming influence worth returning to again and again as I make my way through motherhood. These days, as I find myself in the throes of the teen and pre-teen years with three of my five children, I am especially fond of re-reading her thoughts on the teenage years (specifically ages 12 through 15).
In particular, I love this wise counsel: “Take a deep breath! This little phase is like transition labor: a lot of heavy pain because things are really starting to happen now. As with toddlers, an adolescent’s desires will often exceed capacities.”
Overall, Being the Mom is likely to leave the reader with the sensation of having shared a relaxed and energizing conversation with the mom-next-door over a cup of warm cocoa and a plate of homemade cinnamon rolls. Given Emily’s engaging, warm and accessible writing style, her 150-page book should prove to be a great read for any LDS mom. And for those who struggle to fit reading time in, no need to fret. The audio version of this book (available in MP3 format and on cassette) makes for engaging and morale-boosting company while folding the clothes, mopping the floors, or even taking a walk.
Nobody’s Better than You, Mom, by Debbie Bowen
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When I first heard about author Debbie Bowen’s latest book, I knew I had to read it. After all, what mother can resist the title, Nobody’s Better than You, Mom. Although written by an LDS mother, this book was written for moms everywhere – LDS and otherwise. And it is especially supportive of stay-at-home moms.
One of the things I love most about this book is that although it was not written exclusively for Mormon moms, it was written with a strong Christian focus and weaves in beautifully bible verses and powerful quotes by church leaders, including Elder Richard G. Scott and President Spencer W. Kimball. Debbie opens each chapter with a poem or two written (by various poets) in celebration of motherhood. Her obvious love of poetry clearly inspires her overall writing style, as she herself has a lyrical, even poetical voice.
Nobody’s Better than You, Mom provides a wonderful peek into the home of a devoted and well-seasoned mother of 10. She invites the reader in by sharing a myriad of vivid and engaging anecdotes chronicling her family’s life together. She tells her mothering stories so well you feel as if you are right there with her experiencing the life and times of the Bowen family firsthand.
In sharing her experiences, the author demonstrates a rare gift for interweaving her serious and humorous takes on motherhood. In one paragraph you’ll read about the late-night scenes in her home after the children are asleep when she reports that “Tears come easily as I wander from room to room, pausing at each bedside to reflect on the positive qualities of each child” – and then, a few paragraphs later, you’ll run into a sentence where she exclaims, “It is my conviction that children don’t really mean to get into trouble – it just comes naturally!” You just know she smiled when she wrote that passage because you can’t help but smile yourself when reading it.
This book is true to its title, reminding us – often enough that we might just remember it – that “nobody’s better than you, Mom.” The author shares a wealth of inspiration and insights throughout her book.
One of the most comforting passages, and one I think of often, is the passage where she reminds us that “As parents, we are privy to the greatest resource of all for raising children – the Creator himself.” What a wonderful reminder to receive from another mother – the reminder that the Lord will be right there with us, if we will seek His influence, as we strive to raise our precious children.
And what a blessing it is to be mothers in the Gospel raising our children alongside other mothers who are so willing to support and uplift us, whether in person or through their terrific mothering books.
