Confessions of a Slacker Mom

From Publishers Weekly
A welcome relief from the flood of how-to-mother-perfectly tomes, Mead-Ferro’s short and sweet book is a reminder not to take parenthood so seriously. The author, who in addition to being the mother of two young children also has a demanding career as an advertising copywriter, has drawn valuable lessons in "making do" from her grandmother, who "had none of the proper equipment by today’s standards" yet "never described motherhood as a hardship." Mead-Ferro doesn’t care for creating clever scrapbooks, accessorizing the nursery or trying to impart baby genius status to her three-year-old. Rather, she teaches her children that "making do" with their imagination is as good a route to inspiring creativity as any educational toy. She believes in letting her kids learn that the physical world is a complicated place; it’s better than smothering, isolating and "child-proofing" the world for them, she says. Rejecting the mentality that results in pre-school admission anxiety attacks and overly competitive soccer leagues for six-year-olds, Mead-Ferro both soothes and inspires as she prompts parents, and mothers in particular, to trust their own instincts rather than that of the "experts." Let the kids get messy, she says, and let them figure some things out for themselves. While Mead-Ferro’s not at all sheepish about labeling this approach similar to that of a "slacker," readers will come away with the feeling that the author is in fact a wise veteran who has experienced many of the conflicting messages women face today, and who nevertheless comes up smiling.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Newsweek 2/13/05
[If] she's right, then maybe a slacker mom will be the best kind of mom to have, after all."

New York Daily News
"Celebrates the benefits of simplicity in mothering."

Washington Post
"[Mead-Ferro has a] wicked sense of humor."

Chicago Tribune
"This quick, entertaining read provides welcome validation for the feet-on-the-couch mom many of us long to be."

USA Today
"A brief, breezy take on a theme that seems to be resonating with a lot of mothers right now."

Library Journal
"Quirky and unpretentiously honest."

Arizona Republic
"Will have you nodding knowingly, chuckling out loud and maybe even shedding a tear or two."

Los Angeles Times
"The latest and funniest in a series of parenting backlash books."

Healthy Family
"Hilarious... [A] refreshing, honest book."

Los Angeles Times 4/25/04
"The latest and funniest in a series of parenting backlash books."

Book Description
Parents who are fed up with the pressure to turn their children into star athletes, concert violinists, and merit scholars-all at once!-finally have an alternative: the world of Slacker Moms, where kids learn to do things for themselves and parents can cut themselves some slack; where it's perfectly all right to do less, have less, and spend less. Slacker moms say "No" to parenting philosophies that undermine parents'-and children's-ability to think for themselves. They say "Yes" to saving their money and time by opting out of the parenting competition. And they say "Hell, Yes!" to having a life of their own, knowing it makes them better parents. In this witty and insightful book, author Muffy Mead-Ferro reflects on her experience of growing up on a ranch in Wyoming, where parenting-by necessity-was more hands-off, people "made do" with what they had, and common sense and generational wisdom prevailed. We should all take her sane lead!

From the Publisher
Finally! A witty and insightful book that puts parenting back into perspective. Muffy Mead-Ferro compares the "hyper-parenting" of today with that of her childhood on a ranch in Wyoming, where kids had to figure things out for themselves, parenting by necessity was more hands-off, and common sense and generational wisdom prevailed.


Buy from Amazon     Compare Prices

Besides laughs, this book gave me permission to act on my natural tendencies as a slacker mom of two. Now out of the closet as a slacker, I can avoid the toy emporium, the soccer field sidelines, and the fast carpool lane-all without guilt. I'm enjoying MY life while my children play happily outside-without a coach or cheering fans. — Seattle mom


Buy from Barnes & Noble     Compare Prices