by Muffy Mead-Ferro
I first picked up this title just because it made me laugh. Slacker mom? I thought it was going to be a guilt confession of some mom selfishly ignoring her child, but instead what I got was a friendly, frank, down-to-earth discussion of how relaxing a bit more as a parent could be better for your kids. Parenting doesn\’t have to be a competition. Do kids really need all the lessons and coached sports, the prestigious preschools and packed schedules? Mead-Ferro points out they might do better learning how to think for themselves and come up with their own games once in a while. To learn from their own mistakes occasionally. Confessions of a Slacker Mom was right up my alley- I grew up in a family that often made do, not swamping me with the latest fad in lessons or gadgety toys. I remember spending hours playing outdoors with my sisters- one favorite activity was making mud spas for our barbie dolls in an old red ryder wagon. Talk about getting dirty! Some germs and hard knocks are okay, it helps kids be more resilient and self-reliant as they grow up. This book reaffirmed a lot of my own ideas on parenting, ones I need a reminder on from time to time. (My own daughter is pretty squeamish about getting her hands sticky, and I\’m often over protective). I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It\’s funny, thoughtful and brief enough to read in a few hours.
Rating: 3/5 …….. 137 pages, 2004
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