Rating: 
Summary: Confessions of a Slacker Mom
Review: I read the book and I've read the other reviews and frankly, the negative reviews are so totally off base that it's unbelievable. The book is about not taking things so seriously as a parent, not ignoring your children! Have fun with them and don't give them the mistaken impression that they are the center of the universe - the world just doesn't work like that! I have to admit - I am a soccer mom - but for slacker reasons. I get to spend time with my kids in the car, time in which there are no other distractions than a good laugh with my kids. I don't have to clean my house or cook dinner on soccer trips. When waiting for my kids to be done with practice, I get to read and do other things that I enjoy.
Don't take this book too seriously or too literally. Have fun with it and apply as needed.
I intend to give this book as a shower present for every new mom I know. It's not about how to parent, it's about how to do it with a good attitude that kids and parents can live with!
Rating:
Summary: Funny and right on the money!
Review: I really enjoyed this book and thought it had a lot of good points about common-sense parenting, without going overboard and trying to keep up with what the experts say or what everyone else seems to be doing. It was a relief to read a parenting book that didn't just add more things to my list! It was a fun, easy read that I would recommend to any mom. Lighten up, folks!
Rating: 
Summary: Muffy comes off bitter.
Review: I should be rewarded for at least making the effort for getting through this. This Muffy person is NOT a slacker mom. She never even was a slacker. She grew up on a farm in Wyoming (or somewhere like it, I forget already) and basically just tells everyone off for buying their kids a bunch of toys because back on the farm... I hated this woman because she tries to relate being a slacker to working full time in advertising and making up excuses why she won't be able to go to all their soccer games in the future because it will help them build character. Look, I take the word "slacker" very seriously. Anyway, I was given this book for free and I think I was ripped off, so I just wanted to pass that along. God help the next person who uses the slacker the wrong way.
First off, this Muffy Mead-Ferro person (I hesitate to call her a writer) needs to get hip with what the word "slacker" actually means. Muffy is NOT a slacker mom. She never was a "slacker". I bet she isn't even aware of the modern definition of "slacker" - you know the pop culture one. What is our gal Muffy then? She's someone who grew up on a farm in Wyoming (or somewhere like it, I forget already - but it was obviously a Red State) and basically just tells everyone off for buying their kids a bunch of toys because back on the farm...
I hated this woman because she tries to relate being a slacker to working full time in advertising. I'm sorry, I worked in advertising and considering it's a high-pressure deadline oriented field, I can't really see the comparison. Come to think of it, relating slackerhood to life on the farm....not exactly a direct line either. Was she trying to be funny? Oh wait, I read this book cover to cover and found little actually funny. Her attempts at wit were just trite and sanctimonious bitching and moaning about other moms. (Perhaps the definition of "wit" got confused like the definition of "slacker").
She's basically just a cranky woman who sounds bitter that back in her day parents weren't overachievers in parenting and that even if they were, her folks still would have been cold and standoffish farm people. Making up excuses why she won't be able to all her kids' soccer games in the future because it will help them build character is really sad. There is a happy medium between not giving a crap and being an annoying overcompensating child-spoiler, and Muffy didn't mention that. Thankfully there are actual funny parenting books out there that do and actually are witty (try any of Vicki Iovine's).
I was given this books and I feel ripped off. I don't know whom I feel more sorry for people who paid for this book or Muffy's kids who will probably need a lot of therapy eventually.
Don't be fooled by the cover. It's not all slick and modern parenting. It's dull "back in my day" lectures you can get for free from your Grandma. (Though not my grandma because she actually is funny and will admit that there are a lot of advances in parenting and perks of priviledge that won't ruin your kids).
Rating:
Summary: Humorous, witty, and a refreshing look at parenting!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I found her annecdotes thorougly entertaining, and often laughed out loud.
It should be clearly understood that this is not a "how to" parenting book, and should never be mistaken for one. Instead, it is one woman's account of trying to navigate through the incredibly tricky maze of parenting. Fortunately for us, she she presents her take on the whole thing through a wonderful sense of humor. If you can't laugh at yourself as a parent, perhaps this isn't a book for you.
I congratulate Muffy Mead-Ferro's courage to question some of today's "modern wisdom" about raising children and instead, listen to her gut about what's right for her children. And I commend her ability to "confess" about it!
I agreed with her about some things in the book and disagreed about others, but that's what makes this book so fun to read. We all have our own styles of parenting and should trust our instincts enough to follow them. Although I consider myself a slightly more experienced mother (I have kids ranging in age from 15 to 4), I gleaned some wonderful nuggets of wisdom from her childhood days on a Wyoming Ranch. These were some of my favorite parts.
I have recommended this book to many friends, and have purchased it for several gifts. It's a great read for parents of all ages.
Rating:
Summary: Aspire to be a slacker
Review: I was so carried away with this book it took two hours out of my wiping noses, diapering, cooking, cleaning, reading, tooth-brushing, maddeningly mundane and extraordinarily joyful life of raising three young childen. Time that I didn't think I had to spare.
I loved every minute of this book not only for it's refreshingly honest and common sense approach to child rearing and it's wry and delightfully tongue-in-cheek humor(I laughed out loud enough to irritate everyone), but for Mead-Ferro's ability to expose and let go of the ridiculous "have to's" of the hyper-mom and embrace the truely tender moments of "real" common sense parenting. I heartily agreed with Mead-Ferro that letting your children learn their own lessons and actually believing that they are smart enough to "get it" does not constitute child abuse or even disregard. It is actually the best gift you can give your children--your confidence and belief in them that they can and MAY make their own decisions and that they won't be automatically saved from their good or poor decisions. Gratefully and refreshingly this is NOT another (yet another) how-to (and if you don't how-dare-you) book about being the best mother you can be. It is a book celebrating all the different kinds of mothers (we're all slackers on some level- face it)and specifically the delightful mother that Mead-Ferro is "confessing" to be. Far from being a book that shows ambivalence for being a mother, this book elevates mothers to thinking, creative,and instructive forces in their childrens' lives who are entirely capable of deciding for themselves whether to listen to classical music, buy educational toys, warm their wet wipes or NOT! And mothers who have lives of their own that ther children will see and learn from more than some contrived activity scientifically designed to boost self-esteem. This book relieved me of the pressure of future recriminations by my children (sadly undocumented in elaborate and meticulous detail in commercially and psycologically approved scrapbooks) by convincing me that the children of slacker moms will feel empowered not neglected by the lack of a few insignificant doodles and ticket stubs in a perfect scrapbook. They can make their own!
Content aside, the book has a strong and engaging voice that carries you through this quick read like you are listening to an old friend--(one who is really smart and funny).
Another part of the book I found to be particularly engaging was the memories of Mead-Ferro's childhood on a Wyoming ranch and her poigniant and loving homage to her own wonderfully unconventional mother and grandmother. I wanted to hear more!
I'd like to hear more in general from this author! It was the most refreshing two hours I've spent since the time I burned Penelope Whats-Her-Name's book in a desperate attempt to regain my self respect as a capable human being, and drank a mega-big artificially-flavoured grape shave ice I happened to be craving in one of my pregnancies (I'll have to check my scrapbooks to see which one--oh whoops!).
Rating: 
Summary: Not as funny as I had hoped
Review: I'm a slacker mom myself, so I thought this book would poke fun at moms who are hyper-parents as well as those who are slacker moms. Instead, the author seemed to lecture (don't buy your kids toys, don't stop them if they are about to hurt themselves) as much as the books on being a perfect parent do. I think there's room in this world for parents who scrapbook as well as those who don't. (And I'm definitely in the don't category.)
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty funny even if you don't agree with everything
Review: It's an easy, quick read, although we advertising writer types always did have a knack for concise thoughts (i.e., "where's the beef?") Personally, I'm a stay at home mom, and my worst day home with my son is better than any day back at the office working for somebody else. So yeah, I was a little disappointed with Chapter 8 and the whole justification for letting strangers raise my kid. (Sorry, they can go to preschool when they're three, that's not so long to be out of the rat race.) But her observations are funny and it's true that our society does overindulge, advertisers are a parent's worst enemy and the experts don't have all the answers. And some mommies do get a little Stepford-ish...oh admit it, you do. (I've never scrapbooked either, I thought it was a noun.) The book made me realize how uptight I am so much of the time, so I might loosen up just a touch... except during PMS, then all bets are off!
Rating:
Summary: Kids need more slacker moms!
Review: Muffy Mead-Ferro has written a funny, humane and topical book for motherhood today. She's done far more than just share funny slacker moments so moms will feel less guilty, she's given us her perspective, drawn on her childhood on a cattle ranch in Wyoming, on how to raise self-reliant and confident children. She reminds us, in touching and funny ways, that character is not built with educational toys and toddler-gyms. Although my youngest is 14, this book has changed the way I handle his homework, messy room and video games. Parents everywhere need to read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Irreverent Parenting Humor
Review: Muffy Mead-Ferro regards modern motherhood as a situation in which you are expected to keep up with modern expectations. Will your child still be smart if you don't play Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 to your womb? As Muffy says: "...it occurred to me that Einstein's mom didn't do it either." Of course, we all know that Einstein was a late bloomer. Today the emphasis in parenting books does seem to be placed on helping your child get ahead in our highly competitive society. I don't see today's technology or today's wealth of parenting information as a threat to my sanity. I see it as a way to raise a child in the best way possible, while giving your child every opportunity to succeed. My mother played classical music to me as a child and I know how calming it was to fall asleep to creations of obvious brilliance. Muffy then goes on to say that piping music into the womb disrupts the natural body rhythms. So, does that mean you should avoid concerts? Ahh, the conflicts continue. Maybe the point is that classical music will relax the mother, so just listen to it without speakers attached to your belly. Makes sense to me. We also now know that when a child is in the womb, they can be affected by verbal abuse, stress, alcohol and a variety of other harmful elements. It bothered me when Muffy joking said: "Actually, I never smoked crack, but I was made to feel that dry martinis and double lattes amounted to the same thing, so I quit drinking both of them." Well, Hello! Has she read any studies about babies who are set back socially and intellectually as the result of a mother smoking and drinking while she is pregnant? I have seen this happen in person to one of my relatives and it is nothing to laugh about. Look, if Jesus had to make do with what was available in the manger, that is one thing. But when she says her child wouldn't mind sleeping in a crate, I have to say that while love is the most important thing you can give a child, I'd imagine even a baby wants to feel nurtured and comforted by warm blankies and a secure sleeping location. Recently on the Marie Osmond show on the radio I heard about a new type of crib which is supposed to be the "newest thing" and that had my attention. I don't even have children and I thought it was great that people were trying to make their children as comfortable as possible. I wouldn't feel guilty if I didn't have the best crib in the world, and frankly advertising would not drive me to the insanity Muffy seems to have felt in regards to her decisions. This book is either going to make you laugh, drive you insane or frankly disturb you. You could also experience a range of emotions from total insult to "hey, maybe she has some wisdom there." The part of the book that did make sense was her insistence that children are not disadvantaged if they are born into a situation where parents don't have breast-feeding counselors or toddler fitness classes. Although if you think about it, in most societies motherly wisdom is passed down from one generation to the next, so where is the disadvantage in the transfer of ancient wisdom? Today, much of the information seems to be found in books because we are living in a time when there is so much great information, no one person could possibly pass all the collected wisdom down to modern parents. I think people are genuinely excited about new information and try to incorporate it into their lives in a practical way. Why doesn't she buy toys? She doesn't like replacing batteries? lol I think it is great that her child was able to find things to play with in nature, but I think there is room for educational toys. Lessons Learned from Reading This Book: 1. Don't have children if you don't want children.
2. Don't make your children captives of your own disregard for parenthood.
3. You can make a joke about just about anything.
4. Things in your childhood could possibly make you bitter and you could possibly take out your anger on your own children. Being aware of that might help you avoid various pitfalls. (Muffy's mother didn't save any of the typical keepsakes or make notes about her children's lives.)
5. Scrapbooking can be fun unless you are jaded or can't afford all the supplies.
6. It is a good idea not to have scalding water pouring from your faucets.
7. Children do need some privacy, just like everyone else.
8. Kids can be darn funny and do understand sarcasm.
9. The web is a place where you can find great advice on potty training.
10. Moderation is a concept to consider when traveling through life. ...and many more lessons in how to and how not to parent. My mother, bless her heart, took the time to write down much of my first year in a diary she recently loaned me. Whether Muffy realizes it or not, her children would appreciate hearing what they said and when, what they did that was hilarious at age 2 and what they looked like throughout their life, especially if recorded in a scrapbook. OK, so life isn't perfect, but the little things do count. Muffy believes less is more and this truly is a book filled with "confessions." This book made me feel slightly uncomfortable and I think parents will have a much easier time raising children if they have easy access to information. I highly recommend parenting books by Miriam Stoppard and have reviewed a lot of them. Main conclusion after reading this book: Being raised by a parent who is not that interested in being a parent probably isn't much fun for a child. ~TheRebeccaReview.com
Rating:
Summary: HUMOR, SATIRE, GOOD SENSE & A LOVE STORY!
Review: Muffy Mead-Ferro's little gem of a book is long overdue! In this age of "so serious" parenting, a breath of humor and satire is most welcome. Good sense certainly is evident and highly recommended, but what spoke to me most was the love story she wove throughout the pages. Yes, a love story about her Mother and Grandparents. The way in which she opened bits of their lives to her readers was subtle and heartwarming.
Back to the humor - I CANNOT wait until Belle and Joe reach their teens and Muffy treats us to her views on that delightful stage of parenting.
Signed: A Grandmother & therefore, a teenager parent survivor!!
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