Rating: 
Summary: Me-centered
Review: My quarrel with this book is not that Ms. Mead-Ferro has a full-time nanny or a full-time job. And I agree with her philosophy of slacker parenting. My main complaint about "Confessions of a Slacker Mom" is that it is so boring. Clearly, the intent was a book infused with humor, but the funny parts fall flat because they've already been done to death. Gee, no one else has ever written a parenting book with references to "prenatal lunacy." To write about a pregnant woman who is also capable of rational thought--now that would be fresh and original.
Much of the book consists of the author's reminiscences about her childhood or the lives of her grandparents on their cattle ranch. These did not hold my interest. It's too bad, because some people are able to write their memoirs and make them charming and interesting to the reader, but Mead-Ferro fails in this respect. Nearly every sentence begins with the word "I" and I found myself skimming large sections because they were so tedious.
The rest of the book consists of the author slyly patting herself on the back because her slacker ways will result in children who are well-mannered, interesting and resourceful. She's probably right there, but many other parents know this too and don't feel compelled to write a book about it.
If you want to read a few interesting sentences about the value of slacker parenting, buried in an avalanche of personal memories I recommend that you find this book at the library and save your money for something else.
Rating: 
Summary: What complete nonsense
Review: She makes it sound like women are still in high school and have all this unbearable peer pressure to raise their kids properly. People very rarely put pressure on me to raise my kids a certain and when they do I tell them to cool it. What ever happened to raising your kids to the best of your ability because you WANT to, not because someone pressures you to?
Rating: 
Summary: Let's start by defining `slacker'....
Review: The author of this book is certainly not a "slacker" in the sense of "lazy". "Slack-er" as in `less slack', or more laid-back, maybe, but certainly NOT a slacker - she's an working mother of two (albeit, with outside help), so it's extremely unlikely `lazy' is even in her dictionary.
So what's this book about? A quick summary:
1.Don't spend money on un-necessary stuff, e.g. too many toys.
2.Why it's not a good idea to spoil your kids
3.Why it's not a good idea to over-protect your kids
4.Teach your kids to think for themselves
5.It's Ok to get mad as long as you express it correctly
6.Why it's important to have a life of your own
7.Listen to your instincts - kids were being brought up perfectly well, even before all the parenting books (and sites) came to be
All-in-all sensible advice, but not necessarily all that easy to apply, so if you're looking for a quick-fix solution, this is not the book for you.
If, however, you're looking for a book that will make you feel more comfortable about parenting your way (as opposed to some author's way) this may well be the one for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Laughed out loud!
Review: This book is perfect for every uptight or intense parent. It's easy-going narative uses humor to bring some sense to the crazy world of raising children today. I laughed so hard that my kids wanted an explanation...but only a parent would understand the humor of this book. It was even funnier read aloud with my spouse - who enjoyed it as much as I did. A quick read - and I'm sure I'll read it again.
Rating: 
Summary: A light hearted take on the stresses of parenthood
Review: This book provides a light-hearted look at a handful of "over-the-top" things some parents do, for what they believe is the good of their children. It is nothing new, it has been happening for generations, but with such a large middle class, in our current society, it has become more pronounced and visible.
I enjoyed the book, though at times I found it repetitive. I have had personal experience with a number of the topics she discusses and both agreed and disagreed at times with her various perspectives. In general, though, I do agree with her concept of simplification and parental instinct; instinct really meaning, do what feels right and makes you, as a parent, happy, because happy parents result in happy children. (On an aside, pretty obvious why the reviewer who does not "even have children" and referred to Jesus, and the manger, did not like the book.)
Rating:
Summary: total lack of respect for parenthood
Review: This is a total lack of respect for parenthood. The only reason I give it a two-star rating is because I love the design of the book; it's really "chicky." The message is to "let the kids do whatever they want as long as they entertain themselves and I don't have to do anything. If they get hurt, they'll get over it and hopefully learn a lesson." Total nonsense! It's amazing to me that any publisher anywhere would actually publish a book like this with their real name on it. I do agree that kids have too much today and we should cut out some of the activities and hyper parenting...but Muffy (what a name) is off the wall and the one thing we don't need in today's society is "slacking off of parenthood." She has a few good basic ideas and then all of a sudden she changes them to be all about her and what her mom did with her and her brother to make them more responsibile. It just reads weird and the message is totally lost. There's much better books out there on getting your life organized so things will run smoother and cutting out too many activities for kids helping them get a simpler life. This is what Muffy needs: organization and a new outlook on life. Try the Happiest Toddler on the Block and Mommy CEO for getting it right and getting kids wanting to take on "their" roles with zest. My kids have certain things (chores) to do and we have cut out many activities and then I am more of a slacker mom...but unlike Muffy's kind of laziness, I am way into parenting and family time.
Rating:
Summary: If you're a mom, read this book!!
Review: What a fun book! I laughed all the way through...and nodded my head in philosophical agreement. Mead-Ferro has whittled parenting issues down to their base level, challenging many to review their motives for parenting choices. For us fellow-slackers, she's provided an easy read (making me feel accomplished that I finished a book while raising 3 boys under age 5), as well as constant belly laughs that are key to surviving parenthood! A great gift book, especially for a first-time mom!
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