Title: Mommy Mantras: Affirmations and Insights to Keep You from Losing Your Mind
Author: Bethany E. Casarjian, Diane H. Dillon
Basic Overview:
This was a darling book, humorous and light, but filled with meaningful and relevant information for mothers of any age or situation. It is segmented into short stories and scenarios from real life moms based on different mantras, or positive affirmations. These mantras are designed to be repeated mentally or out loud to create the necessary help for all those stressful moments in a mother’s day.
The book acknowledges how a mother’s influence is significant. In a 24-hour period we have many interactions with our children. We talk to, comfort, ask questions, feed meals, laugh with, counsel with, correct, discipline, cuddle close, listen in on, beg, worry about, read to, sing with, and look out for our children. Each of these opportunities affords us the chance to take action, be it a poor or wise one. This book teaches how thoughts directly determine our actions. The mantras change and uplift our thoughts and this positive direction allows us greater opportunity to act wisely. Part of the introduction to the book states: “Within each mantra is the simple though powerful opportunity to grasp that there is always another way to see the situation, a way that potentially offers greater peace, comfort, acceptance, and balance than our initial response” (4). Positive thinking is powerful thinking and brings balance and equilibrium to the turbulent moments, days, and years of mothering.
Parts I liked best:
As any mother who has made a wise choice in a tense moment can recall, the confident feeling that follows is priceless. Those wise mothering choices come from experience but they also come from practicing positive thinking. When I practice positive thinking with the help of these mantras it is amazing the confidence I have. I find that there are seemingly huge obstacles that I can hurdle after all.
Here are just a few of the mantras that I liked best: “They are who they are” (73) brings me to more loving feelings towards my children despite the tendencies that are so directly opposite to mine. “The pump is primed” (16) teaches me to recognize my existing tension and helps me to calm down before I approach the newest problem. “Wipe the slate clean”(136) helps me practice forgiveness towards my children after a long, rough, hard day. “Ignore the score” (169) reminds me to stop keeping track of the “he did/she did” tally that I sometimes keep between my husband and me. “Good enough” (251) is a divine reminder that sometimes my best right now is, well…not my normal best…and still it is okay. “I am not this feeling” (28) is mostly used when I am overwhelmed and reminds me that the intensity of my feelings will most likely diminish after a good night’s sleep.
How this book made an impact in my life, especially as a mother:
This book has impacted me as a mother because I feel like I have some actual “tools” at my disposal. I have positive mantras for the little disturbances in my day, for the really hard stuff, and even for some persistent worries. As mothers, we regularly have wonderful intentions of being more patient, more loving, more energetic, more (fill in the blank). This of course is when we are viewing our sleeping children late at night. The crack-of-dawn morning inevitably follows and those lovely intentions are drowned out by the bickering of cranky children and washed down the drain with the lumpy oatmeal. Times like this I have felt useless against the odds and resort to behavior as equally as terrible as the children I am trying to tame. But with these mantras and affirmations I have a few more tricks up my sleeve. Mostly I feel more prepared and confident for when the challenges come. I unfortunately can’t control what my children will do when they are stressed, overwhelmed, or worried. But I can control my thoughts, words and actions. And I can do it…one positive mantra at a time.
The Power of Moms is an Amazon Affiliate. If you link to and purchase a book we recommend on Amazon’s website, we will receive a small commission. However, we only make honest endorsements on products we know and use ourselves. Thanks for your support!
JaNae Messick says
Thank you for such an awesome recommendation. I can hardly wait to get my hands in a copy. I loved how you described powerful thoughts as tools in our quest to be better mothers. It is a lesson I am constantly learning. My self narrative often dictates my reaction! Thanks!
Jessica says
Wonderful I’ve been looking for something like this for awhile, so I can develop better habits! Thanks for your insight 🙂