Am I Doing This Right: Making Choices without Mom Guilt

(Hardback)

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Description

A choose-your-own-adventure-style gift book to combat mom guilt from social worker Rebecca Fox Starr

Motherhood is a constant barrage of choices. Bottle or breast Alone time or playtime And how much is too much screentime No matter the choice we make, mothers often end up feeling guilty, as if we are never doing enough. But no more! In this choose-your-own-adventure style guide, social worker Rebecca Fox Starr guides moms through the apocalyptic newborn phase, the jungle of toddlerhood, and the dead ends and booby traps of raising teens with one simple message: You are doing a great job. You are more than enough. The perfect gift for mothers who are doing their best every day, Am I Doing This Right is the comforting affirmation we need to show ourselves some compassion and appreciate the choices we make each day for the families we love.

Reviews

Kids curl up with 'choose your own adventure' novels and, every few pages, pick whether they want to, say, run away or chat with a ghost. In this banish-the-mom-guilt guide, Starr, a clinical therapist and a licensed clinical social worker, provides nonfiction choices. After her introduction, which notes how she uses elements of cognitive behavior therapy (which identifies and challenges negative thoughts) and dialectical behavioral therapy (which emphasizes regulating emotions and being mindful), she declares, 'Let the adventure begin!' The text urges parents to turn to page 12 and others to turn to page 134. Playful mothers may embrace exercises like a fill-in-the-blank songwriting activity, 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Mom.' Parents struggling with setting boundaries may appreciate choose-your-own-adventure scenarios about whether to invite a family friend to visit. Others may find it comforting to learn how to recover from mistakes like yelling. Starr says, apologize: 'I am feeling overwhelmed, and this is how it came out.' Parents should benefit from this short-and-sweet reminder about how to show 'grace' and 'compassion' toward themselves and others. -- Karen Springen * Booklist *
Parents should benefit from this short-and-sweet reminder about how to show 'grace' and 'compassion' toward themselves and others. -- Karen Springen * Booklist *

Author Bio

Rebecca Fox Starr, LMSW, is a mom, author, and mental health professional, dedicated to normalizing mental health issues for all. Rebecca has authored three books on the subject: Beyond the Baby Blues (Rowman & Littlefield, January 2018), Baby Ever After (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021), and Mommy Ever After (Familius, 2022), and this forthcoming parenting title (Familius, 2024) She has also advocated all across the country for equity in maternal mental healthcare. She works as a clinical therapist and lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband, two kids, and two scruffy dogs.