Memory Making Mom Book Review
Yesterday I read the Memory Making Mom. It was amazing. (for those who ask me how I go through books so quickly, well first, find something you LOVE. Mom self-helps guides are one of my favorites haha, and for my current situation, yesterday was a day being home with my kids most of the day, I was able to fit it in between homeschool lessons, naps, and once the kids went to bed. I started it around 7am and finished by 9pm, its a very quick easy read). Anyway, Mic drop to the sweet author Jessica Smartt! I’m so glad my dear friend recommended this book to me, it was JUST what I needed to read at the most perfect time in my motherhood. I was talking to one of my friends the other day about learning from the “mom stage” right above you, as I feel I’m entering this new stage myself as our eldest is more school aged, and this is what I felt Jessica was to me. A stage above me guide. Ladies, please use them! Her oldest son is almost 10, and so she’s sharing a lot of her perspective from this new stage, and from looking right backward to the failed dinners and diapers; it was just what I needed to hear! I also love that she’s an extravert, type-A list-lover, and homeschooler - so we have all of that in common. I knew nothing about her or her blog before I picked up the book, but she has a wonderful approach to motherhood and some amazing non-overwhelming ideas!
I kept thinking about some of the recent reads like Read Aloud Family & Catholic All Year (both of which I also highly recommend!)'; how these are moms before me talking about the efforts they are putting into traditions they want their children to remember. Yet, after I read the Read Aloud Family I was determined to tie everything to books, and after Catholic All Year I was determined to tie everything to Catholic Feast Days. I realize I am pretty impressionable, or they are pretty convincing authors, or I am just a younger-still-in-the- trenches-defining-my-own-family mom. What I realized was that this stage, where my 3 boys are all 6 & under, and my husband & I are still in our early 30s - is a stage of still discovering and forming our own family identity. Will I become the ultimate sports mom? The musical mom? The read-aloud mom? The Catholic Feast day mom? The Pro-life nurse mom? hahah I want to be them all!! But you know what, I don’t have to be them all, there is no way to “be them all,” nor should I! I’m slowly accepting the fact that in this stage of mothering, I can take my time watching and learning what these other beautiful moms have built - which were not yet formed when they were where I am now! The Memory Making Mom just gave me great insights and ideas to not be too tied to “one,” thing, but to continue the slow easy traditions that we are already doing - and build on them.
Plus, I LOVE her lists. They are awesome.
My prayer to myself after this book is that I re-orient my goals of mothering, and empower myself by naming some of the things I am already doing. Like how my husband and I make an effort to eat dinner together most days, which is pretty amazing by a lot of standards! Even if the boys are only seated for 20 short (long) minutes! Like how we always say bedtime prayers with them. Like how we are constantly reading books. We have so many little set traditions we are already doing, through the seasons, holidays ETC ETC. She encouraged me - “you are doing more than you think.” Name the things you are doing. Building your family culture, your memory making mom style takes time. For those of us with kids still 6 & under who are still looking for our blue flames and wondering what type of “memories” we even want at all for our kids, let’s be a more at peace, and give ourselves permission to learn from those moms a stage ahead, and to still dream of the memories we want for ours. Keep doing the things that bring you joy. Those are the things that become the best memories with your kids! The things we are meant to be, and meant to do, will fall into place! “Be who you were meant to be, and you will set the world on fire!”
I am slowly owning the fact that what I truly want most for my kids is to be saints. That is my mission! Order things correctly - Heaven first, not, Harvard! That is what must guide me as a “memory making mom,” that is how I will peacefully begin. It’s ok to feel weak - “when I am weak, then I am strong.” It’s totally ok, mama! The prayer is to re-define your definition of “successful” memories, to start slow, start small, take your time, and keep watching and learning from others. I’ll be praying for all of us tonight. Thank you Jessica for sharing your wisdom with us, it was such a touching read and I’ll be recommending it to others! Memory Making Moms unite!!! ;)
