Please Tell Me I'm On Mute

by Romi Brenner

Trying to preserve her last few shreds of sanity while working and raising children, Romi Brenner has come to terms with the fact that sometimes you have to turn a blind eye to the fashion whims of a four year old, that you can never underestimate the power of a phone with a working mute button, and that pedicures just aren't for everyone.

Maintaining her sense of humor amid bathtime hysterics, birthday cake pop carnage and botched early morning conference calls, Brenner takes her readers through a series of adventures in modern parenting and family life.

Join Brenner and find out why she won't let her husband go couch shopping on his own, why she is looking into buying stock in salt water taffy and how she lost her mind to motherhood, but why she doesn't mind at all.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Memoir, Parenting, Chick Lit

222 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 7, 2012

About the author

Romi Brenner was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and now lives in the soggy and beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband and two children (who are just as beautiful and fortunately not as soggy, with the possible exception of her two-year-old).

Romi writes predominantly about her experiences as a working mother and is the author of Please Tell Me I'm On Mute. Look for her second book, Mommy Can We Have a Jellyfish?, just released on 8/26/15.

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you ready for a good belly-laugh? This book is a must-read for anybody who has children! From touching to cute, from amusing to hilarious, Romi deftly describes the everyday life of a working mother. While she self-published this, it is reminiscent of the late and great Erma Bombeck, but with Romi's own flair and style. One chapter describes the challenge of preparing to leave one's house with a baby in tow, and it had me in tears I was laughing so hard!

I highly recommend this book to all parents, and if you need a copy let me know!

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of little stories by the mother of a little girl and the embarrassing times that go along with it. I had to laugh out loud when she was describing how to get out of the house with an infant and it reminded me of Erma Bombeck, may she rest in peace.

[S.C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. It was an easy quick read. I don't know that I really enjoyed it, though.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book! The beginning made both my husband and I laugh so hard tears were rolling as we tried to read through the Chapter about leaving the house with a baby ... We could so relate! There were many more chuckles but also serious moments along the way. Wonderful ending ... A lovely read, looking forward to more!

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did not want this book of stories to end! Laugh out loud funny! I connected on so many things with the author, especially about her ownership of the Chevy Prism. Oh the Prism. hahaha

Most stories are about her daughter and playing with her. Something that makes me look forward to my daughters imagination.

[Joyce (Chloe) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Kindle edition; does not show up as such.

This was really cute. I thought, 'we should all do something like this with our daily lives/thoughts'. I smiled and laughed out loud at a lot of sayings. Each 'chapter' was named for that day's experience.

[Starla B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny at times, and heart-wrenching or touching at times. This set of essays was lovely. I especially like the one about the taxi driver.

[Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

These anecdotal stories are a fun read. I found only 3 errors.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please tell me I'm on mute

Want to read a sweet book? This is your warm fuzzy. Each chapter is a separate story and it is a Mother telling about her journey from a family of two to four. The family went through job cuts and relocations but all were humorously told in this warm fuzzy book. Read and enjoy.

[Tammy Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Romi

I love Rom I Brenner. She is a normal mom and shares her experiences as a young mom. She relates to things that happen in real life and to parents. Kids are such a joy throughout life.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please Tell Me I’m on Mute by Romi Brenner is a series of laugh-out loud essays about marriage and parenthood. The book opens with Ms. Brenner trying to participate in an office meeting by phone, while two-year-old Mia drags chairs across her mother’s room, sings nursery rhymes, and announces with great joy at the top of her voice that she just went poo all by herself.

Soon Mr. Brenner goes on to explain why driving into a zoo parking lot with a three-year-old is a binding contract to visit, even if there is no parking space in sight; the difficulties of persuading Mia to give up her beloved binky; and the lesson Mia learns from dropping a terra cota worm in the hardware store before it’s paid for.

There are also essays on the joys and tribulations of marriage, including trying to buy a couch that will fit five-foot Ms. Brenner and her six-foot husband and the difficulty of managing two careers.

The most touching essay is about the birth of the Brenners’ second child, and the anxious days waiting to know if Baby Alex would recover from TTN, transient tachypnea of the newborn. Ms. Brenner writes lovely, descriptive prose throughout the book, but her descriptions of the baby’s ordeal and that of herself and her husband are particularly poignant.

Although the topics of parenthood, marriage, and life as a working mother are not new, Ms. Brenner’s humor and deeper reflections on lessons learned make her book fresh and interesting. Please Tell Me I’m on Mute a fast, run, and heartwarming read.

[Esha Bajaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please Tell Me I'm on Mute is a collection of short stories from a mother attempting to manage work and her young children at the same time. In this novel, Brenner shares her experiences with everything from a morning Krispy Kreme run to a conference call interrupted by a daughter who was just beginning to understand the concept of potty training.

The stories are heartwarming and hilarious, and the book is a very entertaining read. I myself am not a parent, but was still able to draw from and relate to Brenner's experiences.

Overall, Brenner presents her life in a way which allows the reader to step into the day to day chaos and to both laugh and cringe beside her as she navigates her professional life with her children at her heel. 5 stars.

[Jenn Scott Pickett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brenner does a good job of balancing humor and sentimentality. One minute you're laughing obnoxiously (and cringing) over some embarrassing anecdote, and the next moment you're smiling softly, reminded of the sweetest moments life can offer.

While I believe moms might appreciate this book most, I think it has something to offer to a wider audience, as well. My personal favorite story was the love affair Brenner had with a Krispy Kreme donut. If you can't connect to that one, we probably can't be friends.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very quick and sometimes (not often enough) laugh out loud funny kind of book. The chapters are like their own kind of short stories. If you have raised children or have children now while trying to work, you will appreciate this book...It is worth the couple of hours it will take to read it.

[J. A. Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely hilarious read on Romi Brenner's views on motherhood and other miscellaneous mundane events of life. The chapter on Samoosa's is hysterical. I was laughing so hard I could barely catch my breath. I would read anything Ms. Brenner writes. Some chapters are more philosophical in nature, but her humor is what I enjoyed the most.

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of anecdotes by the author. I expected more that centered around being a working mom, but these were all over the place. I found them mildly amusing but not laugh out loud funny. The author has a nice writing style and her work is entertaining, but as a collection I would have liked to see this more cohesive and aptly titled.

[Maggie]

A fun read. Not a regular beginning and end type of book, but a collection of short vignettes Romi shares about her life, her children, her family all told with a bit of humor. Enjoyable to say the least.

[~Gen hearts books.~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found that most of this book was really funny. There were some more serious parts of the book also, but I enjoyed it. It was interesting and I liked that it was quick read.

[Kylene Jones]

Cute book. Some things were LOL funny.

[Debbie Hendrix · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick easy read. Not what I thought it would be. Some humor but mostly just plain ole everyday life stuff. I feel my life is much more adventurous than this.

[Jacqueline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe if I had little kids this would have been more relevant to me. I enjoyed many of her points but did not it overly funny.

[Margaret Fraleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

They were cute short stories.

[Janeene · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Carol Schomas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. Nothing profound or even funny in this book of stories. I didn't hate it. That's the most I can say about it though.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Romi has the skill and grace of heart to write about parenthood in a way that is both humorous and touching.

[Alison Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fun book about being a mother. Had me laughing out loud.

[Missy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was fine....didn't love it...didn't hate it.