Oldest Mom On The Playground

by Judy Haveson

Age doesn't define the love and laughter found in motherhood.
Judy Haveson always believed she would one day “have it all.” Then she turned forty and wondered if she had waited too long. After countless failed first dates and fewer second ones, she finally found love, got married, and became a mother at forty-three.
Oldest Mom on the Playground is a collection of relatable, heartwarming, and humorous essays. Written in her signature conversational style and with a touch of sarcasm, Judy takes readers on her journey of getting pregnant after forty (and delivering the baby during a full moon), raising a child in New York City (including the time she lost him in a grocery store and found him standing on Broadway), leaving the career she spent decades building to volunteer as a preschool class rep, to becoming a card-carrying member of the sandwich generation.
Judy offers no parenting advice, only personal reflection. And she takes nothing in her life for granted. Her message to other midlife mamas is this: trust your gut, let your life experience guide you, and pray no one ever mistakes you for the grandmother.

Genres: Nonfiction

272 pages, ebook

Published September 24, 2024

About the author

Judy Haveson is a proud Texan who will never lose her southern charm or accent and uses both when the situation absolutely calls for it. Her one-time dream of becoming a journalist was shattered when a professor suggested she pick a new major due to her penchant for obsessive conversation. He claimed she’d be an editor’s nightmare because she wrote as she spoke and never stopped talking. This led her to a career in public relations. Judy’s fixation with reading books and stories about other people’s lives inspired her to write her debut memoir. She currently lives in New York City with her husband, Adam, son, Jack, and beloved Yorkie, Toby.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oldest Mom On The Playground is a collection of stories and experiences the author faced as first time mom over forty. Now, you don't have to be a "geriatric mom" to relate, but I suppose it helps. I had my son in my 30s, so finding friends the same age as me with a child of the same age is complicated. Moms with kids the same age as my son are much younger than me, and moms the same age as me typically have much older kids and have more freedom in their schedules. I'm still just in the my child can't be left home alone situation, though he is old enough to be in the house without me hovering.

But the stories are relatable because she shares situations all moms with babies and toddlers face - embarrassing situations in public. Boy do our kids humble us fast when others are watching. Boy do our kids make us never want to leave the house with them.  She also shares struggles in finding the right fit for child care - and we've been there too!

So I would say this would be a relatable read for all moms, but those of us who had kids later in life (and not in our young bodied twenties) may nod and laugh along with more of the my body feels too old for this stories.

[Nora Dragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for granting me an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

“Oldest Mom On The Playground” is a collection of essays from the author detailing her experiences through motherhood and life as an older, first time mom.

I’m typically not the one to jump into memoirs and essay type novels but this one sparked my interest as I recently became a new mom myself. While I am not a first time mom in my early forties, this collection of stories from the author does encapsulate the saying that motherhood is a universal and shared experience. I found myself nodding in agreement and understanding for her essays about pregnancy and the early days of being a mom. While my son is still young (only 4 months) and my journey into being a mom is fresh, I enjoyed her recollection of how it has been to raise a child and the letters she added to her son within the novel had me close to tears, thinking about when my own will reach those same milestones.

All in all, I enjoyed this read and I think any mom, new or seasoned, would as well!

[Shane Ramos · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Oldest Mom on the Playground" is a series of essays by Judy, who became a mother in her early forties. The book explores her experiences as a first-time older mother, offering glimpses of her son Jack from infancy through his teenage years. As a fellow older mom with children of varying ages, I was intrigued by the title.

Judy's struggle with balancing her role as a full-time mom against leaving a career she had dedicated herself to for years, in order to stay home and care for Jack, deeply resonated with me.

I found the scenes, such as Jack's Bar Mitzvah, his moving-up ceremony, and the heartfelt letter Judy wrote to him, as well as her final interaction with her father, to be particularly moving.

While the book offered many enjoyable and humorous moments, its non-chronological structure made it somewhat challenging to follow.

TW: Sexual Assault, Health Issues, Death of  a Loved One, Illness, Miscarriage

Favorite Quotes:
ᥫ᭡ "One of the most significant achievements in a child's life is conquering the fear of something they believe they're too scared to do.."
"..For parents, one of the most significant achievements is conquering the fear of accepting their child is doing something not only the child thought they'd be too scared to do but that we as parents are scared to have them do."

ᥫ᭡ "In these moments, it dawned on me what the symbolism of Jack learning to ride a bike or a scooter represented.  As he grows up, he'll fall and get up many more times, but he'll learn to shake it off, get back up, and keep going.  And if needed, I'll always be ready with a big hug and first aid supplies."

ᥫ᭡ "Stay in touch with friends from childhood; they will always remind you of the person you were and the person you wanted to become, if you're not there yet."

ᥫ᭡ "If given the opportunity, move out of your hometown.  You can go home again if you want to."

ᥫ᭡ "If I can pass anything on to you about what it means to be a Jew, it's this: Religion is deeply personal and unique for everyone, and I hope you will experience Judaism in how it makes the most sense to you.  For me, being Jewish has always been about faith, family, and tradition.  You can add in food too.  Enjoy the journey."

ᥫ᭡ "Friendships:  Unlike your family and relatives, you can pick your friends.  Choose wisely and understand you don't have to be friends with everyone, and not everyone will be your bestie."

ᥫ᭡ "We spend so much of our lives wanting this and that, and we sometimes forget to count little blessings."

Thank you NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the electronic reader's copy.

[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty darn funny. As an older mom myself, having had my kids at 34 and 38, I immediately wanted to read this book as I knew I could relate. It was even more enjoyable b/c we have many things in common. We’re both boy moms, Jewish and from Houston suburbs.

I love her sarcastic wit and honesty. Being a mom isn’t glamorous or easy and being a working mom seems a lot harder. You miss out on a lot of milestones.

My kids are still young so I can relate to Judy’s younger years with Jack and I’m looking forward to seeing how my older years go with my boys. Like her, I didn’t have a bat mitzvah but I plan to as an adult one day. I’m looking forward to my own kids though, just as she was. It’s a huge achievement in their lives.

This was a really funny and touching book and Judy’s sense of humor is a little bit like Erma Bombeck, which she would find to be a compliment. If you don’t know who that is, then you’re way too young. I’m too young to appreciate her, lol, but my mom was a huge fan of hers which is how I found her books. Judy definitely has the same type of humor and I enjoyed it. It was nice to NOT feel like the only old mom on the playground.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Zee Monodee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, and though the moments about motherhood and especially the sandwich generation feel very 'now,' I wonder how relevant this book really is today, like I wouldn't have been surprised if this book had come out in the early 2010s, when most of the motherhood action is set - yet it came out in 2024. More and more mothers are giving birth in their late 30s to early-to-mid 40s now, so it's pretty much the opposite that would be the case now, as in older moms on the playground are par for the course, and it's actually the early 20s moms who are the odd ones out.
There are some good parts mostly about dealing with a high-flying career and motherhood, but it can't be said the struggle was really motherhood itself as the author constantly had nannies to care for her son, and the level of privilege she and her husband enjoy is more 1% than rest of the world...
Still, it reads well, more like memories and notes from a forty-something career woman who had a child later in life than really being about being the oldest mom on the playground

[L. Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oldest Mom On The Playground is a refreshing, heartfelt memoir that embraces motherhood with all its late in life surprises, honest struggles, and unexpected joys. Judy Haveson writes with a witty, no-nonsense charm that makes you feel instantly seen especially if you’ve ever taken an unconventional path.

What I loved most is how real this book is. Judy doesn’t sugarcoat anything, but her warmth and humor shine through every page. From awkward moments at the playground to deeper reflections on identity, aging, and parenting, her story is both laugh-out-loud funny and deeply relatable.

This memoir is a gift to moms of all ages especially those who thought life had to follow a timeline. It’s about embracing your journey, your timing, and all the messy, magical parts in between.

[Olga Miret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thank the author for providing me with an ARC copy of this book that I freely chose to review.
I had read and reviewed Haveson’s previous memoir, Laugh, Cry, Rewind, and was keen to see what else the author had written.
This collection of pieces is less uniform and compact than her previous publication, and the articles don’t follow a strict chronological order. We are reading a collection of blog posts or articles written and published at different times, and not with the initial intention of being turned into a book, and that means that some characters and situations make more than one appearance throughout the collection. Readers of her previous book will be familiar with some of the events she shares here, although that doesn’t detract from the quality of the writing, and it will be an asset for those who do not know the author.
Despite some reminders of previous episodes and the life events that had brought the protagonist (who writes in the first person, as if she was having a conversation with the readers over a drink or at a hairdresser) to this point in her life, this compilation is quite different to the previous book. Here we have a woman who is finally at a point where she has met the man of her life (Adam) and they both have decided it is time to have a child. Judy is 43 by the time her son is born (there is some mention of the difficulties getting there, but not in as much detail as in the previous book), and being a fastidious and well-prepared professional who likes to be in control, do her research, and preplan everything, she goes about the task meticulously: reading books, talking to professionals, collecting advice from friends and relatives, shopping, and selecting childminders and nannies well in advanced of Jack’s birth. There are amusing articles sharing some of her adventures as a Jewish-Texan professional woman living in New York and trying to combine work, child care, exercising, hair-colouring, choosing nurseries and schools, and keeping up with the group of younger mothers she meets. Thankfully, she has Adam by her side, her mother’s youthful genes, and also manages to find highly qualified staff who end up becoming friends of the family. Although, as I said, the articles don’t follow the family’s adventures in strict chronological order, we get to be there as Jack grows, learns to ride a bike, falls in love with the subway system in New York, learns to swim, makes friends, masters potty training, moves schools, attends his Bar Mitzvah (and that is a particularly important moment, as Judy joins in), and becomes a teenager.
We also see how Judy struggles trying to balance work and family, and finally gives up her work and stays at home, taking up writing and dedicating more time to their new home (as they also move out of New York right in time for COVID).
A later section of the book goes back in time and includes articles where Judy talks about belonging to the sandwich generation, being stuck between having to look after a young child and elderly parents, and the difficulties when you are far away, and, to make it even more complicated, are an only child. This part of the book resonated with me in particular, because although the location and the specific circumstances are quite different, being an only child, of a similar age to the author and having elderly parents who need looking after, I share in some of her reflections, doubts and feelings.
The book also includes a fun article about the new member of the family, their dog, which is a fun and happy way to conclude the volume, and it makes the book, focused on caring, come full circle.
I don’t think this is a book suited only to older mothers, or people looking for ideas or information about how to raise a child. Haveson clearly states that she is not offering expert advice or wisdom to future mothers. This is a very personal story, and she shares it with candour and honesty. I don’t have much in common with the author, and many readers will be in a similar position, but she manages to make us feel as if we belong in her family, and by the end of the book we would like to stay and see what will happen next.
A perfect book for people who don’t have a lot of time to read and prefer to read in small chunks, and for those who like non-fiction, especially that centred around the life of contemporary women facing contemporary challenges. Readers should be prepared to laugh and cry, of course.
My ARC copy didn’t include them, but from the index, I believe the book includes pictures of the author and her family. It also has a note by the author with acknowledgements.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this for free.
While I'm not technically the audience for this since I became a mom at 28, I was still interesting in reading it. It's not really a parenting book, but basically vignettes throughout the author's life, mainly around parenthood (her son is now almost an adult). It's split into chapters with different themes, so they aren't necessarily (nor were written) in order. I personally would have preferred them in chronological order, especially since some things were repeated.
The content itself is like listening to your friend telling you about the things she has gone through. Very relatable and emotional, I cried near the end. Some things were a bit of a culture shock to me as a norwegian.
I recommend it to anyone who wants to read about Judy's experiences, especially older moms. I would love to be the experienced mom friend to anyone who ends up having kids later in life, like Judy's friends!

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a toddler mom in her 40s, this title immediately drew me in! And while this is about motherhood, it's really about the "stuff" that happens in life and how we navigate through. I like my memoirs with honestly and a side of humor, and that's definitely what this is. There were some good pearls of wisdom sprinkled throughout, and I appreciated that the author let readers into the realities of her world. Thanks to NetGalley for the look at this September 2024 release.

[READER VIEWS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many modern women, Judy Haveson spent her twenties and much of her thirties building her career, leaving little room for romance and family planning. The successful PR professional finally met Adam, her now-husband, on a Jewish dating site a few years shy of her fortieth birthday. After several painful losses, Judy got her rainbow baby at the age of forty-three and thus began her journey as a (much older) new mother. While undoubtedly overjoyed, the nagging voice of fear was questioning the outcome. Would her aging body be able to handle pregnancy? What if she couldn’t keep up with the other moms? Would she still be around for those big milestones?

“Oldest Mom on the Playground” is a charming collection of essays Judy Haveson wrote as she navigated the depths of motherhood. Judy candidly shares everything from the fuzzy, sleep-deprived fog of juggling work and family life to elitist preschools to the realities of being an aging mom. This emotionally charged novel is brimming with humor, funny anecdotes, and abundant love.

Judy Haveson approached writing this immersive novel like she approaches all other aspects of her life: with laugh-out-loud commentary and a go-with-the-flow attitude that instantly puts readers at ease. Whether you’re a first-time mom or a seasoned one with several years of experience, Haveson delivers relatable content to entertain and enlighten you.

In particular, I enjoyed her stories about raising a child in New York and her son’s affinity for the city’s subway system. Also, the application process for getting Jack into a preschool in the area was highly amusing, albeit painstakingly tedious. Haveson expertly illustrated the fast-paced and sometimes bizarre aspects of child-rearing in a busy city instead of the suburbs of Houston, where she grew up.

Motherhood proved to be a pivotal time of self-discovery for Judy, and this was deftly portrayed through her ever-changing feelings toward remaining a full-time working mom or quitting her job to stay home with Jack. Judy devoted years to her career, and it became her identity. But the abundant love and concern for her son’s well-being quickly took precedence. It was intriguing seeing her evolution unravel, which will certainly resonate with other mothers.

For readers who enjoy quick-witted novels about motherhood, Judy Haveson’s “Oldest Mom on the Playground” should be at the top of your reading pile. The essays don’t follow a linear order, making it easy for readers to select chapters in any order. Moreover, Haveson’s vast array of topics from varying stages of Jack’s life (newborn to teen, etc.) provides an immersive reading experience. Don’t miss out on this one!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a 40 year old mom of a toddler, I thought this memoir sounded interesting. Reading another mom’s perspective about the being an older mom was an intriguing concept. I also had some things in common with the author: I live in south Texas, I lived in NYC and I have a parent that lives in south FL. That’s about where there similarities end. The author, after having her child, had a nanny constantly caring and raising her child, she is very privileged and doesn’t seem to have many real struggles. I am in no way knocking her for this. Good for her, she has been blessed…but it makes relating to her in any way very difficult. So although I am also an older mom, I had struggles and difficulties that the author didn’t because a nanny did a lot of the day to day work with her child.

Also, the author was very repetitive, almost like she couldn’t trust that the reader could remember what they read just a few pages back. This happened several time with several subjects, like COVID, Jack’s blood disorder, the sandwich generation, and phrases like “I said to Adam…” and “Growing up in Texas/Houston…” When someone would reappear in the narrative, she would almost reintroduce them every time. It was annoyingly repetitive.

Finally, the story isn’t written linearly which was frustrating, especially toward the end of the book. She began, it had seemed, discussing about things in a chronological order, but as the book progressed, she began to bounce back-and-forth between when she was younger when her son was younger again, or she would go forward to when he was in middle school. It was just kind of all over the place. Towards the beginning/middle of the book an incident happened with her son where they ended up in the ER and she mentioned the blood disorder her son had. Then almost towards the end of the book, she explained another incident when they ended up at the ER but that occurred before the first one she mentioned. And when she brought this one up, she explained all their concerns like I didn’t just read about it.

Her story was very interesting and there were things that I enjoyed reading about. I really think a big majority of the problem that I had with this book was an editing issue. If she had someone to edit this more efficiently and help her re-organize it, take out some of the repetitiveness, you can move past the unrelatable-ness part because she does have an interesting story here.
***Thank you NetGalley, J Press Books, and Judy Haveson for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.***

[Emily | bookwhispererem · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐲, 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧. 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭—𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞’𝐬 𝟒𝟎𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡-𝐨𝐮𝐭-𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 “𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭” 𝐨𝐫 “𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞” 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬/𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈’𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 (𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝟒𝟎𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭), 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐢𝐭.

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒥𝓊𝒹𝓎 𝐻𝒶𝓋𝑒𝓈𝑜𝓃, 𝒥 𝒫𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀𝓈, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

[Tayler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of "Oldest Mom on the Playground" from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book completely captivated me! I initially had no idea it was a biography, but once I realized it was the author's personal story, I was all in. Judy's sharp sarcasm and raw honesty shine through as she shares her experiences as a mother to her son, Jack.

I highly recommend this book to all mothers seeking a relatable and uplifting read. Judy's journey reassures you that you’re not alone in the challenges of motherhood. I also appreciated the illustrations sprinkled throughout, showcasing Judy's life milestones with family and friends. It added a lovely touch to the narrative. This is a must-read for any mama!

[Dieuwke · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was quite keen to read this book, the whole premise sounded so good.
Unfortunately I found the essays to not be essays, and it weren’t short stories either, nor vignettes. They were just memories - no arch, not within them and not overall in the book.
There’s also no chronological order, and (so?) most of these pieces of writing mention “because I became a mum at 43” or “my friends’ kids were in college already” or a variation on this.

I received a copy from NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.

[C. Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bold, hilarious, honest, and singular.

Oldest Mom on the Playground is a record of commitment to parenting and staying true to yourself and values along the way.

It's like reading a letter from a friend with the best advice. It's all so very well done and so important to mothers. Don't lose yourself, trust yourself and experience when you're taking the journey to impart morals and life skills on your children.

[Samantha Turley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those books that was not only very informative, helpful, and a great resource for women, but also inspiring, lighthearted and funny at the same time!

Written like a letter from a friend, Judy gives us advice and stories from her own experience to help us in our own journey as a middle age parent. Having babies later in life is becoming more normal and this is a great navigation of that.

This was ultimately a great read and highly rewarding.