Confessions Of The Perfect Mom: Baby and Toddler Years

by Kat Ryan

Confessions of the Perfect Mom: Baby and Toddler Years Kat appears to have it all: She homeschools her three daughters, bakes, creates crafts and has dinner on the table when her husband walks in the door, all done with perfect hair and makeup. But behind the scenes she has embarrassing moments and baby-rearing problems just like all moms do.

In Confessions of the Perfect Mom: Baby and Toddler Years, Kat shares some of those moments: being in labor and acting less than polite to the nurses, disasters on the changing table, and a toddler yelling obscenities in restaurant. From her stories of the first days of having a new baby to temper tantrums, the ritual of potty training, sibling rivalry and the
first trip to the emergency room, it’s clear motherhood is not for the faint of heart. This witty, honest book offers a glimpse into the wild ride that is the toughest job anyone will love.

Genres: Memoir

124 pages, Paperback

First published June 18, 2015

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kat Ryan has been called the ‘perfect mom’ by many when she goes out with her three daughters. She seems to be the envy of other moms who can’t quite seem to get it together. In this memoir that recounts her three births and raising three girls through their toddler years, Kat lets us in on the craziness, embarrassment, joy and love that can come from motherhood.

With a whole chapter dedicated to poop, yes just to poop alone, this book offers a realistic view into what a new mother might be in for. With a stress on the fact that everyone’s situation is different and nothing you do for your child is wrong for you, Kat gives us her down to earth insights on her forays into motherhood. Starting from the birthing process, this book is not for someone of the faint of heart. Kat had three very different birthing experiences that she tells us about along with three very different experiences with her newborns. Some of the best advice in the book is the funniest, what went wrong, poop on the walls, milk squirting everywhere, toddlers that simply refuse to be potty trained until their ready, the magic words to stop sibling rivalry and potential trips to the emergency room. Overall, this book is perfect for any mom or mom to be that needs to know that nobody is perfect, but whatever you decide for you and your child will be perfect.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

[Gloria Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a fast paced memoir about motherhood which follows the author's ins and outs, from pregnancy to dealing with toddlers. I expected this to be a ho-hum story, where there is nothing new under the sun. Nevertheless, even the mundane becomes unique with each person's experience. I was surprised at the details, which are intimate and informative.

Her experiences with her three girls are served up with humor, pain, love, and good advice.
For example, I sensed her pain at feeling overwhelmed with struggling to run an office, take care of a baby and toddler, and maintain a home. And then there is the frustration of potty training and the embarrassment of public temper tantrums. On the other hand she speaks of the joy of holding a new baby and hearing the toddler's first words and of siblings learning to share. Pain and frustration are followed with such a sense of triumph and love that they make the experience worthwhile.

And it is certainly worthwhile and an entertaining read for those couples who are raising children or plan to do so. Even if you're not, you'll find yourself comparing your own experiences with the author's.

[Neil Carstairs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short, fun read with some good advice for mothers (and fathers) to be. Kat Ryan has my admiration for not just raising a family but doing it whilst helping run a successful business and home schooling her children into the bargain.

Each chapter is a section on different areas of pregnancy and the early years of childhood. Aimed primarily at the mother it wouldn’t do prospective fathers any harm in reading this. As a father I have a now teenage daughter and a soon to be teenage son and what advice I received at the time came in the form of lectures from experts. Kat Ryan manages to offer simpler and better advice by wrapping it into the amusing stories of her pregnancies, childbirth and her children’s early years. I laughed out loud a few times, winced a few more, and I’m still trying to get over the image of breast milk in the shower.

Recommended for parents to be and anyone who wants to refresh their own memories and think to themselves ‘been there, done that’.

I was given a free copy for an honest, non-reciprocal review.

[Ashlan Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Such a quick, fun read and so very on point. Kat compartmentalizes every aspect of being a mommy in such a great way that there are laughs, head nods, been-theres, and, yes, even a little bit of tears. I can't tell you how many times I laughed out loud. The Poo and Breastfeeding Chapters...awesomeness! I, myself, have three daughters, and my experiences were so similar to Kat's, it was a little creepy. Honestly, it was like Kat had hijacked my every "mom thought" I ever had and wrote about it. You know those books "What to Expect...", add Confessions Of The Perfect Mom: Baby and Toddler Years to your MUST-READ list. If you're not a mom yet, you will thank me. If you are a mom, you will say, "Thank goodness. It's not just me."

*I received a copy from the author for an honest review.