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Hoodwinked: Six Myths Moms Believe and Why We All Need to Knock It Off
Moms have been hoodwinked—tricked into believing lies that keep them from not only enjoying motherhood, but forging friendships with other moms who might tackle the tasks of motherhood differently. Myths such as “Mothering is natural, easy, and instinctive” cause moms to feel like failures if they have questions or apprehensions in raising their kids. Operating from the premise that “The way I mother is the right (and only) way” puts up fences between moms instead of building bridges of encouragement between them. Lies such as “I am my child’s choices” tempt moms to mistakenly believe that if their child makes a wrong choice then they, in turn, must be a bad mom.
In their encouraging “we’ve been there” style, Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk enable mothers to:
Identify the ten myths of motherhood our current culture perpetuates
Replace the lies with the truth of what God says in the Bible about mothering
Acquire practical tools to help them form new and improved thought patterns and healthy behaviors
Forge healthy, supportive relationships with other moms of all ages and stages
Confidently embrace the calling of motherhood as they care for their families in their own unique way
A six-session video Bible study for group or individual use is also available.
In their encouraging “we’ve been there” style, Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk enable mothers to:
Identify the ten myths of motherhood our current culture perpetuates
Replace the lies with the truth of what God says in the Bible about mothering
Acquire practical tools to help them form new and improved thought patterns and healthy behaviors
Forge healthy, supportive relationships with other moms of all ages and stages
Confidently embrace the calling of motherhood as they care for their families in their own unique way
A six-session video Bible study for group or individual use is also available.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2015
41 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
Karen Ehman
54 books370 followersKaren Ehman is a speaker, a New York Times bestselling author, a contributing writer for Proverbs 31 Ministries Encouragement for Today online devotions and a teacher in the First 5 Bible study app. She has written 21 books and Bible studies including Keep It Shut: What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All and the 2020 ECPA devotional book of the year Settle My Soul. She is a graduate of Spring Arbor University and serves as President-Elect of their Alumni Board of Directors. She has been featured on TODAY Parenting, Redbook.com, Foxnews.com, Crosswalk.com, YouVersion.com, and is a monthly columnist for HomeLife Magazine. Her passion is to help women live their priorities as they reflect the gospel to a watching world. Karen is married to her college sweetheart, Todd, and is the mother of six children: three biological and three in-laws by marriage—although she forgets which ones are which. She enjoys collecting vintage Pyrex kitchenware, cheering for the Detroit Tigers, and spending her days feeding the many people who gather around her mid-century dining table to process life and enjoy her county fair blue-ribbon winning cooking.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 28, 2020
I read this as part of my job, and what a joy. I edited it, and I really think it changed my life. As a mother of seven, I have learned I do not have all the answers.
The advice of Karen Ehman, the mother of kids who had gone through all the stages and flown the nest (as mine had not yet), the best advice was to remember when your kids make bad choices, it does not reflect on you. They have free will, and look what happened to Adam and Eve, the only people who had perfect parents.
A year later I led a small group study with this book, and I loved sharing the advice with a group of young mothers (I was the veteran) who all want to do their best but also want to come out from under that feeling that you have to do it all perfectly. It is also a burden to compare what you are doing to what the neighbor or the Facebook friend was doing.
I learned through these gals in my study that we are all on our own path, and we make decisions based on what we know and what our circumstances are. The book also helped me in my acceptance of other models of mothering and parenting different from my own. I highly recommend it.
The advice of Karen Ehman, the mother of kids who had gone through all the stages and flown the nest (as mine had not yet), the best advice was to remember when your kids make bad choices, it does not reflect on you. They have free will, and look what happened to Adam and Eve, the only people who had perfect parents.
A year later I led a small group study with this book, and I loved sharing the advice with a group of young mothers (I was the veteran) who all want to do their best but also want to come out from under that feeling that you have to do it all perfectly. It is also a burden to compare what you are doing to what the neighbor or the Facebook friend was doing.
I learned through these gals in my study that we are all on our own path, and we make decisions based on what we know and what our circumstances are. The book also helped me in my acceptance of other models of mothering and parenting different from my own. I highly recommend it.
February 2, 2016
I received an ARC from NetGalley! (10/14/15)
The points in this book seemed obvious to me based on my previous reading, but I think other women would benefit from it. It is written with the almost too enthusiastic tone used in many books for Christian women, which wears on me after a while. (10/27/15)
The points in this book seemed obvious to me based on my previous reading, but I think other women would benefit from it. It is written with the almost too enthusiastic tone used in many books for Christian women, which wears on me after a while. (10/27/15)
February 20, 2025
I’m not a mom yet so take my review with a grain of salt. I found the advice a little dated. But perhaps these things are easier to know with your mind than believe with your actions!
June 29, 2016
The title here says "6 myths" but my book is titled "10 myths." I was hesitant to read this, because lately all the Christian books I've been reading for women have felt less than thought provoking, poor writing, and full of anecdotes and cliches. I was drawn to this book strictly by its cover (yes, yes I know), and did not regret reading it. It was so encouraging to me personally. It's not a self help book with step by step instructions (although there are helpful tips and lists...) how to make your child better, become a better mom, etc. What it is is encouragement to further one's own walk with Christ, to become a true disciple of our Lord and trust in Him for all things: our worth, our frustrations and despair, our short comings, the things we excel in...etc. If I was rich I'd buy all my mom friends (or moms to be) a copy of this book and then watch their kids while they sat down with a high lighter to read it. There are a few books in life that I've held on to and refused to pass on to a friend because of their quality (for fear of not getting it back!) and this one of them. I will, however, recommend it to my friends to get for themselves! Thank you Karen and Ruth, I needed this!
April 30, 2016
This book surprised me. I loved the infusion of scripture into the core message. The message that I got is that when we focus on our relationship with Jesus Christ and God our Father, we will see the error of these myths and have the guidance and confidence a mother needs. One thing I noticed is that I'm doing better as a mom than I thought. Reading through the chapters on each myth helped me see which areas are problems for me, and which are not. I was surprised when I noticed what myths I took notes on (and what myths I didn't). I'm glad I have discovered what areas to focus on. I also look forward to completing the personal inventory included in the section of bonus materials.
What I didn't like was the use of "you see" throughout some of the chapters. I just can't stand that sing-song phrase in writing. I simply didn't connect with the style of one of the authors. I still did make notes from several of her chapters, I just didn't connect as well.
What I didn't like was the use of "you see" throughout some of the chapters. I just can't stand that sing-song phrase in writing. I simply didn't connect with the style of one of the authors. I still did make notes from several of her chapters, I just didn't connect as well.
December 17, 2015
*I received an ARC for being apart of the launch team*
Myth #1: Mothering is natural, easy and instinctive...
Wow,this book is a must read for every mom. Hoodwinked was a huge eye opener for me that I had bought into the myths of our current culture surrounding motherhood and I realized that I was being robbed of my joy and a healthy, happy relationship with my children because of it. The amount of pressure on moms and kids today is astonishing and it's no wonder we mothers feel like failures.
This book was such an encouragement for me and I truly feel this will bless so many other moms out there. I'm planning to buy a few copies for friends so they will no longer be hoodwinked also. There is also some bonus material at the end of the book that I found very helpful and encouraging.
Myth #1: Mothering is natural, easy and instinctive...
Wow,this book is a must read for every mom. Hoodwinked was a huge eye opener for me that I had bought into the myths of our current culture surrounding motherhood and I realized that I was being robbed of my joy and a healthy, happy relationship with my children because of it. The amount of pressure on moms and kids today is astonishing and it's no wonder we mothers feel like failures.
This book was such an encouragement for me and I truly feel this will bless so many other moms out there. I'm planning to buy a few copies for friends so they will no longer be hoodwinked also. There is also some bonus material at the end of the book that I found very helpful and encouraging.
December 28, 2015
I read this as part of a Book Discussion led by Candace Cameron Bure on her website. Having a few "assigned" chapters to read each week made it manageable for me, and I was able to continue reading a fiction book during the same time period. Hoodwinked was very easy to read and a lot more applicable to me than I had expected it to be! I thought it would be more for new moms, but I found that I had operated under several of the ten "myths" explored in the book. It was an encouragement to me, and I will continue to refer to it, especially the resources in the back of the book. I highly recommend this book for Christian moms who have felt frustrated and overwhelmed and could use some inspiration and encouragement as they work the greatest job ever!
February 2, 2016
We all believe lies and myths when it comes to being a Mom. When we do, we suffer more and more from guilt, shame, and the feeling that we never can do it right. We need to know that is not how God designed us to live and we need to find the victory over the myths that are out there. This is a great book for a mom at any level. I'd definitely recommend it and plan on passing it on to my Mom friends!
November 15, 2016
No more Hoodwinked Mom's. This job of being a Mom is hard enough without taking on extra. Karen gives great ideas, and lots of common sense ideas that are overlooked in today's world on how to slow life down and create more joy. And how to separate your identity from the choices your kids make. They are their own little people who make their own choices, and you are not their choices. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to be a better, less stressed out Mommy.
December 10, 2015
An Amazing Book that is Completely Real
Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk have written a book that speaks to the heart and head of the reader. It is an amazing journey into the joys, heartbreaks and realities of motherhood. It is definitely worth reading and praying about what they share.
Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk have written a book that speaks to the heart and head of the reader. It is an amazing journey into the joys, heartbreaks and realities of motherhood. It is definitely worth reading and praying about what they share.
February 20, 2016
I grabbed a couple great mommy thoughts from this book, but at this point in my life most of it wasn't really relevant. I wrote down the quotes/scriptures I enjoyed and moved on. I would recommend this for moms of teens...
October 21, 2016
Excellent book for moms! I highly recommend it. Simply and effectively organized, with lots of real-life examples, Scripture studies, and a sprinkle of humor. I really enjoyed reading this and learned a lot from it.
August 18, 2016
What truth
This book was so encouraging and convicting. I also really enjoyed the extras at the back of the book!! I highly recommend it!
This book was so encouraging and convicting. I also really enjoyed the extras at the back of the book!! I highly recommend it!
March 9, 2017
Great book on debunking common myths of parenthood, moving from pregnancy through the college / adult years.
April 26, 2017
I needed this!!!
I love the fact that this book ensures us we are raising our kids to walk with the Lord however we are not as line in this journey.
I love the fact that this book ensures us we are raising our kids to walk with the Lord however we are not as line in this journey.
January 22, 2021
This was a really excellent book. God brought it into my life at exactly the right time.
September 29, 2022
I skimmed through this book. I have read a lot by both authors but I felt this book had nothing new or earth shattering in it.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews