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Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry
Through stories and suggestions, Katrina Kenison shares her insights into how to celebrate life's quiet moments, softly reminding busy mothers to pause and remember the deep sense of well-being comes from a listening ear, an open heart, and a quiet little space carved out of time.
Mothers are pulled in a million different directions while trying to give their kids fulfilling, productive, joyful childhoods.
They mistake activity for happiness, and fill their kids' heads with information when they ought to be feeding their souls instead.
This is a book for mothers who yearn to find a balance in their own and their children's lives.
Mothers are pulled in a million different directions while trying to give their kids fulfilling, productive, joyful childhoods.
They mistake activity for happiness, and fill their kids' heads with information when they ought to be feeding their souls instead.
This is a book for mothers who yearn to find a balance in their own and their children's lives.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
136 people are currently reading
1609 people want to read
About the author
Katrina Kenison
40 books215 followers"I write to remind myself of how I want to live and who I want to be," says KATRINA KENISON, author of three beloved memoirs that, together, chart the seasons of a woman's life.
Her first book, MITTEN STRINGS FOR GOD: REFLECTIONS FOR MOTHERS IN A HURRY, now a classic for parents of young children, is a compelling invitation to do less and enjoy life more -- in a culture that urges "bigger, better, faster."
THE GIFT OF AN ORDINARY DAY: A MOTHER'S MEMOIR celebrates the small pleasures and the small moments of family life, (which of course are not really small at all).
MAGICAL JOURNEY:AN APPRENTICESHIP IN CONTENTMENT, an intimate memoir of loss and change, growth and transformation. speaks to any woman who has ever mourned the passage of time, doubted her sense of purpose, or asked the question, "What now?"
Her new book, MOMENTS OF SEEING:REFLECTIONS FROM AN ORDINARY LIFE, gives voice to the private longings and simple joys of women everywhere. Drawn from her popular blog, this long-awaited collection is a welcome reminder to pay attention, to practice gratitude, to keep an eye out for wonder. So it is that we begin to discover the sacred in the everyday. .
The annual editor of THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES from 1990-2006, she co-edited, with John Updike, THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES OF THE CENTURY, a New York Times bestseller. Her other books include the anthology MOTHERS:TWENTY STORIES OF CONTEMPORARY MOTHERHOOD, and MEDITATIONS FROM THE MAT: REFLECTIONS FROM THE PATH OF YOGA, written with her yoga teacher Rolf Gates.
Katrina Kenison lives with her family in rural New Hampshire.
Her first book, MITTEN STRINGS FOR GOD: REFLECTIONS FOR MOTHERS IN A HURRY, now a classic for parents of young children, is a compelling invitation to do less and enjoy life more -- in a culture that urges "bigger, better, faster."
THE GIFT OF AN ORDINARY DAY: A MOTHER'S MEMOIR celebrates the small pleasures and the small moments of family life, (which of course are not really small at all).
MAGICAL JOURNEY:AN APPRENTICESHIP IN CONTENTMENT, an intimate memoir of loss and change, growth and transformation. speaks to any woman who has ever mourned the passage of time, doubted her sense of purpose, or asked the question, "What now?"
Her new book, MOMENTS OF SEEING:REFLECTIONS FROM AN ORDINARY LIFE, gives voice to the private longings and simple joys of women everywhere. Drawn from her popular blog, this long-awaited collection is a welcome reminder to pay attention, to practice gratitude, to keep an eye out for wonder. So it is that we begin to discover the sacred in the everyday. .
The annual editor of THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES from 1990-2006, she co-edited, with John Updike, THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES OF THE CENTURY, a New York Times bestseller. Her other books include the anthology MOTHERS:TWENTY STORIES OF CONTEMPORARY MOTHERHOOD, and MEDITATIONS FROM THE MAT: REFLECTIONS FROM THE PATH OF YOGA, written with her yoga teacher Rolf Gates.
Katrina Kenison lives with her family in rural New Hampshire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews
September 25, 2009
This was a quick read for moms. (Don't let the title deter you - what the crap? Who names a book using the words "mitten strings???") My aunt recommended it when she saw I had read "I Am a Mother." This one was more of a reprimand to moms who don't spend enough time and energy being moms. But in a good way. It just makes you realize how much value there is in just being present in your kids' lives. This book was a little more of a how-to book than "I Am a Mother" was. Parts of it were a little weird - this author is a bit...extreme? I'm not sure that is the right word, the term tree-hugger also comes to mind. I can't put my finger on it, but parts of her personality were a little different to me, and therefore some of her thoughts were...interesting. But all in all, it was a good read and I found myself taking notes (since I had gotten it from the library and couldn't highlight). I actually read it while the kids were taking naps every day at Disneyland, so I just jotted down some things that I liked that she said. I typed them up today, so here are a few of my favorite excerpts:
Page 13: “We provide our children with so much that the extraordinary isn’t special anymore…we do too much and savor too little. We mistake activity for happiness, and so we stuff our children’s days with activities, and their heads with information, when we ought to be feeding their souls instead.”
Page 24 - “When I come to a stop myself, when I draw a circle of stillness around me, my children are drawn into that peaceful place. They visibly relax, as if my very calmness nourishes them. The impact of just a few minutes of quiet attention can be profound, changing the mood of an entire day, restoring equilibrium to a distressed child, and to a frazzled mother as well.”
Page 25 - “These are the moments when my children reveal themselves to me, when conversation spirals up and out…My children know then that they have my full attention and, even more important, that there’s no other place I’d rather be.”(I added bold - I learned a lot from that statement - I think my kids know that my mind is somewhere else, even when I am "spending time" with them).
Page 82 - “Alone with our children, one on one, we have a chance to see and hear and accept them as they really are, right now, in this moment. We see them not in relation to their siblings, friends, or peers, or as a piece of the larger family puzzle – but as unique individuals, each with a particular destiny to fulfill on this earth…I see not only who they are, but who they are becoming.”
212 - “Those of us who were groomed for success have learned, from hard-won experience, that living life to the fullest does not always mean having and doing as much as possible.”
213 - "...we can remind ourselves that we do not need to judge our daily lives by how much we accomplish. There is real value in simply being present for our children.”
Those were my faves. :)
Page 13: “We provide our children with so much that the extraordinary isn’t special anymore…we do too much and savor too little. We mistake activity for happiness, and so we stuff our children’s days with activities, and their heads with information, when we ought to be feeding their souls instead.”
Page 24 - “When I come to a stop myself, when I draw a circle of stillness around me, my children are drawn into that peaceful place. They visibly relax, as if my very calmness nourishes them. The impact of just a few minutes of quiet attention can be profound, changing the mood of an entire day, restoring equilibrium to a distressed child, and to a frazzled mother as well.”
Page 25 - “These are the moments when my children reveal themselves to me, when conversation spirals up and out…My children know then that they have my full attention and, even more important, that there’s no other place I’d rather be.”(I added bold - I learned a lot from that statement - I think my kids know that my mind is somewhere else, even when I am "spending time" with them).
Page 82 - “Alone with our children, one on one, we have a chance to see and hear and accept them as they really are, right now, in this moment. We see them not in relation to their siblings, friends, or peers, or as a piece of the larger family puzzle – but as unique individuals, each with a particular destiny to fulfill on this earth…I see not only who they are, but who they are becoming.”
212 - “Those of us who were groomed for success have learned, from hard-won experience, that living life to the fullest does not always mean having and doing as much as possible.”
213 - "...we can remind ourselves that we do not need to judge our daily lives by how much we accomplish. There is real value in simply being present for our children.”
Those were my faves. :)
April 8, 2021
Part of me wants to give this 5 stars and part of it wants to give it 1 star. This book started really strong. I thought I was going to just adore it.
"This book...is about paying more attention to the life you already have, about taking your own life back as you protect your children from the pull of a world that is spinning too fast." This idea resonates with me. It's powerful. I excitedly underlined a lot in the first third.
But then I just started to feel uncomfortable about the opiniated advice and the strange spiritual undertones. The chapter where she subtly (or not so) convinced her 6 1/2 year old son to throw all his weapons in the trash as "a tiny seed of peace" was really the turning point for me. I wasn't looking for a very specific how to be a good mom book.
Then it just started to get... weird. Her spiritual beliefs are super hazy, IMO. Simultaneously, I have been studying 1 John and chapter 4 verses 2-3 say, "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God." The author is very spiritual, very gentle using the name "God" and discussing spiritual things, but she never confessed Jesus. It just did not sit right with my spirit. This book had so much potential to be a powerful encouragement to moms but I just can't recommend it!
"This book...is about paying more attention to the life you already have, about taking your own life back as you protect your children from the pull of a world that is spinning too fast." This idea resonates with me. It's powerful. I excitedly underlined a lot in the first third.
But then I just started to feel uncomfortable about the opiniated advice and the strange spiritual undertones. The chapter where she subtly (or not so) convinced her 6 1/2 year old son to throw all his weapons in the trash as "a tiny seed of peace" was really the turning point for me. I wasn't looking for a very specific how to be a good mom book.
Then it just started to get... weird. Her spiritual beliefs are super hazy, IMO. Simultaneously, I have been studying 1 John and chapter 4 verses 2-3 say, "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God." The author is very spiritual, very gentle using the name "God" and discussing spiritual things, but she never confessed Jesus. It just did not sit right with my spirit. This book had so much potential to be a powerful encouragement to moms but I just can't recommend it!
January 20, 2022
2.5 stars.
This book has been on my TBR for years. I think because of that, I had rather high expectations which, sadly, were not exactly met. I really like a few of the ideas the author wrote about but I am in a different stage of life than the one she's writing from (she's mostly writing from the experience of raising young children) and a completely different background (she's a working mom with children going to school). I can relate to choosing a simple life and enjoying being at home (but I'm at home full time with my children) without a full calendar. I appreciate that she emphasized this over the culturally acceptable lifestyle of busy, busy, busy. However, it just wasn't anything new for me and her spiritual wisdom was a little too random and shallow for me. I would suggest Sally Clarkson's books instead of this one if I were recommending an encouraging book for homeschool moms.
This book has been on my TBR for years. I think because of that, I had rather high expectations which, sadly, were not exactly met. I really like a few of the ideas the author wrote about but I am in a different stage of life than the one she's writing from (she's mostly writing from the experience of raising young children) and a completely different background (she's a working mom with children going to school). I can relate to choosing a simple life and enjoying being at home (but I'm at home full time with my children) without a full calendar. I appreciate that she emphasized this over the culturally acceptable lifestyle of busy, busy, busy. However, it just wasn't anything new for me and her spiritual wisdom was a little too random and shallow for me. I would suggest Sally Clarkson's books instead of this one if I were recommending an encouraging book for homeschool moms.
October 14, 2009
I must say that I really didn't like this book. I felt it was VERY self righteous and incredibley unrealistic. She acts like she prances after her children, playing a flute and showering them with flowers. She never mentions the fact that she works so they are likely in daycare, never mentions the laundry or the million other things to get done. She talks about all their activities and then says you shouldn't have them in too many activities. I felt it was hypocritical by omission. In our family this book is called, "the eye rolling book." I read parts to my husband and he hated it, too. I just hated the writing. The ideas were all good, but the way she delivered them was incredibley annoying to me.
THAT BEING SAID, everyone else in my book club either liked it or LOVED it and many people bought copies, even multiple copies, and claimed it to be their new Bible. So, it may be my attitude. Anyway, you should probably give it a try since I was the only one that hated it and everyone else is rushing to Borders to buy the sequel.
THAT BEING SAID, everyone else in my book club either liked it or LOVED it and many people bought copies, even multiple copies, and claimed it to be their new Bible. So, it may be my attitude. Anyway, you should probably give it a try since I was the only one that hated it and everyone else is rushing to Borders to buy the sequel.
January 11, 2020
3.5 Although I don't agree with everything the author said or go to such extremes I found some real hints of wisdom here. I love the idea of slowing down life with our kids, not being overly involved in 'activities', finding joy in the simple and balance. All easier said than done! I also agree with limiting technology in our home so our kids can grow to be creative and at peace. I am a doer by nature and this book challenged me to slow down and enjoy life. I definitely recommend for mothers caught in our fast paced day, especially natural 'doers' like me. One minor note is my version felt dated. The art felt so early 90s, I'd love to see it redone with some updated images. I will probably come back to this one again.
June 16, 2011
This book was a relaxing, peaceful read. Excellent example to work constantly to prioritize and have our lives reflect what we want and believe in. I've heard some that thought that this book was too "idealistic" and I see what they mean. The author paints a very rosy picture of family life. But I loved that it gave a glimpse of how important the choices we make as mothers are for our kids and homes. Great mothering pick-me-up.
June 27, 2022
What is this book even about? Certainly not God. The chapter on prayer closes with a prayer to nature or the universe or whatever that isn’t God to thank it for all the good. This book teeters on the edge of “God as universe” and the “You can be enough” message. It certainly is not orthodox in its presentation of faith. 2 stars, since I did actually finish it but disagree with most of what is presented in it.
December 31, 2021
I could not get on board with the author's ideologies. At one point she says it is okay to lie to your kids because it's still truth if it's emotional truth. That way of thinking is very dangerous. This is the type of illogical thought that does more harm than good. It sets kids up to accept or tell lies if it makes them or the recipient feel good. Too much "follow your heart" instead of getting rooted in real truth...even the kind that steps on toes and builds character.
August 12, 2011
When I first heard of Katrina Kenison's book, Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry, I mentally brushed it off. With such a title, I expected the book to proselytize religious beliefs. When the book showed up in my mailbox from the publisher, I picked it up with apprehension, and found I was pleasantly surpirsed.
There are a handful of religious references in the book, but Kenison mentions them only in context to her life and never comes out and says anything definitive about what she believes. There is no expectation or proclamation of what the reader should or should not believe. Instead, the book is about simple living or voluntary simplicity.
We live in a world that is rushing about in search of something. If we just slow down, we would see that what we are looking for is right here. "Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry" is an accurate description of this book. As mothers, not only is it important that we slow down to enjoy our children in the short time we are with them; it is imperative that our children have the opportunity to slow down and figure out who they are. This is a fabulous book for anyone who wants to cherish their children and live a life of meaning.
Take your time reading the book. Reflect on where you are at in life and where you want to be. Cut out the things which are detracting from the life you truly desire. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: A copy of the book was provided by the publisher.
There are a handful of religious references in the book, but Kenison mentions them only in context to her life and never comes out and says anything definitive about what she believes. There is no expectation or proclamation of what the reader should or should not believe. Instead, the book is about simple living or voluntary simplicity.
We live in a world that is rushing about in search of something. If we just slow down, we would see that what we are looking for is right here. "Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry" is an accurate description of this book. As mothers, not only is it important that we slow down to enjoy our children in the short time we are with them; it is imperative that our children have the opportunity to slow down and figure out who they are. This is a fabulous book for anyone who wants to cherish their children and live a life of meaning.
Take your time reading the book. Reflect on where you are at in life and where you want to be. Cut out the things which are detracting from the life you truly desire. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: A copy of the book was provided by the publisher.
May 28, 2013
A dear, dear friend sent me a copy of this and I loved every beautifully written chapter. Such great reminders to slow down and enjoy every last minute with my kids while they are young. It also stresses how much my own attitude permeates the attitudes of those around me - if I am at peace, the house will be more peaceful. I'd recommend this to any busy mom out there. Five stars!
January 28, 2023
I started reading this book in the hospital right after Jack was born. I’d seen it recommended by Sarah Mackenzie at Read Aloud Revival, so when I saw it on sale at the library for $1, I grabbed it! The book consists of short chapters about motherhood, so it was perfect to read for a few minutes here and there with a newborn, nursing, holding him, etc. It seemed that every time I read a chapter, it related directly to something that was going on in my life at that same moment. It was not a Christian book as I expected, but still beautiful and inspiring. I would highly recommend it for any mamas who need the occasional reminder (as I do!) that while motherhood can be difficult and full of hard work, it is a beautiful blessing. ❤️👶🏼🤰🏼
February 11, 2022
I don’t even know how to rate this. I settled on 3 stars. A very low rating for me to give a book.
I wanted to love this book. A little too “new age-Waldorf-eastern religion-talk about Christianity without knowing Christ or reading the Bible” for me.
Yet...there was a lot of good in it too! Many wonderful thoughts and beautiful, noteworthy quotes. I appreciated the experiences she shared with us, but by the end I was thinking “please be over”.
I did not find her preachy at all. Just honest. I wonder if those who found her preachy were actually convicted? Or just could not understand the willingness and choice to truly do the extraordinarily difficult work of prioritizing things in (and cutting them out of) life.
I wanted to love this book. A little too “new age-Waldorf-eastern religion-talk about Christianity without knowing Christ or reading the Bible” for me.
Yet...there was a lot of good in it too! Many wonderful thoughts and beautiful, noteworthy quotes. I appreciated the experiences she shared with us, but by the end I was thinking “please be over”.
I did not find her preachy at all. Just honest. I wonder if those who found her preachy were actually convicted? Or just could not understand the willingness and choice to truly do the extraordinarily difficult work of prioritizing things in (and cutting them out of) life.
August 31, 2011
Loved it - extends far beyond its subtitle (Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry), applicable to all of us who are trying to negotiate the speed, noise and demands of the modern world, trying to find peaceful time for ourselves, families and friends.
Really liked the essay format of the chapters, and that she never gets preachy - frequently comments that she's not always successful in her attempts to step out of the frenzy. Never a "THIS is the correct way to live" book - instead we get a "here's what I've been thinking about in trying to have more peace and calm - just passing it along for others to consider" book.
Really liked the essay format of the chapters, and that she never gets preachy - frequently comments that she's not always successful in her attempts to step out of the frenzy. Never a "THIS is the correct way to live" book - instead we get a "here's what I've been thinking about in trying to have more peace and calm - just passing it along for others to consider" book.
January 11, 2011
As a mother of children the same age as Ms. Kenison's I was interested to see what she had to say. I was captivated. Ms. Kenison said so much that resonated with me concerning raising your children. Don't get me wrong this is not a parenting book so much as a gentle suggestion book. This is a bit like a gentle conversation filled with musings from a good friend over coffee. I highly reccommend this book to any parent witha spiritual bent.
March 1, 2022
Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry by Katrina Kenison is full of the advice and musings of a mother who is navigating the ever-changing and challenging waters of motherhood. This book gets to the root of many of the difficulties of family life, and focuses on how simplifying is a solution to the business and stress of life. I enjoyed the book greatly, and agree with many of the counsels of the author. However, the audience of the book is meant to be mothers, especially those struggling to keep up with the flow of our fast-paced world. As someone who is not a mother, I can't connect as well with all of the ideas in the book, but most are still somewhat applicable. I love the concept of slowing down and cutting back rather than filling all moments with business, worthy though it may be. The author talks about how the world places value on being on the go, but when we get down to it, we are much happier whithout all the unnecessary things cluttering our day. I would recommend this book for any mothers who are struggling on deciding how to spend their time, and their children's time. It puts the world back in perspective, something that I think everyone needs now and again.
January 1, 2021
I felt that this really was the book to read during 2020. It took be basically two whole months to read it--just reading it a few minutes at night before I went to bed. I based my whole Christmas letter around a quote I found in the introduction by Olive Ann Burns about embracing the daily moments.
There were parts that were unrealistic or sounded a bit self-righteous. However, loved the afterword where she nails what it is like being a parent. That everything is changing. You feel like you finally are finding your rhythm only to have it change as kids age and mature. She even mentions that hardly any rhythm described in the book is being continued 2 years later when the book was published.
It was a perfect reminder however to embrace the daily, everyday moments of life. Especially during a year when everything else has changed and stopped.
There were parts that were unrealistic or sounded a bit self-righteous. However, loved the afterword where she nails what it is like being a parent. That everything is changing. You feel like you finally are finding your rhythm only to have it change as kids age and mature. She even mentions that hardly any rhythm described in the book is being continued 2 years later when the book was published.
It was a perfect reminder however to embrace the daily, everyday moments of life. Especially during a year when everything else has changed and stopped.
February 6, 2022
Katrina Kenison muses on motherhood and priorities. Her writing is lovely and poetic, but her ideas are very idyllic and somewhat condescending. This is the type of book that, for me, mostly just makes me feel like I will never live up to a particular standard as a mother. And then I have to stop myself and ask, "Whose standard?" I do not actually want to raise my kids according to all of Kenison's values, so I'm not sure her book added much value to my motherhood this season.
But if you are looking to raise your kids without screens, without commitments, without organized sports, and with lots of time spent in the house baking, doing art, and trying to convince your children that magical imaginary creatures (ie Santa, the tooth fairy, and "brownies") are real, then this book may help and encourage you in that direction.
But if you are looking to raise your kids without screens, without commitments, without organized sports, and with lots of time spent in the house baking, doing art, and trying to convince your children that magical imaginary creatures (ie Santa, the tooth fairy, and "brownies") are real, then this book may help and encourage you in that direction.
May 16, 2022
A good reminder to be aware that it's the small, everyday moments that are special.
Some favorite thoughts:
"When I stop speeding through life, I find the joy in each day's doings, in the life that cannot be bought, but only discovered, created, savored, and lived."
"When the TV goes off, life begins."
"It is not what I do as a mother, but who I am as a human being that will make a deep a lasting impression on my children. When I discipline my children, I must also be disciplined myself."
"I encourage my children to try thier wings each time I stretch my own."
***"In our rush to do everything, we miss the genuine pleasure of experiencing one thing fully. When we race through life, we miss it."***
Some favorite thoughts:
"When I stop speeding through life, I find the joy in each day's doings, in the life that cannot be bought, but only discovered, created, savored, and lived."
"When the TV goes off, life begins."
"It is not what I do as a mother, but who I am as a human being that will make a deep a lasting impression on my children. When I discipline my children, I must also be disciplined myself."
"I encourage my children to try thier wings each time I stretch my own."
***"In our rush to do everything, we miss the genuine pleasure of experiencing one thing fully. When we race through life, we miss it."***
December 3, 2021
3.5 Stars
This is my least favorite of Kenison's books that I've read so far, but part of that is because I feel like her writing has gotten quite a bit better since this was published. Regardless, her work is always such a comfort read for me, and I enjoyed her insights into being a mother of small children, which I can obviously relate to at this point in my life.
This is my least favorite of Kenison's books that I've read so far, but part of that is because I feel like her writing has gotten quite a bit better since this was published. Regardless, her work is always such a comfort read for me, and I enjoyed her insights into being a mother of small children, which I can obviously relate to at this point in my life.
February 9, 2022
This book I read for a Read Aloud Revival Mama book club and with my sister. Liked the book and resonated a lot with her short stories and reflections on motherhood. Reflecting with my sister was where we delved into our upbringing family life and how that shaped us as mothers in our own families. A great book to help you pause and notice the good, hard, challenging and joy that is motherhood.
July 13, 2019
Mitten Strings for God
Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry
By Katrina Kenison
This book was so reassuring and lovely. A reminder that doing less, just “being” with your children, and finding space for quiet and peace in your days are all worthy goals. Kenison is a mother of 2 boys and a clear proponent of Waldorf Schools and Waldorf philosophy. This book is in the same vein as Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne, and Sanctuaries of Childhood by Shea Darian, which are both excellent reads.
I can’t get fully on board with the author’s (and Waldorf) recommendation of no TV in my household, because as a homeschooling introvert I rely on two times during the day where I am not “on” - when I am preparing lunch and dinner. I allow my boys to watch slower paced shows during those times, and we have pretty much no screens at all other times.
Here are some direct quotes that I wanted to be sure to remember:
P. 2
Yet we also know that our relationships - with ourselves and with each other - need time if they are to flourish. Parents and children alike need time for solitude, time to stretch and think and wonder, time to become acquainted with ourselves and with the world around us. And parents and children need sacred time together, time that is carved out of our busy lives, protected and honored but not scheduled. Time, instead, for just being.
P.6
And most of us find it increasingly difficult, in the face of all this external pressure, to remember what we already know: True happiness is found within ourselves and in quiet harmony with others. Yet if we let this inner knowledge slip away, our children may never learn it themselves, for we are their first teachers. It is up to each of us to set the example, to show by our own actions our respect for intimacy, contemplation, and wonder. This is perhaps the greatest legacy we can bestow on our children: the capacity to be enchanted by the quiet gifts of everyday life.
P. 10 by Olive Ann Burns
I have learned to quit speeding through life, always trying to do too many things too quickly, without taking the time to enjoy each day’s doings. I think I always thought of real living as being high. I don’t mean on drugs - I mean real living was falling in love, or when I got my first job, or when I was able to help somebody, or watch my baby get born, or have a good morning of really good writing. In between the highs I was impatient - you know how it is - life seemed so Daily. Now I love the dailiness. I enjoy washing dishes. I enjoy cooking. I see my father’s roses out the kitchen window, I like picking beans. I notice everything - birdsongs, the clouds, the sound of wind, the glory of sunshine after two weeks of rain. These things I took for granted before.
P. 45
Thoughtful parents have become the real counterculture in our society; that is, they counter the culture’s prevailing messages with depper, richer values. It used to be that parents, extended families and communities passed on their values to the next generation. Now, many children are being raised by the media. TV characters tell them what to buy, how to dress, what to eat, how to talk, what to aspire to, what to love, and what to scorn.
P. 50 (on removing TV)
When you are bombarded with violence, catastrophe, and sex, you can’t help but become desensitized to the the images that wash over you. Once we eliminated that daily flood of sensory information from our lives, our own senses seemed heightened. Our children experience life fully and feel it deeply - both its beauty and its sadness.
P. 66
On the other hand, when we pause long enough to give thanks for the abundance of daily life, when we feel good about what we have right now, we teach our children a valuable lesson: We help them accept that they can’t have everything they want, and we reassure them that they DO have everything they need. This is a concept that I need to reinforce over and over again, both in my own thinking and in day-to-day life with my children. We are living in a consumer society that revolves around instant gratification...unless we want our children to perpetuate this kind of materialism, we must show them another way.
P.74 birthday tradition
Birthday stories have become another special tradition. They do require time and forethought - time, I suppose, that I could just as easily spend wandering through a shopping mall in search of the perfect gift. Instead, I sith with pen in hand and wait for the perfect story to come. Holding an image of one’s child in mind, finding a story to fit a particular moment in time, and practicing that story until it comes to life, seems to me a wonderful way to honor another year of a child’s growth.
P. 76 stories
When we tell stories to our children, we reweave our connection to nature, to the spirit world, and to our own sense of holy wonder - connections that are too often broken down by our culture’s surfeit of noise and activity.
P. 125
I prepare good, healthful food, and I expect my children to try a bite of everything, without discussion. Beyond that, all I ask of them is that they eat what they can and refrain from comments about the meal. The last part of that sentence is the most important! As my children interpret it, it means, “Don’t bad-mouth the food.” I won’t cook two separate meals or cater to a child’s fussy tastes - but anyone who doesn’t care for what’s being served is free to bring his own fruit and cheese to the table - once again, without discussion.
P. 127 on meal blessings
I simply invited each person at the table to say what he felt grateful for at that moment. There are no rules to this ritual; you are even allowed to pass if you wish. But I can’t remember a single time that any adult or child at our table has skipped an opportunity to express gratitude for something.
P. 132
Excuse the children when they have finished their meals, and then treat yourself to some adult time and adult conversation. Our children now know that their father and I expect to be left alone for a few minutes at the end of dinner, and they’ve learned how to keep themselves occupied while we have our time...Just because children are capable of eating a meal in ten minutes or less doesn’t mean we have to.
P. 181
Over and over again, I am reminded that most of what I know of God, I have learned from my children. From the instant they arrived on this earth, squashed and bloody and astonishingly alert, they have been my teachers, messengers sent from beyond who force me to confront my own deepest questions and beliefs.
P. 188
Prayer for Little Children
From my head to my feet
I am the image of God
From my heart to my hands
I feel the breath of God
When I speak with my mouth
I follow God’s will.
When I behold God
Everywhere, in mother and father,
In all dear people,
In beast and flower,
In tree and stone,
Nothing brings fear,
But love to all
That is around me
- Rudolph Steiner
Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry
By Katrina Kenison
This book was so reassuring and lovely. A reminder that doing less, just “being” with your children, and finding space for quiet and peace in your days are all worthy goals. Kenison is a mother of 2 boys and a clear proponent of Waldorf Schools and Waldorf philosophy. This book is in the same vein as Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne, and Sanctuaries of Childhood by Shea Darian, which are both excellent reads.
I can’t get fully on board with the author’s (and Waldorf) recommendation of no TV in my household, because as a homeschooling introvert I rely on two times during the day where I am not “on” - when I am preparing lunch and dinner. I allow my boys to watch slower paced shows during those times, and we have pretty much no screens at all other times.
Here are some direct quotes that I wanted to be sure to remember:
P. 2
Yet we also know that our relationships - with ourselves and with each other - need time if they are to flourish. Parents and children alike need time for solitude, time to stretch and think and wonder, time to become acquainted with ourselves and with the world around us. And parents and children need sacred time together, time that is carved out of our busy lives, protected and honored but not scheduled. Time, instead, for just being.
P.6
And most of us find it increasingly difficult, in the face of all this external pressure, to remember what we already know: True happiness is found within ourselves and in quiet harmony with others. Yet if we let this inner knowledge slip away, our children may never learn it themselves, for we are their first teachers. It is up to each of us to set the example, to show by our own actions our respect for intimacy, contemplation, and wonder. This is perhaps the greatest legacy we can bestow on our children: the capacity to be enchanted by the quiet gifts of everyday life.
P. 10 by Olive Ann Burns
I have learned to quit speeding through life, always trying to do too many things too quickly, without taking the time to enjoy each day’s doings. I think I always thought of real living as being high. I don’t mean on drugs - I mean real living was falling in love, or when I got my first job, or when I was able to help somebody, or watch my baby get born, or have a good morning of really good writing. In between the highs I was impatient - you know how it is - life seemed so Daily. Now I love the dailiness. I enjoy washing dishes. I enjoy cooking. I see my father’s roses out the kitchen window, I like picking beans. I notice everything - birdsongs, the clouds, the sound of wind, the glory of sunshine after two weeks of rain. These things I took for granted before.
P. 45
Thoughtful parents have become the real counterculture in our society; that is, they counter the culture’s prevailing messages with depper, richer values. It used to be that parents, extended families and communities passed on their values to the next generation. Now, many children are being raised by the media. TV characters tell them what to buy, how to dress, what to eat, how to talk, what to aspire to, what to love, and what to scorn.
P. 50 (on removing TV)
When you are bombarded with violence, catastrophe, and sex, you can’t help but become desensitized to the the images that wash over you. Once we eliminated that daily flood of sensory information from our lives, our own senses seemed heightened. Our children experience life fully and feel it deeply - both its beauty and its sadness.
P. 66
On the other hand, when we pause long enough to give thanks for the abundance of daily life, when we feel good about what we have right now, we teach our children a valuable lesson: We help them accept that they can’t have everything they want, and we reassure them that they DO have everything they need. This is a concept that I need to reinforce over and over again, both in my own thinking and in day-to-day life with my children. We are living in a consumer society that revolves around instant gratification...unless we want our children to perpetuate this kind of materialism, we must show them another way.
P.74 birthday tradition
Birthday stories have become another special tradition. They do require time and forethought - time, I suppose, that I could just as easily spend wandering through a shopping mall in search of the perfect gift. Instead, I sith with pen in hand and wait for the perfect story to come. Holding an image of one’s child in mind, finding a story to fit a particular moment in time, and practicing that story until it comes to life, seems to me a wonderful way to honor another year of a child’s growth.
P. 76 stories
When we tell stories to our children, we reweave our connection to nature, to the spirit world, and to our own sense of holy wonder - connections that are too often broken down by our culture’s surfeit of noise and activity.
P. 125
I prepare good, healthful food, and I expect my children to try a bite of everything, without discussion. Beyond that, all I ask of them is that they eat what they can and refrain from comments about the meal. The last part of that sentence is the most important! As my children interpret it, it means, “Don’t bad-mouth the food.” I won’t cook two separate meals or cater to a child’s fussy tastes - but anyone who doesn’t care for what’s being served is free to bring his own fruit and cheese to the table - once again, without discussion.
P. 127 on meal blessings
I simply invited each person at the table to say what he felt grateful for at that moment. There are no rules to this ritual; you are even allowed to pass if you wish. But I can’t remember a single time that any adult or child at our table has skipped an opportunity to express gratitude for something.
P. 132
Excuse the children when they have finished their meals, and then treat yourself to some adult time and adult conversation. Our children now know that their father and I expect to be left alone for a few minutes at the end of dinner, and they’ve learned how to keep themselves occupied while we have our time...Just because children are capable of eating a meal in ten minutes or less doesn’t mean we have to.
P. 181
Over and over again, I am reminded that most of what I know of God, I have learned from my children. From the instant they arrived on this earth, squashed and bloody and astonishingly alert, they have been my teachers, messengers sent from beyond who force me to confront my own deepest questions and beliefs.
P. 188
Prayer for Little Children
From my head to my feet
I am the image of God
From my heart to my hands
I feel the breath of God
When I speak with my mouth
I follow God’s will.
When I behold God
Everywhere, in mother and father,
In all dear people,
In beast and flower,
In tree and stone,
Nothing brings fear,
But love to all
That is around me
- Rudolph Steiner
September 21, 2024
This book is outstanding. I read it in two nights and an early morning. I dog-eared so many pages and marked so many passages. It is easily my favorite parenting book. (Simplicity Parenting is now my second favorite.)
"Sometimes, it seems, there are discernible changes overnight. The boy who meets my gaze at the breakfast table is not the same one whose cheek I kissed the night before. And even as I marvel at the latest incarnation, I grieve for yesterday's child, already a memory. To love them is always to let them go, bit by bit, day after day. We live in an age in which personal experience threatens to become interchangeable, with one day blurring into the next as we eat out at chain restaurants, shop at chain stores, drive back and forth to work, abandon our souls to television, technology, and manufactured entertainment. Thomas Moore's words held out an invitation to me to go in search of something more, for myself and my family: a richer menu of sensory experiences, a more deliberate shape to our days, a more conscious appreciation for the moment at hand, and a deeper respect for the inner life. I began to realize that if I really paid attention to the quality of our days together, I could live them with more faith and joy, and fewer regrets for what might have been. If I took the time to notice things along the way, to really settle into my own life without always rushing ahead, it might be easier to weather the inevitable changes and challenges that came my way. And if we could find our own rhythm as a family, and follow it, we might all discover just what it is that is essential and meaningful in our lives."
"Sometimes, it seems, there are discernible changes overnight. The boy who meets my gaze at the breakfast table is not the same one whose cheek I kissed the night before. And even as I marvel at the latest incarnation, I grieve for yesterday's child, already a memory. To love them is always to let them go, bit by bit, day after day. We live in an age in which personal experience threatens to become interchangeable, with one day blurring into the next as we eat out at chain restaurants, shop at chain stores, drive back and forth to work, abandon our souls to television, technology, and manufactured entertainment. Thomas Moore's words held out an invitation to me to go in search of something more, for myself and my family: a richer menu of sensory experiences, a more deliberate shape to our days, a more conscious appreciation for the moment at hand, and a deeper respect for the inner life. I began to realize that if I really paid attention to the quality of our days together, I could live them with more faith and joy, and fewer regrets for what might have been. If I took the time to notice things along the way, to really settle into my own life without always rushing ahead, it might be easier to weather the inevitable changes and challenges that came my way. And if we could find our own rhythm as a family, and follow it, we might all discover just what it is that is essential and meaningful in our lives."
June 9, 2011
I read this and Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother at the same time and it was such a stark contrast! I read Tiger Mother in about 24 hours and this one took me a few weeks, which is appropriate because Mitten Strings is about taking time to enjoy the day, noticing the little things, appreciating the quiet, being still, meditating and appreciating. Tiger Mother is Go! Go! Go!
If you like Anne Morrow Lindbergh, or feel overscheduled, or could just use a reminder of the beauties of motherhood, I recommend it.
If you want to learn about raising overachievers, read Tiger Mother.
If you like Anne Morrow Lindbergh, or feel overscheduled, or could just use a reminder of the beauties of motherhood, I recommend it.
If you want to learn about raising overachievers, read Tiger Mother.
December 27, 2012
The name of this book is a little deceptive, there isn't much about religion or god in the content (but I knew that going in). Instead it's a sweet book that leans toward grass roots parenting, slowing down, and living a back to basics lifestyle. Fans of Waldorf education will like this book.
I agree with the criticism that this book doesn't address the "nitty-gritty" stuff of real life and parenting. The author does seem to live in an idyllic world void of dirty dishes, broken down cars and bills to pay. But, if you know that ahead of time, it's still a good read.
I agree with the criticism that this book doesn't address the "nitty-gritty" stuff of real life and parenting. The author does seem to live in an idyllic world void of dirty dishes, broken down cars and bills to pay. But, if you know that ahead of time, it's still a good read.
May 26, 2011
This is a book that I started reading as we were trying to choose our church Mom's group book for a book discussion (I am co-leader). While we didn't choose this one, I still wanted to finish reading it. This is a book about embracing our children while they are young because they grow up so fast. I enjoyed all of the topics author Katrina Kenison touched on and many points she made were points I can truly identify with.
December 31, 2008
I am going to return this to the library and pick up a copy for myself. Just after reading the first few chapters, I knew it was a book I would want to come back to. It is one of those books to read every few months just to slow down your mind, bring your focus back to what is important and really get some warm-and-fuzzies about being a mommy and the blessings of having a family.
December 19, 2009
I learned to slow down and not try to do everything that we can possibly do for our children. They do not need to be in every imaginable activity to have a good childhood. They also need time to slow down and take in the marvelous world around them. It's nice for them to have time to make their own discoveries instead of having everything fed to them.
April 27, 2011
Loved this book. Although I'm not in 100% agreement with her logic w/no tv, we have scaled back dramatically and it has made a huge difference in the quality of our lives since computers, ipods, television in general tends to take over our lives. Highly recommend it, especially to busy, working mothers who want a reminder to slow down and cherish every moment.
November 9, 2014
Four stars because I really appreciate ether ideas she presented and the values she embraces. The chapters are short so it is indeed a book that a busy mom can nibble at over time. I did find it redundant and unrealistic at times - and even a bit outdated at moments. But overall a great read - lots of good reminders.
March 8, 2008
This book has the lamest title in the history of books, but I really enjoyed her thoughts on motherhood and slowing down so you can authentically enjoy it. She reminds you to find joy in the simple and mundane tasks that are a necessary part of motherhood.
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