MOMumental
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MOMumental: Adventures in the Messy Art of Raising a Family
MOMumental:
Adventures in the Messy Art of Raising a Family
by Jennifer Grant
Worthy Publishing
PUB DATE: May 8, 2012
ISBN: 9781617950742
“Now, years later, after being broken in by time and exasperation and days when I want to run after my own kids with a wooden spoon, I no longer look to others or to myself to be ideal mothers. Now, like the Velveteen Rabbit, I’ve become, well, more Real. My fur’s been rubbed off. My heart has stretched and expanded. The shine is gone. Now I can say with confidence that much as we may long to do so, we cannot create perfect homes and families....We must...confess our mistakes and bad choices, accept forgiveness, and give ourselves the chance to start again.
Over and over and over again.”
Writer Jennifer Grant’s girlhood dream of being the perfect mom, with perfect kids in a perfect home, withered quickly in the face of reality. MOMumental is her account of the messy, creative, sometimes hilarious and often taxing, process of raising a family. It’s full of humorous and poignant stories from her everyday life—a life that mothers everywhere can identify with.
Grant, now the mom of four children, ages 16, 14, 12, and 10, has embraced a more realistic view of parenting. She calls it “Velveteen parenting” after The Velveteen Rabbit. Some of her guidelines include:
•Choose your battles.
•Keep your eyes open and look with a critical—and often delighted—eye at what the culture is dishing up to your children. Teach your children to do the same.
•Remind yourself that children are not little adults, but are uniquely suited to grow, learn, and enjoy life in ways that many of us adults don’t remember how to do anymore.
•Ask questions such as, “What do I want our family to be like? What are our individual gifts and perspectives? What connects us as a family and brings us joy?”
•Develop certain priorities in your family’s life, such as treating each other with respect, eating together whenever possible, and attending church together.
Grant doesn’t advocate becoming Tiger Mom, BFF Mom, Helicopter Mom, or Earth Mama. Rather, she offers a funny, warm, and compassionate book filled with uncommon insights about being an intentional parent.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions, or if you’d like to arrange an interview with Jennifer Grant.
Kelly Hughes
DeChant-Hughes & Assoc., Inc
312-280-8126
kelly@dechanthughes.com
Grant, now the mom of four children, ages 16, 14, 12, and 10, has embraced a more realistic view of parenting. She calls it “Velveteen parenting” after The Velveteen Rabbit. Some of her guidelines include:
•Choose your battles.
•Keep your eyes open and look with a critical—and often delighted—eye at what the culture is dishing up to your children. Teach your children to do the same.
•Remind yourself that children are not little adults, but are uniquely suited to grow, learn, and enjoy life in ways that many of us adults don’t remember how to do anymore.
•Ask questions such as, “What do I want our family to be like? What are our individual gifts and perspectives? What connects us as a family and brings us joy?”
•Develop certain priorities in your family’s life, such as treating each other with respect, eating together whenever possible, and attending church together.
Grant doesn’t advocate becoming Tiger Mom, BFF Mom, Helicopter Mom, or Earth Mama. Rather, she offers a funny, warm, and compassionate book filled with uncommon insights about being an intentional parent.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions, or if you’d like to arrange an interview with Jennifer Grant.
Kelly Hughes
DeChant-Hughes & Assoc., Inc
312-280-8126
kelly@dechanthughes.com
