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Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'
How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing by KC Davis
16 reviews
avisreadsandreads's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Oh gawd, I feel like I've needed this book my whole adult life! I definitely need my own copy -- it feels like something to read over and over again.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Mental illness, Ableism, and Chronic illness
Minor: Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Sexism, Addiction, and Body shaming
zydecovivo's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I’m pretty sure I have heard about this book on TikTok, but seeing it available from my library made me finally put it on hold. I’d like to start by saying this is a useful book. It does what the title says. It gives advice, tips, and reassurance to people who are struggling with keeping up with home chores. The author is both a therapist and a fellow struggler of housekeeping, so she combines personal anecdotes with the outside-the-box therapist ways of thinking (also known as “OMG you’re right that is a stupid rule/custom/thought/box I’ve put myself into”). There is also a section on hair care in which the author asks a black therapist with coily hair for advice on caring for her hair type, which I thought was a nice touch.
I just finished the audiobook version. And while I was able to listen to the information and finish the book quickly, I don’t think the audiobook is helpful if you need this book as a reference. Making a highlight in an audiobook requires rewinding and stopping whatever else you’re working on (a similar hurdle is mentioned in the book with cleaning). And if you are intending to listen and put the author’s advice into practice right away, you will quickly get overwhelmed. It’s better to find a passage that resonates with you, read, plan, and execute. And I can’t see myself returning to listen to a passage again and again without text. I would recommend reading the digital or print versions if you are reading for knowledge and not just entertainment.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
tangleroot_eli's review
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
A practical and compassionate guide to letting go of clean-home guilt and making your home functional instead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Mental illness
Moderate: Pregnancy and Chronic illness
Minor: Excrement and Child abuse
Moderate: Saneismemilywemily6's review
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
This book is short and sweet, with ideas for reframing how we see “care tasks” (aka chores) as morally neutral and should be considered only when functioning for our lives. It was written with neurodivergence in mind, but as a neurotypical person (or am I?) I found this book so helpful to help me start to think differently about the state of my life and home when I am juggling a full time job, parenthood, being a life partner, and all my other obligations. I think my husband, who is neurodivergent, would benefit from this quick read also. I’m looking forward to talking about it with him once he reads it! I love short books and feel like anyone would benefit from this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Ableism, and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse and Cursing
Minor: Drug abuse and Emotional abuse
majestictrilobite's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse and Child abuse
melodyseestrees's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Ableism
Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, and Grief
Minor: Emotional abuse, Body shaming, and Child abuse
kimveach's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I picked this little book at the library because the title intrigued me. It's an intriguing way to look at taking care of your house and yourself, especially if you are struggling. This book teaches you to reframe how you look at "care" tasks (hygiene, cleaning, cooking, etc.). This book would help anyone who is temporarily struggling (grief, depression, illness, injury), as well as those who are permanently struggling (ADHD, disability, chronic disease, being a caretaker.)
At first, some of the suggestions were the same as most self-help books (do tasks the night before to set yourself up for a good day, put on music to clean). Still, others were out of the box (too tired to empty the dishwasher - take out the few things you need now, add the few that must be cleaned, and rerun the dishwasher.)
This book would be helpful for those struggling, but I think it could be even more useful for someone who knows a person struggling. It would give them concrete ways to help the person without shaming them about the state of their home or self.
At first, some of the suggestions were the same as most self-help books (do tasks the night before to set yourself up for a good day, put on music to clean). Still, others were out of the box (too tired to empty the dishwasher - take out the few things you need now, add the few that must be cleaned, and rerun the dishwasher.)
This book would be helpful for those struggling, but I think it could be even more useful for someone who knows a person struggling. It would give them concrete ways to help the person without shaming them about the state of their home or self.
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Abandonment, Bullying, Chronic illness, Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Body shaming, Grief, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
gewaechshausgeist's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Addiction
erebus53's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
When I picked up this book I was clueless as to how deeply it would affect me. I also didn't know that I was the target audience.. it was just this month's non-fiction read for Book Club.
This is a book that is designed as a first line of support for people who have challenges with executive function, be that due to Neurodivergence, brain injury, chronic pain, trauma, chronic illness, anxiety or anything that causes challenges with motivation, organisation and time management, priorities, or attention span.
The author is a therapist, but also late diagnosed ADHD and a mother.. and some of her confessions about ways she copes with not being able to _even_ are just utterly relatable. It's so important to feel seen, and understood. Among friends I have shared this book with they agree that this book is one of the few self-help books they have ever read that makes them feel like they are understood, and that they aren't alone in their struggles.
-edit to add- There is a section that is part of the self care strategies that focuses specifically on care of Black hair. I admire the author for handing off this section to her co-author (and co-narrator) Dr Raquel Martin, who is a Black American psychologist with personal experience.
This book is real. It cuts to the base of problems with the whys backed up by sound scientific and neurological findings. It is full of life-hacks, and more importantly, paradigm shifts. Reframing how you feel and think about your problems can help you break free from cycles of guilt and self blame, and approach problems from angles that don't look conventional, but that work for you.
I already feel more confident with my housekeeping, and I only just read the book..which in turn is helping me with other areas of confidence and motivation in my life. It's true what she says about motivation begetting motivation.
I may need to buy 2 paperback copies (one for reference and one to lend), because I know so many people for whom this book may be a life changer.
This is a book that is designed as a first line of support for people who have challenges with executive function, be that due to Neurodivergence, brain injury, chronic pain, trauma, chronic illness, anxiety or anything that causes challenges with motivation, organisation and time management, priorities, or attention span.
The author is a therapist, but also late diagnosed ADHD and a mother.. and some of her confessions about ways she copes with not being able to _even_ are just utterly relatable. It's so important to feel seen, and understood. Among friends I have shared this book with they agree that this book is one of the few self-help books they have ever read that makes them feel like they are understood, and that they aren't alone in their struggles.
-edit to add- There is a section that is part of the self care strategies that focuses specifically on care of Black hair. I admire the author for handing off this section to her co-author (and co-narrator) Dr Raquel Martin, who is a Black American psychologist with personal experience.
This book is real. It cuts to the base of problems with the whys backed up by sound scientific and neurological findings. It is full of life-hacks, and more importantly, paradigm shifts. Reframing how you feel and think about your problems can help you break free from cycles of guilt and self blame, and approach problems from angles that don't look conventional, but that work for you.
I already feel more confident with my housekeeping, and I only just read the book..which in turn is helping me with other areas of confidence and motivation in my life. It's true what she says about motivation begetting motivation.
I may need to buy 2 paperback copies (one for reference and one to lend), because I know so many people for whom this book may be a life changer.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Grief, Bullying, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
halib2015's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This book was kinder to me than I have been to myself in the last 15 years. KC has wonderful insights and helpful advice that I feel would be easy to implement.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse and Sexual assault