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68 reviews for:
Confessions of a Scary Mommy: An Honest and Irreverent Look at Motherhood: The Good, The Bad, and the Scary
Jill Smokler
3.57 AVERAGE
68 reviews for:
Confessions of a Scary Mommy: An Honest and Irreverent Look at Motherhood: The Good, The Bad, and the Scary
Jill Smokler
3.57 AVERAGE
This book fell into my lap recently. I was reasonably sure that I read this, or at least one of the Scary Mommy books back when I was a Scary New Mommy myself, remembered liking it and wondered how it held up.
I mean...honestly, it kind of does. If anything, I feel like this brand of reality-infused parenting truth is maybe even more needed now that I've been through even more years of Insta-worthy party photo sharing and mom-shaming in online social groups and just...all of the exhausting competitive and insecure mess that parenting can be. Are some of the confessions kind of shocking and/or jarring? Totally. That's kind of the point though. Those are the inward screams of the worst parenting days, but we all have them, more or less---and I hope those gave those moms a moment of release, being able to share anonymously in the Scary Mommy space.
At this point of history we now have the "Bad Moms" movie franchise which attempts to do the same thing but somehow loses the thread. Looking back at this book now and reading Jill's passages in between I think she strikes the right chord between "F- it all" and grace. It's not that she doesn't care, but she's allowing herself, and everyone around her to not be perfect. Even as the parent of not-babies-anymore, I can still get on bored with that. There are more options now for this kind of venting and truth, but I'll give her credit for being one of the earlier ones out there to give permission for it.
I mean...honestly, it kind of does. If anything, I feel like this brand of reality-infused parenting truth is maybe even more needed now that I've been through even more years of Insta-worthy party photo sharing and mom-shaming in online social groups and just...all of the exhausting competitive and insecure mess that parenting can be. Are some of the confessions kind of shocking and/or jarring? Totally. That's kind of the point though. Those are the inward screams of the worst parenting days, but we all have them, more or less---and I hope those gave those moms a moment of release, being able to share anonymously in the Scary Mommy space.
At this point of history we now have the "Bad Moms" movie franchise which attempts to do the same thing but somehow loses the thread. Looking back at this book now and reading Jill's passages in between I think she strikes the right chord between "F- it all" and grace. It's not that she doesn't care, but she's allowing herself, and everyone around her to not be perfect. Even as the parent of not-babies-anymore, I can still get on bored with that. There are more options now for this kind of venting and truth, but I'll give her credit for being one of the earlier ones out there to give permission for it.
4.5/5
This was a really enjoyable, fun, and quick read. It contains essays on a variety of topics pertaining to parenthood by Jill Smokler, a mother of three young children. It was a very humorous and honest look at motherhood, although some of it did scare me a bit as a mom to be in just a couple of months. But I digress. Motherhood isn't always perfect, and I appreciate Smokler's approach of looking at motherhood through a humorous lens and taking the good with the bad. This is not a warm and fuzzy book by any means, nor is it inspiring - it is meant for entertainment purposes only, and I did find it highly entertaining. I also really enjoyed all the "mom confessions" at the beginning of each chapter. These were anonymous confessions submitted to Smokler's website from moms all over. Some were funny, some were sad, but all were very, very honest. I'd highly recommend this one for moms and moms-to-be who are NOT looking for parenting advice, but rather are looking to find the humor in motherhood. I'm already reading her second book and hope she writes more in the future!
This was a really enjoyable, fun, and quick read. It contains essays on a variety of topics pertaining to parenthood by Jill Smokler, a mother of three young children. It was a very humorous and honest look at motherhood, although some of it did scare me a bit as a mom to be in just a couple of months. But I digress. Motherhood isn't always perfect, and I appreciate Smokler's approach of looking at motherhood through a humorous lens and taking the good with the bad. This is not a warm and fuzzy book by any means, nor is it inspiring - it is meant for entertainment purposes only, and I did find it highly entertaining. I also really enjoyed all the "mom confessions" at the beginning of each chapter. These were anonymous confessions submitted to Smokler's website from moms all over. Some were funny, some were sad, but all were very, very honest. I'd highly recommend this one for moms and moms-to-be who are NOT looking for parenting advice, but rather are looking to find the humor in motherhood. I'm already reading her second book and hope she writes more in the future!
The author's insights from her life were fine, but I would enjoy an entire book of Mommy confessions even more.
Meh. Stick with the blog & occasional Facebook post.
This wasn't an exceptionally "deep" or well-written book but I really did enjoy it. I only sporadically read Scary Mommy's blog so I knew I'd enjoy her point-of-view but none of the content felt like a repeat. It's good to read from a mom point of view where they're not obsessed with being perfect and are happy amusing you with all of their flaws.
Jill Smokler tells it how she sees it. Some of the confessions were funny, some were in awe, and some were heartbreakingly sad.
Jill Smokler is a superb blogger and a good, funny memoirist. She walks the line of being outrageous without being offensive. But when it comes to talking about motherhood, walking that line is kind-of trite. Smokler's 3 children are almost exactly the ages of mine, and I related to a lot of her musings: the pool sucks, your 'favorite' child changes almost by the minute, and having kids doesn't suddenly make you like kids. I like when I can nod my head while I read, savoring validation from another over-worked woman. But sometimes, it fell flat. The chapter on the 'wars' between working and stay-at-home mothers has all been said already: can't we all just get along? Apparently not.
I just don't find this book to be particularly 'scary.' In fact, it's actually mainstream. I see a backlash now where people feel smugly irreverent to admit to bribing their kids, for example. I bet mothers have done this for centuries. None of this stuff is irreverent. Or maybe I just travel in even more extreme circles.
My favorite parts of the book are twofold: one, the confessions at the beginning of each chapter, which are anonymous from Smokler's blog and not even her own doing. And two, the way she describes her daughter: "my deep love for her is combined with a mixture of awe, concern, regret, and hope." This the most profound, and most relatable and true, statement in the whole book.
I just don't find this book to be particularly 'scary.' In fact, it's actually mainstream. I see a backlash now where people feel smugly irreverent to admit to bribing their kids, for example. I bet mothers have done this for centuries. None of this stuff is irreverent. Or maybe I just travel in even more extreme circles.
My favorite parts of the book are twofold: one, the confessions at the beginning of each chapter, which are anonymous from Smokler's blog and not even her own doing. And two, the way she describes her daughter: "my deep love for her is combined with a mixture of awe, concern, regret, and hope." This the most profound, and most relatable and true, statement in the whole book.
I must start off my review with the disclaimer that I am not a mother yet and therefore cannot fully understand or appreciate this book the way those who are can. I read it because I saw it it a list of new book the library I work at had purchased and was intrigued. I have, however, babysat and watched friends go through the process.
For the most part, I found the book funny and entertaining. There were parts that made me laugh out loud and many parts that were right on target. Some things I disagree with and I found Smokler to have a bit of a potty mouth. My favorite part was the confessions from moms on her blog. Overall, a quick, fun read.
For the most part, I found the book funny and entertaining. There were parts that made me laugh out loud and many parts that were right on target. Some things I disagree with and I found Smokler to have a bit of a potty mouth. My favorite part was the confessions from moms on her blog. Overall, a quick, fun read.