Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Book Review: Becoming the Confident Mom You've Always Wanted to Be By Susan Heid

BECOMING THE CONFIDENT MOM
YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE

31 Strategies to Improve Your Confidence as a Woman, Mother, and Family Manager.

By:  Susan Heid

Published:  January 3, 2013

*****

How many times have you felt something is lacking in your family life? You just can’t keep up with the daily demands of managing a household, your priorities aren’t on target, you never have time for yourself, and you wonder why you can’t be more like the “super mom” next door that always seems to have her act together. You’re feeling “less than,” and it’s negatively impacting your family.

Being a mom and family manager is a difficult and demanding job—one that often leaves moms questioning their decisions and abilities, ultimately lowering their self-confidence. But one must lead with confidence to earn respect and ensure that family values are not compromised by the many distractions a family might confront. 

In her book, Become the Confident Mom You’ve Always Wanted to Be: 31 Strategies to Improve Your Confidence as a Woman, Mother, and Family Manager, author and parent coach Susan Heid explains how using these 31 essential strategies can help you guide your family with love, faith, a positive outlook, and confidence. This will help you achieve a more fulfilling family atmosphere and prepare your children to positively maneuver through life’s many opportunities and challenges.


As a huge fan of Susan Heid, I couldn't wait to read her book.  Susan, for me, has been the calm in the storm, the light bulb, and the reassuring friend that every mom needs.  Even though we have never met, her products have supported me through the chaotic days of motherhood.  Her book is just another layer of that support.  

Even though I have been a mom for nearly 13 years,  I still need reassurance and support in the daily joys and struggles of parenting.  I can still learn new ways to parent and handle situations because each of our children are different and need parenting and support in different ways.  Our children are growing and changing and trying my patience in all kinds of new ways.  

One of my favorite tips from the book was from the strategy, HAVE A PLAN/DIRECTION.  As a planner, I expected this chapter to be a no-brainer, until I read this statement:  Be deliberate in the choices you make for your and your kids. Frequently, I make unpopular choices for our kids.  I don't let them watch the same movies that their friends have watched.  The kids still have bedtimes and are required to do chores.  Even though I am frequently met with frustration, I am reminded to be deliberate in my choices for my family.  I know why I have these limitations and expectations for our children and am confident that some day they will thank me. Then further on in the book, this again was reinforced for me:  You know what is right for you and your family, so it is up to you to do it and make the right decisions without continuing to doubt or question your ability.  This doesn't mean I can't get advice or support from other moms, but it does remind me that parenting isn't a competition but a responsibility.  

There were so many other excellent reminders, reassurances, and tips in this book, that I could go on and on.  This book reads much like a daily devotional.  With 31 chapters, you can read one chapter a day, pausing to think about each strategy, or read it all in one sitting.  Each chapter ends with a Bible verse and questions to get your mind working, so it may work best to read it with time for reflection, maybe even with a journal to write down your thoughts, plans, and feelings.  

This book is currently available as a Kindle eBook, but even if you don't have an eReader, you can still download it to your computer.  It is completely worth the $3.99 and I highly recommend this book if you are hoping to be a mom, pregnant for the first time, or have been a mom for awhile.  The tips and support Susan Heid offers can help all of us.





photo courtesy of www.theconfidentmom.com
Susan Heid isn't a "perfect mom" and juggles life with a blended family of four kids, living with lupus, a husband who travels for work, and being foster parents.  She is passionately committed to helping Christian moms make small intentional changes managing their home and giving them more time, less stress, and stronger family relationships.  Her website THE CONFIDENT MOM offers support and products to help women live a more balanced life.  



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