Momaholic: Crazy Confessions of a Helicopter Parent by Dena Higley

Momaholic, Crazy Confessions of a Helicopter Parent by Dena Higley was a great quick read, easy to read and I really wanted to keep reading it. It's not a Bible study, not a self-help book, not a "beating up of oneself" type book--but rather a story/group of stories from the life of a rather regular mom. Well, she's a bit irregular in that her job is/was writing soap operas, and a bit extraordinary in that she has four children, two of whom are adopted, two of whom are handicapped in some way. But these aside, she really resonates with "regular" women and moms.

Dena is a very entertaining writer (well, she's trained and experienced, right?!), infusing all the situations with a kind of self-deprecating humor. She begins the book with a description of a huge crash in her life and goes on to explain some of what led up to that. She introduces each of her children and talks about each of them and her role in their lives. She discusses her job, her faith, and crises that occurred in her life. Yes, she did learn and grow from them and she shares how God is working in her throughout all of this.

One of the quotes I especially liked was, "That's what I want for my children. Not success in athletics or academics or the arts, but simply to have a sense of self built on a love for their Maker so they can venture anything, face anything. All in all, not a bad dream for any of us to have." Another thing that spoke to me was when she spoke of wondering why, when she had such huge burdens and troubles and crises, why didn't her husband and children help her out? Her conclusion was that since forever she had been a "show no weakness" kind of mom who does it all without showing anyone how tough it may be for her--so then in the time when she most needed help, they just naturally assumed that she can also handle it all. I know I tend toward that; I had never thought about it in that sense.

The phrase used occasionally (and on the cover of the book) "Helicopter parent" annoys me. (not just in this book, but all the time) To me it seems to minimize the responsible parenting and call it a silly name and insinuate that we shouldn't be so close/tight with them . . .but I understand that controlling-ness is what is negative. So, just a little annoying thing.

Altogether, this book was a wonderful read. It was not necessarily too spiritual, but definitely pointed directly to relying on God's help and prayer. I surely enjoyed reading it. I'd recommend it to any mom. It'd make a great gift too--or lend it out! It's an easy way to introduce God's workings in our lives to a non-Christian mom too.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review.