Rock On!

Is your mama like my mama? My mama takes no prisoners, tells it like it is, gives it to you straight and regularly tells people that she thinks that instilling a little does of fear in your kids is a good thing.

No? Are you curious to see what that is like? Pick up a copy of Mama Rock’s Rules: Ten lessons for raising a houseful of successful children. "To be a parent is and should be a calling. There is absolutely nothing as great, challenging, or rewarding as raising a child." So says Über-mom Rose Rock, who has raised 10 children in addition to caring for 17 foster children in her 40-plus years as a mother.

My favorite gem appears early on, when Mama Rock stresses the importance of starting early to stay strong:

Rule #1: I am the parent. I make the rules

Rule #2: You are the child. You follow the rules

Rule #3: Any problems, refer to Rule #1

Really, does it get more basic than that? I don't think so. That's what I loved about this book. It reads and feels like a long talk you get to have with your grandmother- someone who knows enough and has been around long enough to tell you what she thinks, what she knows, (that maybe she even learned the hard way) without worrying about it.

Have you ever read a book or Googled "How to make my toddler stop screaming" only to find an answer like: "Don't let the tantrum escalate" and cursed the people who dared write that answer? You won't find that here. This is a square one, basic guide to what you need to know about parenting. It covers structure and discipline, respect, balance and safety but also love. This book is heartfelt. I enjoyed reading the incorporated quotes and stories from her kids, her foster kids (and even the neighbor kids) and her fond remembrances of her husband.

Clearly she did something right. Read this book and you can too!