Book Review And Giveaway of “Be the Mom” by Tracey Eyster

Be intentional.  That’s my biggest take-away from reading Be the Mom: Overcome Attitude Traps and Enjoy Your Kids by Tracey Eyster.  I’ve heard it before, of course, but Tracey put it in a way that really spoke to me.  You’ll find many practical tips and lots of encouragement!

“It’s high time you drown out the whispers of this mom lie with a healthy dose of mom truth about just how important your momlife really is, and why perseverance in your role as a mom is crucial for you and your children.”

Tracey cleverly organized her book by describing seven traps of thinking and acting that we as moms tend to fall into:

1.  Feeling like we’re “just a mom”.  Fight this trap by having a heart of gratitude, finding an outlet for your creativity, and not setting your expectations too high.

2.  “Me Mom Trap”– selfishness. “Don’t base your personal self-worth on the condition of your home.  Your priority isn’t your home; it is the hearts and souls of the people in your home.”

3.  “Martyr Mom Trap.” This one was particularly convicting for me.  I always feel like I’m too tired for my life (one of my common negative thoughts).  But after reading this chapter, I know that I need to make a “concerted effort to be a Fun Mom, not a Sideline Mom, and do things with my children more often than not.”

4.  “Busy Mom Trap”.  She says, “I learned long ago that if my child wanders into the room when I’m in task mode, I can stop what I’m doing and spend some intentional time to be with him.”

5.  “Mirror Mom Trap”. “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

6.  “Tomorrow Mom Trap”. Here was another chapter where I saw a trap that I fall into.  Listen to this paragraph.  “Sadly, some parents spend their children’s younger years wearing themselves out, seeing to every need to keep their little ones happy and not whining.  Then when their children get to the stage where they begin to pull back, the parents welcome the change with relief and let them wander off alone, free-range style.  Some intentionally, some accidentally.  But here’s what you need to remember:  When your children lose your influence, they become influenced by whatever relationships or activities they find to replace you, whether peers, television, movies, the Internet, video games, coaches, teammates, or older siblings.”

7.  “They Say Mom Trap”– worrying about what others say.  We know it’s easy to fall into this trap; the Bible even tells us not to conform any longer to the pattern of this world.

Are you intrigued by this book?  Come join a Facebook Party with the author of Be the Mom this Thursday, August 9, at 9 p.m. central time.  “Like” the ” Be the Mom” Facebook page and join the party through this note.

Tracey is donating all of her author proceeds to Pine Cove Christian Camp’s scholarship program (Tyler, Texas).  There is also a special giveaway of a free camp registration at Pine Cove.  To enter this giveaway (not hosted by I Choose Joy!), here is what you do:  “Like” the Pine Cove & Be the Mom Facebook pages and follow Pine Cove & Momblog on Twitter. Leave a comment on www.bethemom.com stating that you have liked the pages to be eligible for the free Pine Cove camp registration, and a winner will be drawn from the comments.

To enter my giveaway of a copy of Be the Mom all you have to do is leave a comment on this post.  Come back tomorrow when I’ll share a Q and A with Tracey Eyster.  Leave another comment on that post tomorrow for a second entry.  I’ll choose a winner on Saturday through Random.org!

If you’d like to purchase the book, you can find it at . Amazon.com, or ChristianBook.com.

(Thank you to Tyndale Publishers for providing a copy of this book for me to review.  All opinions and thoughts are truthful and my own.)

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