Disclaimer: I was recently given a copy of this book by LitFuse in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions stated in this post are 100 percent my own.
From the Back of the Book: Do you feel like you’re the only mom who serves store-bought birthday treats, dreads school plays, and misses the days of going to the bathroom by herself?
unNatural Mom gives you permission to say that mothering doesn’t always come naturally to you. 
Parenting expert and self-proclaimed unnatural mom Hettie Brittz helps you…
- Recognize how unrealistic our culture’s standards of mothering are
- Move beyond the myths of “supermom”
- Complete the Parenting Style Assessment to determine your own parenting style
- Understand and forgive the mothers who hurt you
- Embrace your capabilities as well as your challenges
Come find new hope in discovering that every mother has unique gifts. In Christ, the “unnatural” mom becomes the supernatural mom who is just right for her family!
My Personal Thoughts and Review:
I have dreamed of being a mom all of my life. I just knew I would have three or four wonderful pregnancies resulting in stair step kids running around. I would be a pro and know exactly the right the thing to do say in when my kids needed me, because that is what good moms do (talk about day dreaming). Well, despite my plans, the Lord has only blessed me with one handsome little guy, and very rarely know exactly the right thing to do or say in this blessing called motherhood.
For example, when my 7-year-old son ask me about why there isn’t a baby in my tummy anymore, and how do mom’s get babies in there anyway? Yes, he has already ask these questions. What do you think my brilliant response was?
“Hey! Since you’ve been so good today, you get extra screen time, why don’t you go watch television?”
It was all I could do, have an escape route, not a perfect answer. I should have had some rehearsed speech ready for that day. That’s what supermom’s do, right? How did that speech not make it on my “to do” list? I know some of my friends, in our home school circle would have handled this perfectly without even blinking. After all, they have probably already built of model of the reproductive systems from Popsicle sticks and crate paper. But not me, I can’t even find the glue that I bought…last year. Or did I even remember to buy it?
Thankfully, in Hettie Brittz’s book, she debunks the myths that fuel my feelings in those “fail moments”. We are not all made to be the same type mom, it is okay if we are imperfect. Who gets to say what’s perfect anyway, right? Brittz shares how we can embrace our temperaments and even our flaws all while being the perfect mother for our kids. She has really reminded me that, although I am not perfect by the world’s standards, God knew exactly what he was doing when he chose me as the mother of my son. Even in that time I got so caught up in writing a blog post, that I forgot I hadn’t fed him since that morning. Oops, sorry son! No worries, he survived.
Her in-depth look into different parenting temperaments is a great way to understand why we are the mothers we are. She includes a link to her website, where readers can take a parenting profile. I found the profile pretty accurate with my mothering style. My husband also agreed, that it was pretty spot on. I recommend taking it before beginning the chapters on the temperament trees. I took the free portion of the parenting profile, but if you wanted to have the more detailed report of your profile you will need to buy it.
Hettie, uses a certain tree to represent each temperament style. At first I thought it was an odd comparison, but after reading the book I felt it was perfect. You see, all the trees that God put on this earth are very different, yet all of them are perfect for where they are planted and the forest would not be as beautiful without all of them.
Like the trees represented in the book, no mom is perfect, but she was created for a purpose and to be the perfect mom for her kids, not some imaginary “supermon”. This world needs all different types of moms! Thanks to Hettie’s book we can learn to embrace who we are and not feel like we are failing when we are not like the other mom’s we see around us. Read it ladies, then share it with your friends!
Things I enjoyed about the book:
- The author’s openness about her own “un natural” moments.
- the encouragement to embrace our strengths and weaknesses
- having access to the Tall Trees Parenting Profile
- the insight from the kids and husband in the chapters
- having the questions for reflection at the end of the chapters
- the call for us to strive toward the (super) Natural mom that our the Heavenly Father has created us to be.
About the Author: Hettie Brittz is an author, international speaker, and one of South Africa’s foremost voices on parenting advice. She is the developer of the Evergreen Parenting Course and Tall Trees Profiles. Hettie and her husband, Gospel singer Louis Brittz, live in South Africa with their three children.
** You can visit this page to read more reviews and learn more about Hettie Brittz and her book.
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I am a southern girl through and through that loves to laugh, cook, read and spend time with family. My passions outside of home schooling my son are ministering to those in need and creating art in the kitchen! Every day is an adventure in our little house and I wouldn’t trade it or the chance to share here with you for anything!
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