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| Shamelessly stolen from the author. |
As funny as Momma Fargo is, she can be deadly serious when the time calls for it. In this book, she takes on a very serious subject: the Boogie Man. He is real and it takes people like her to bring him to justice.
This book makes us, as parents, confront the fact that he Boogie Man is not some mythical creature that hides under our kids' beds or in their closets, but is a family member, neighbor, or highly regarded member of society. Or sometimes the Boogie Man is just some transient creeper who leaves destruction in his wake.
Just as reality gets to be too much, Momma's cop humor comes through, giving us some much-needed relief. Suddenly, it's crystal clear why LEOs (and firefighters and EMTs/Paramedics) need black humor to survive.
In addition to forcing us to open our eyes to the possibility of the Boogie Man being much closer than we would like, she gives us things to be aware of: like how the Boogie Man "grooms" not only the child, but often the family. And, more importantly, she addresses how to keep our kids from negative interactions with the Popo in her "top 9 reasons why our kids are at this dysfunctional place".
I totally respect her for admitting that she, herself, was an absent parent and is trying to make up for that. I get it; I was an absent parent myself, just trying to better our lives, and in the process let some important things at home slip. That was perhaps the hardest part of the book for me to read, because if I'd been home more often, maybe I could have headed off a lot of problems my youngest son has. Maybe my boys would have stayed in school and graduated from high school. Maybe, maybe, maybe...
There are parts of this book that are absolutely hard to read, I won't deny it, but it should be read and taken to heart by all parents.
Besides, how can you not read a book by a woman who has thrown down a challenge to Phil Robertson? Yes, THE Phil Robertson, the Duck Commander.
As much as I love and respect the Duck Commander, he's going down!
7 comments:
Parenting is so darn hard. Hindsight and all that being 20/20, in the momentis the best we can do.
I have so many books waiting to be read, but I am adding this one.
Thanks!
Thanks so much, GunDiva! That is one of the most complimentary reviews I have had! Don't beat yourself up. I did that to myself over and over. We all make mistakes even great parents like you! AND you are a GREAT mother! You gave your kids solid building blocks. They will figure it out. NOW...LET'S GO GET THAT BEARDED DUCK MAN AND GET THE NUMBER 1 POSITION ON AMAZON! Thanks so much for your support!
Momma, Let's hope those building blocks take hold soon!
AGirl, you won't regret this one.
As much as MF beats up on herself, what she says about parenting is normal. You can look anywhere and see the people who developed a career suffered at home. MF was trying to save the children of the world at the expense of her own. That is not a total bad thing. Regrettable, yes. But she saved or helped many more. Many times it comes down to success or family and it's hard to understand that until it is almost too late. I love and respect her, but Bug had some good support in her life, too. She was not totally neglected. Which is a cudo to MF. She chose right.
And 'da Bug is a really good kid, in spite of being a young teen.
Bill
I think as parents, we all beat up on ourselves a bit too much. I can attest that Bug is a good kid and that Momma's a great parent.
Oh, you guys are making me rain. I'm supposed to be tough! Thanks so much!
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