The Mother's Almanac

I first bought this book 28 years ago for guidance . I had a brand new baby girl and absolutely no knowledge of babies. This book saw me through Four children who are all now grown up and it has been borrowed for the next generation. My 28 year old daughter finds it to be an invaluable source of ideas for her two young children. I cannot recommend it highly enough - Ideas for birthday parties, recipes to try out with young children, what a three year old feels like ( !!) and what to anticipate Next in your child's development.This is all done with a cosy sense of humour and with a realistic down to earth approach. This, along with Penelope Leach's ( Baby and Child Care) saw me through the early childhood years of my children's lives. The test of time is the measurement of a book's success and this has certainly achieved that landmark !

I got a copy of this book maybe 23 years ago. It made me laugh out loud while I was sitting alone in my house, and it was filled with ideas that I put to use. The job jar was worth many times the price of the book. Our son and his friends used to beg to dip into the job jar and take out a folded piece of paper that said "Dust everything in the living room" or "Pick up all your toys," and they would perform the task on the paper as though they'd been given a prize, a phenomenon which I believe the authors had described!The book is written in a wonderful style, very approachable, very comforting. I think it helps to have the perspective of Marguerite Kelly, who truly cares about the children and the parents she's addressing. It's like having a warm, wise, helpful friend who comes unobtrusively into your home and holds your hand as you navigate the shoals of motherhood.The humor in the book is terrific. I found that many other books were too rigid, too doctrinaire, and they inspired a sense of "Omigosh! I'm doing this wrong!"But Marguerite Kelly never made me feel self-conscious and uncomfortable. She makes helpful suggestions that make motherhood go better.For years, I gave this out to everyone I knew who was having a first child. My highest recommendations for this book. You will rarely in your life spend money more meaningfully.

This book was invaluable for me as my children were growing up. They are in high school and college now and I am so glad that I had this book to guide me through the formative years. My children are well balanced, confident and pursuing the goals they have set for themselves. Since I had no idea what I was doing when they were small, I used this book over and over. The pages are worn and falling out from so much use. Now I buy a new copy to give to new and expecting moms...there's no better baby gift, I think!!!

I have a multitude of books on parenting and parenting techniques and continually find myself referencing "The Mother's Almanac" for that reasuring advise or story that lets me know that my child is perfectly normal. My favorite part to date is the section on lying. I have a 4 year old who fits this description completely, what a creative story teller he will be some day, until then, magic continues to work when the truth is having a hard time being told. Time and time again I wonder why is it that my child does..... and then I read The Mother's Almanac and find that ALL children his age do what I thought was so out of the ordinary. Many thanks to my best friend Amy who introduced me to this book, it's my gift of choice for mother's to be.

My children are now 28, 25, 23, and nearly 20 years old, but today I decided to plant an avocado pit and looked up how to do it in "The Mother's Almanac." My faded, dog-eared copy is filled with notes jotted on the margins; looking at it brought back many warm memories. This book is a wonder, filled with common-sense wisdom. Over the years I have given it to many new mothers, and referred to it, and quoted from it, hundreds of times. From instructions on how to survive the exhausting early weeks, to detailed explanations of creative projects a pre-schooler can "The hours are terrible, right from the start, but remember, at least you are the boss!" Yes, young mothers, you are in charge of these fast-passing days. This book will help both you and your kids to bask in the love, joy, and creativity of the early childhood years!