The Parent Bloggers Network

If you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past few weeks, then you might have missed Michelle Lamar and Molly Wendland’s new book White Trash Mom making quite a buzz around the blogosphere. Touted as “insightful, outrageous,” and a “must read for all mothers,” we were curious to see how our bloggers would respond to this no-guilt take on modern parenting.

In one sentence: Giving yourself a frickin’ break as a parent.

The bloggers commented that the book was not so much about the whole “White Trash” image that many people have in their heads but rather not feeling pressure to be perfect or live up to the standards of others. As one mom noted:

Part of the White Mom Trash Philosophy (thankfully spelled out quickly at the start of the book) involves not worrying so much about what other people think. Indeed, I am very guilty of that: I am an approval-seeker, which means those “Muffia” folks definitely have a victim in me. (I have plenty of juicy anecdotes like the pumpkin pie one.) But if I learn to “take a chill pill,” I should be able to accomplish much more than if I am trying to live up to an unattainable standard of perfection.

Added another “The White Trash Mom Handbook must someday - and someday soon! - become The White Trash Parenting Manifesto so that Coal Cracker, Hillibilly, and Slacker Parents of all ilk can walk with heads held high, confident and fearless in knowing that being good enough according to their own definitions is actually being the best parent out there according to their own family…and no one else’s.”

Bloggers loved the White Trash Mom coined “Muffia,” defined as: Mean and snobby mothers who usually run the school your child attends. Being a part of the Muffia is being mean and not being real. It’s about keeping up a totally bogus and stupid standard of perception that is unrealistic. It is taking motherhood and making it a spectator sport.

A few keyed into her discussion about bullies. “One should never, ever (Lamar used 26 ever’s to drive this point home) confront the parents of a child who is bullying your own. “For the most part,” Lamar writes, “kids who are jerks have parents who are jerks.”

Many of the bloggers discussed the book’s humor. “Now, some readers might be offended with some of these hilarious suggestions, but I’m telling you it’s only because they lack a sense of humor.” In a similar vein, this mom notes: “Taken with a sense of humor, The White Trash Mom Handbook is a refreshing respite to anyone who’s ever battled with baking from scratch, or felt guilty for not signing up for the class trip, or taken to screening your calls, even though you are a stay-at-home mom and probably could have arranged [cough, cough] to be available.”

Humor wasn’t the only thing the bloggers noted about the book. “What I loved most about this book is Michelle’s honesty. She isn’t afraid to speak the truth about what it’s really like in less than perfect households with less than perfect parenting.”

Overall, the moms related to the book and couldn’t say enough about it. “I read the book in two days because it was too funny to put down. I’ve given my sister and a few close friends the White Trash Mom Quiz found in chapter 2 to determine ‘just how deep in the trailerpark they are.’ We all passed.” Added another mom, “At its core, The White Trash Mom Handbook is about embracing imperfection. It’s about being a real mom and getting on with your life all while trying to keep your family from falling apart at the seams.”

Make sure to check out Michelle’s blog and listen to her talk about the book on the Motherhood Uncensored podcast.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, August 21st, 2008 at 9:06 am and is filed under Books. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.