Bad Mother by Ayelet Waldman

A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace

First off, let me say I am not a mother and have no plans to be a mother, so it may seem strange that I picked this book to read. My best friend has 4 children and I have lived with her since the oldest was 3 years old. I have been their secondary caregiver and their only babysitter, sometimes I feel like their mother, sometimes their favorite aunt. This book sounded interesting, since I am around my best friend alot, I am also around other mothers (they tend to congregate I’ve noticed), being an ‘outsider’ gives me the opportunity to observe, a lot. On to my review.

In her book ‘Bad Mother’, Ayelet Waldman discusses many things:, society’s perception of what makes a good mother versus a good father; the ‘bad mother police’, and confrontations with them; how she personally has felt at times she has failed her children and feels she is a ‘crappy’ mother; her children and herself’s disabilities and failings. Finally, the realization that she is not a crappy mother. That society’s expectations of mother’s is unrealistic. This book is funny and insightful. Ayelet has a quick wit (there is a chapter on that) and for the most part is brutally honest.