Confessions of a Scary Mommy

An Honest and Irreverent Look at Motherhood - The Good, The Bad, and the Scary

By: Jill Smokler

Narrated by: Jill Smokler

Sometimes I just let my children fall asleep in front of the TV.

In a culture that idealizes motherhood, it’s scary to confess that, in your house, being a mother is beautiful and dirty and joyful and frustrating all at once. Admitting that it’s not easy doesn’t make you a bad mom; at least, it shouldn’t.

If I can’t survive my daughter as a toddler, how the hell am I going to get through the teenage years?

When Jill Smokler was first home with her small children, she thought her blog would be something to keep friends and family updated. To her surprise, she hit a chord in the hearts of mothers everywhere.

I end up doing my son’s homework. It’s wrong, but so much easier.

Total strangers were contributing their views on that strange reality called motherhood. As other women shared their stories, Jill realized she wasn’t alone in her feelings of exhaustion and imperfection.

My eighteen month old still can’t say “Mommy” but used the word “shit” in perfect context.

But she sensed her readers were still holding back, so decided to start an anonymous confessional, a place where real moms could leave their most honest thoughts without fearing condemnation.

I pretend to be happy but I cry every night in the shower.

The reactions were amazing: some sad, some pee-in-your-pants funny, some brutally honest. But they were real, not a commercial glamorization.

I clock out of motherhood at 8 P.M. and hide in the basement with my laptop and a beer.

If you’re already a fan, lock the bathroom door on your whining kids, run a bubble bath, and settle in. If you’ve not encountered Scary Mommy before, break out a glass of champagne as well, because you’ll be toasting your initiation into a select club.

I know why some animals eat their young.

In chapters that cover husbands ("The Biggest Baby of Them All") to homework ("Didn’t I Already Graduate?"), Confessions of a Scary Mommy combines all-new essays from Jill with the best of the anonymous confessions.

Sometimes I wish my son was still little - then I hear kids screaming at the store.

As Jill says, “We like to paint motherhood as picture perfect. A newborn peacefully resting on his mother’s chest. A toddler taking tentative first steps into his mother’s loving arms. A mother fluffing her daughter’s prom dress. These moments are indeed miraculous and joyful; they can also be few and far between.”

©2012 Jill Smokler (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Awesome awesome awesome

Gave birth 4 weeks ago this book was just what I needed !!!

A real picture of being a real mom, real stories that made me feel not alone!
I wish it was endless!!!

Going to check other books from the author!!!

how can you not love it?

What did you love best about Confessions of a Scary Mommy?

Irreverent, honest, funny, touching - the stories of all the ups and downs of motherhood.. and for an adoptive parent in the "waiting" stage, this gives me solace. It is confirmed that all my worst fears are true, BUT I am not the only one that thinks this way. What if I try for so long to become a mom and day after day, I will hate it? Looks like I will and I will also love it! These women's stories crack me up and help me pass the interminable wait with a smile.

Great and Honest Book!

What a great feeling to know that you aren't the only one going through and feeling certain things! Love the honesty in this book!

Cracked Me Up!

Would you listen to Confessions of a Scary Mommy again? Why?

This book was great, it made me feel much better knowing that there are so many moms (or maybe all moms) that are so much like me in my struggles to be a good mom, keep a sense of self and juggle everything else life throws at us.

Caution: Do not listen to this while you're in the car with your kids ;)

A few laughs, but not recommended

While I did enjoy a few laughs, it really isn't a book I would recommend. I think what I enjoy about laughing with other moms about the craziness of parenthood is following that up with some form of encouragement and edification. This book is missing the positive spin; it is for those who love sarcasm and aren't easily offended by the F bomb.

LOL

This book made me laugh, made me cry, made me cringe, and most importantly, made me happy to know I'm not alone as "a bad mommy". Thank you for sharing your mom life with the world!

Outstanding!

As a mom, I have days that I feel sub-par. I have days where I feel like everything I do is wrong, and that I'm the worst mother in the world. As I listened to this audiobook, I realized that there are so many women who feel the same way I do. Mrs. Jill Smokler is a genius! I laughed, I cried, and I learned to not be so hard on myself. Two thumbs WAY up!

Frustrated

I admit I'm not a stay-at-home mom. So maybe I'm not getting the full parenting experience. I do, however, I have a one-year-old, and I thought this book would be funny. What I found is that it celebrates and blissfully condones not only bad parenting, but also bad spousing. I mean, I'm not a perfect parent---I let my 1 year old eat 3 whole Barbados cherries yesterday (with 3 spiney pits each) and didn't tell the babysitter that it might hurt to poop today---but I don't take pride in my oversight and knowing others have done the same or worse doesn't make me feel better about it. I've already promised myself I won't do it again. I strive to be a better parent and spouse. I think it's the tone of the book that irritates me, not the content because I recognize no parent is perfect. Bad parenting is not ok---it happens--as parents we all have our oblivious and knowingly devious moments--but let's not write a book, grow complacent, and act like this is acceptable.

Wonderful humorous look at real-life parenting

What made the experience of listening to Confessions of a Scary Mommy the most enjoyable?

This book includes many real-life accounts of parenting. As a mother of a 4 and 6 year old, I can totally relate. I especially loved the real mom confessions at the beginning of each chapter. They were hilarious and made me feel much better about my parenting skills!

What other book might you compare Confessions of a Scary Mommy to and why?

I know there are several other similar books out there, but I have not read any of those. This book is like reading a blog, which makes sense because it is based on her blog.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. I enjoyed listening to this here and there- while walking the dog, while in the car going to pick up the kids, etc. It is broken up into chapters that can easily be listened to separately. I enjoyed having brief comic relief sprinkled through my week while listening to this.

Any additional comments?

This is a great book for any mom, but especially for a new mom. I think we mothers expect to be perfect (or at least really good) at being a mom and that's not possible. This book exposes the truth- that we are all just getting by doing the best we can and taking shortcuts when necessary. This should ease the mommy guilt of any reader and allows all of us to look at the trials of parenthood through the lens of comedy. It certainly helped me to relax and lighten up with my own children!

Perfect!

Totally true, hysterically funny! All this has happened to me, but I could never write it so completely engagingly (is that a word?).