Easy Does It, Mom - by Barbara Joy (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Every mom wants to succeed. Every child also wants to succeed. In Easy Does It Mom, Barbara Joy provides moms with positive encouragement, knowledge, and tools they can begin using immediately as they continue their recovery and move toward being the best moms they can be. Joy relies on experts with degrees and experts with "mom" behind their name. For more than ten years, Barbara Joy has worked with moms in recovery from alcoholism and other addictions. She knows what works. Plus she includes reallife stories and strategies from the moms and children she works with. The reader is guided by a professional and encouraged and inspired by moms who have "been there, done that." Because moms in recovery feel more safe and secure in a familiar and consistent environment, each chapter begins with an encouraging saying and ends with a writing activity plus between four to eight clear and concise keys are presented in the chapter -- an ataglance tools reference section. For moms in recovery, Barbara says, " Other than your recovery, I believe that parenting is the most important job you'll ever do. It may also very well be the hardest job you'll ever do. And, for sure, the most rewarding "

Review Quotes

Any parent, in recovery or not, will find inspiration and encouragement from the beautifully written examples, and will learn many parenting skills to help them be the parents they always wanted to be. --Jane Nelsen, co-author of Positive Discipline for Parenting in Recovery and author of Serenity: Simple Steps for Recovering Peace of Mind, Real Happiness and Great Relationships-- "Reviews"

As a mom, it is easy to feel that life has supersized itself beyond manageable. Demands tug at you from every direction. Easy Does It, Mom is a chance for moms to catch their breath and refocus. It is validation and it is encouragement, which we all need from time to time. Embracing the lessons in Easy Does It, Mom will help you to continue to make the world a better place. --Mary Rita Schilke Korzan, author of When You Thought I Wasn't Looking: A Book of Thanks for Mom-- "Reviews"

Barbara Joy's book Easy Does It, Mom is a gem. The format makes the book easy to read for busy parents, and it's filled with helpful, practical, and wise suggestions for positive parenting. Barbara's kindness and experience shine through this useful and touching addition to the parenting literature. A must read! --Lynn Lott, M.A., M.F.T., co-author of four books in the Positive Discipline series and fourteen other self-help and parenting books-- "Reviews"

I have always felt parents should require a license before they have children so they would be equipped for the experience. Easy Does It, Mom should be required reading for those seeking a license. When children grow up with love, and mottoes to live by, they care for themselves and know how to survive life's difficulties. Parents, and other authority figures' words are hypnotic, and create their children's future. So Moms read Barbara Joy's words of wisdom and raise children who will make a difference and until she writes Easy Does It, Dad I recommend that fathers read it too. --Bernie Siegel, M.D., author of Prescriptions For Living-- "Reviews"

In a world rife with anger and lost hope, especially for many parents, Easy Does It, Mom is a ray of sunshine. Barbara Joy has provided critical stepbystep help for parents in need of direction. It would be hard to imagine any home in America that couldn't be helped by the timely lessons and direction Joy offers from her real life experiences. I've already made a list of parents I will give this book to. --Earnie Larsen, author of The Healer's Way: Bringing HandsOn Compassion to a LoveStarved World-- "Reviews"

Joy focuses on 'positive parenting': stressing encouragement and positive reinforcement (rather than punishment), as well as incorporating gratitude and humor into the family's lifestyle. Among the issues explored are coping with shame and anger, working toward forgiveness and better self-esteem, and prioritizing tasks and selfcare. Each chapter concludes with a journaling activity, a restatement of key points, and affirmations. References to the likelihood that recovering mothers were themselves victims of poor parenting might lead vulnerable readers to feel guilty about their own prerecovery parenting mistakes, which is unfortunate; blame should not really be the issue. --Antoinette Brinkman, MLS, Evansville, IN, Library Journal, April 2009-- "Reviews"

The real joy in this wise and wonderful book is its deeply felt positiveness about women and mothering. This is a particularly sensitive issue for recovering women. They often carry a tremendous amount of mother guilt. Easy Does It, Mom is written with great sensitivity and caring about the challenges mothers face. Women will feel affirmed by this beautifully written book. --Stephanie S. Covington, Ph.D., author of A Woman's Way through the Twelve Steps and Awakening Your Sexuality: A Guide for Recovering Women-- "Reviews"

About the Author

For the past three decades, Barbara Joy has been working with children and parents in many arenas as Coach, Consultant, Teacher, Educator, Nurse and Advocate, as well as being a mom of three now grown children. Fifteen of those years have included working with parents in recovery and their children, providing education and support. She teaches and consults in both short and long term treatment centers as well as providing individual and family work. Barbara is a Positive Parenting Coach in northern California and also works with parents all over the United States. You will find her online at www.parentingwithjoy.com.