Product Description

Parenthood can be a time of great inner turmoil for a woman, yet parenting books invariably focus on nurturing children rather than the mothers who struggle to raise them. This book is different. It is a book for mothers. "Buddhism for Mothers" explores the potential to be with your children in the all-important present moment; to gain the most joy out of being with them. How can this be done calmly and with a minimum of anger, worry and negative thinking? How can mothers negotiate the changed conditions of their relationships with partners, family and even with friends? Using Buddhist practices, Sarah Napthali offers ways of coping with the day-to-day challenges of motherhood. Ways that also allow space for the deeper reflections about who we are and what makes us happy. By acknowledging the sorrows as well as the joys of mothering, the book can help you shift your perspective so that your mind actually helps you through your day rather than dragging you down. This is Buddhism at its most accessible, applied to the daily realities of ordinary parents.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12232 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Synopsis
Parenthood can be a time of great inner turmoil for a woman, yet parenting books invariably focus on nurturing children rather than the mothers who struggle to raise them. This book is different. It is a book for mothers. "Buddhism for Mothers" explores the potential to be with your children in the all-important present moment; to gain the most joy out of being with them. How can this be done calmly and with a minimum of anger, worry and negative thinking? How can mothers negotiate the changed conditions of their relationships with partners, family and even with friends? Using Buddhist practices, Sarah Napthali offers ways of coping with the day-to-day challenges of motherhood. Ways that also allow space for the deeper reflections about who we are and what makes us happy. By acknowledging the sorrows as well as the joys of mothering, the book can help you shift your perspective so that your mind actually helps you through your day rather than dragging you down. This is Buddhism at its most accessible, applied to the daily realities of ordinary parents.

Customer Reviews

A wonderful, heart-warming book
Every so often you come across a book that you know has the potential to change your life, and this is one of them. I came across this book as an Amazon recommendation and ordered it out of curiosity. I don't have children yet (pregnant at the moment) but thought that I probably won't have much time for reading when we do have kids and so it might be a good idea to read it ahead of time. And I'm glad I did as it has given me time to take on and absorb the content. Even not having children, I was brought almost to tears on several occasions but the sheer truth of what Sarah Napthali writes and, having just finished reading it for the first time, the first thing that I'm going to do is read it again as there is just so much to take in. I already know that it is a book that I will return to again and again and that will comfort me as well as making me a better person (and therefore better mother, partner, friend etc.) if I can put into practice even just a small part of her advice.

Essential reading for Mums
I am not a Buddhist, although there is much about the religion that I think can help us in everyday life. I picked up this book more for the tips on parenting than to learn more about Buddhism. For this reason I only skimmed through the initial and final chapters which are more about Buddhism, and concentrated on the segments in the middle.

What I particularly like about this book is that is very upfront about how difficult and lonely parenting can sometimes feel. Sarah Napthali (and the other women whom she quotes) are very frank about the times when they've been angry with their children or partners, when they've felt depressed or anxious or when they just fail to enjoy parenting as much as they'd like to. It's clear that being a Buddhist doesn't mean that you never feel these difficult emotions, just that you work on not giving in to them. Because this book is written in such an unjudgemental and empathetic way, I found it very inspiring. I think this should be required reading for every mother!

My only critique is really that the book is a still too topline. Although Napthali does give a handy list of techniques to help you parent in a more calm way, I found that some of them were more headlines than how to-s. The book also includes a chapters on topics like concerns about ageing and relationships with your partner and while these were interesting I would have preferred her to spend more time on parenting issues.

Nevertheless, it's a fabulous book to keep on your bedside table. I liked to read a few pages and reflect back at the end of the day.

Wonderful. Can't recommend it enough
Why isn't this book more widely known about? I stumbled on it in a bookshop and it is by far one the best books on motherhood I have read and even one of the best self-help books I've read. The chapter on anger alone is worth the purchase price. Every new mother and mother of young children should have a copy. It has helped me on a daily basis, especially when I've felt frustrated or isolated and both my under-twos have been crying at once. By the way, it's not a silly New-Agey spiritual book, but very practical and very informative. I'm not at all religious and am not a Buddhist, but since reading it I have become very interested in Buddhism. So, on top of all that, it's probably a great introduction to Buddhism too. Also, the author deserves praise for her honesty about her own tribulations sometimes as a mother. Thank you Sarah Napthali.