My kids have actually been viewing this time as quite the adventure and haven't really minded being home. Me, however, I've had some anxiety and mood swings since being home. With my husband working at home, too, I have to get the kids to do their homework and play nicely without interrupting video meetings by screaming like banshees. This time has been stressful and sometimes maniac mommy emerges only to be quickly stuffed back in, kind of like a mommy Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde.
I couldn't have gotten the opportunity to review Peace Pirates, written by Ashley Willis, at a better time.
Peace Pirates
Ashley writes about reclaiming the peace that life tries to steal away like pirates. In the beginning, she shares about her life and what it's like to raise four boys. She is so relatable, right away, because she keeps it real. She doesn't claim to be a perfect parent. Instead she writes about the struggles of parenting as well as the joy.
In part two, she writes about the four main things (peace pirates) that moms- and dads, can struggle with that can keep us from having peace.
A very brief summary of these pirates are:
Mommy Martyrdom can be when we sacrifice our time or energy for the sake of being seen as parent who has it together.
Comparison Chaos is when we compare our family with other families.
Clenching Control happens when we hold on tightly to the way we think things should be done, even though it may not be what should be.
Excessive Expectations is when we expect things to be a certain way, which kind of bums us out when it's not.
Ashley, obviously writes about these so much better than I have. (So you should totally read about it.) What's even cooler, is that after we read about the different peace pirates, there is an assessment we can take to figure out which one afflicts us more so we can work on not letting it affect our family negatively.
Conclusion
A couple of days ago, after I read about the Peace Pirates, Clenching Control and Excessive Expectations, I had my boys pooper scoop the yard while I raked up some some weeds and grass. I was hot and sweaty, I had already mowed and weed whacked the yard, which really needed it because I dropped the ball on yard work, last year. At this point, I did not have the patience to redirect my boys. After yelling at them to stop swinging their bags of poo at each other while they worked, I realized that it didn't really matter how my boys were picking up the dog poo only that I should have been glad that they were helping out.
What I really enjoyed about this book is that it was nice to read that I'm not the only mom who worries about how I parent or blunders sometimes. Reading this has really gotten me to think about some of the problems that do come to steal my peace and has given me places to look and reflect. Hopefully, by being aware of what my Peace Pirates are, I can work on not giving them control over my life.
Lastly, the only way that I'll be able accomplish this is by asking God to help me through it. Ashley writes about how important it is to begin your day with Him. When we spend time in the Word, we've already had a positive start to our day. I'm not going to be able to do this all on my own. Through God, all things are possible and with him, I with him, maybe this parenting thing can be a PEACE of cake.
You can get your own copy of Peace Pirates, below or: One Lucky winner will get the chance to win a copy of this book. Comment below for your chance. I will hold a drawing on June 12, 2020.
(Disclaimer- This is an Amazon Affiliate link, which means, should you purchase from this link, I may receive a small commission.)
This sounds like something I need to read. I’ve been struggling as a mom recently-this could help!
ReplyDeleteThis has been an abnormal year and you just had a baby. There is so much for you to all adjust right, now. Cut yourself some slack. You're doing a great job!
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