Customer Reviews

Are We Having Fun Yet?: The 16 Secrets of Happy Parenting

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3 star:		(1)
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I thought this was a wonderful book, I enjoyed it very much. What set it apart for me is that it's a book about BEING a parent, not how to parent. It doesn't tell you how to raise your kids. It's about how parents feel and how we can feel better. It was one of the few parenting books I've read that is more likely to relieve guilt than create it.

This book has no preachy advice; the author is truly respectful of individual differences and, having raised 10 kids herself, she's nothing if not realistic. She talks a lot about "attitude and atmosphere" and how the way we feel as parents affects those things. Along that central theme the book is filled with encouragement and food for thought. She really tries to uplift parents, encourage them to enjoy the ride and offers frequent reminders of the rewards of the job.

The text is broken up by anecdotes from the author, her children and others, and quotes borrowed from everything from the Farmer's Almanac to Confucius. I pick the book up often for a shot in the arm of inspiration. The anecdotes alone could be read "Chicken Soup" style.

Best of all, perhaps, the book is an easy read. It is written in a light tone. It's short, direct, and formatted for brief reading sessions (which is all most parents really get!).

The author, Kay Willis, has 10 kids (yes, 10). It reads like Erma Bombeck and has wonderful advice in a non-lecturing way, makes you happy that you have kid(s). My husband is now worried that I will want lots more.

This is the best parenting book I've ever read, period. I keep it with me and read it in the car during rush hour delays, and I arrive home completely jazzed and not guilty. As a nursing mom, I also read it while expressing milk at work; it's a really uplifting book. It's essential for parents who ever feel stressed, unsure of themselves, worn down by work and kid demands, and short on romantic or even friendly thoughts.

Some examples that enticed me to actually finish the book (like most parents, I can't say that about most books these days):

* It's not too thick!!

* It was so entertaining and well-written I finished it before I knew it, and actually wished it wasn't over!

* Kay reminds parents that if they are bored or not having fun, their kids feel the same, and urges parents not to serve leftover versions of themselves. Having fun, protecting your own sense of worth and happiness are essential to a healthy family. "Having fun is an important parenting skill - if you're overcommitted and exhausted you're not much fun to be around"

* "Let the chores go and have fun with your kids" I always love to hear that.

* Kay became Fisher Price's spokesperson for a new camera toy, by betting the president of Fisher Price that she could sell more toys than their camera "expert."

* She's upbeat and crazy and shares a lot of common sense

* She relishes life.

* Kay formed a group called "Mothers Matter" to help parents network and learn, because "Motherhood is like a secret society. You don't really find out all about it until after you've been initiated."

* Kay doesn't leave out the fathers END

I really loved this book, it made me remember that parenting is a happy experience. Kay focuses our attention on the issue that raising a happy child is not so difficult and that it is acomplished througth parents who have time for themselves as well as for enjoying their family. It is also a book easy to read you don't have to cover it in a secuential order, you can read a few pages and then continue or just start a new chapter. Thank you Kay for this book!!!

With a sense of humor and openness that only an experienced mother can portray, Kay Willis makes this parenting book fun to read. She's been there, done that, and somehow makes a reader feel that it's something she'd do again (parent another child) if given the opportunity.

I read it at a low time in my relationship with my teens and immediately felt lifted--that the things we deal with are universal to raising of kids. She really empowered me as a mother to feel that I'm doing well and that despite my best efforts life will not always be rosey. We must just keep plugging away and that sometimes what we think as a tough situation can be better handled with a different persective. I only wish she had a "Dear Kay" column!

What a great parenting book; and I've read them all! This book is one of, if not THE, best book about parenting. It helped me to be more patient and compassionate with my kids. It also helped me to enjoy parenting more, which is not easy all the time. Great gift for parents whose children are approaching a tough age, like the 2's, 3's and 4's. Also those with teenagers.

Throw away all of your modern day, psycho-babble, parenting books and magazines. This book is for "real" people. The co-author, Kay Willis, has successfully raised 10 thoughtful, responsible, caring, loving children by using common sense, laughter and love. I bought this book as I was preparing to have my fourth child in less than five years. My life is, in a word, CHAOS. Something made me pick up this book and I haven't put it down since. I read it over and over to remind myself of the 16 steps. By the way, it is the first book I have successfully completed since I began having children (there's no time to read!). However, I read a few pages of this book every night before collapsing from the day's exhausting events. I cannot tell you how this book has helped me to stop screaming and threatening and begin listening to my four little boys. This book is full of pearls of wisdom. You will love it and buy it for all your friends who have children. I did!

I read this book when I was really stressed from having three teenage daughters and a newborn. I found her wit and honesty refreshing. Just goes to show you dont have to be perfect to be a great mom. The greatest lesson was to enjoy the experience of childhood and not to stress about the things in life. Great read for ANY parent.

I almost didn't make it through this book because it starts off by telling you to take time for yourself and the author explains how her mom paid for her to have a sitter in the afternoons so she could sit at a girlfriend's and decompress, or how her husband would bathe the kids every night. I liked the later chapters better, but didn't hit any epiphanies. Maybe my expectations are too high for these books.

If every mother in America read this book, there would be a lot fewer job opportunities for treaters of depression and PMS! Kay Willis tells parents that the best way to take care of our children is to take care of ourselves. This witty, funny and brilliant book will tell you how to breathe easier, fear less and trust your own parenting skills more. Kay insists that every parent needs two hours a week for their own fun. Spend your first scheduled fun-time reading this book and it will change your life!