Customer Reviews

How To Be A Zen Mama: 13 Ways To Let Go, Stop Worrying and Be Closer to Your Kids

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3 star:		(1)
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THis is a lovely book, and the author is obviously a very cool and thoughtful person. But I found the book to be very, very basic with advice that was somewhat obvious (be kind!) and not expounded on enough to be helpful. I read it in about 20 minutes and won't need to pick it up again.

I was fortunate to listen to Betsy Henry give a talk on this book. She shared many stories from the book, all with great meaning.
Most pearls of wisdom are simple, allowing busy and sometimes frazzled parents to digest the clear and simple suggestions for being a more mindful parent. I teach classes to kids about energy, awareness, mindfulness and yoga and yet I,too, forget what I know when I am exhausted or overwhelmed at the end of the day. This book brings you right back to what is important: pure and loving connections with your children. I highly recommend this book!

I loved this book. SO much in fact, that I had ordered a copy for my sister as a birthday gift. She's a mom of a toddler. I think this is very beneficial for moms!

I really related to key points in "How To Be A Zen Mama." On page 18 Betsy touches on the view point that your children's failures and successes are not a reflection of you. Let your children be who they are and learn to let go. This is such a hard but important realization of parenthood.

Betsy mentions Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences. I became familiar with his writing when I was homeschooling my youngest son Josh. This is a very important topic. Children do learn in so many different ways. I love how at preschool Betsy asks the children "What kind of smart are you?" instead of "How smart are you?"
Every child is good at something and it's our job to help them discover what it is.

In chapter Eight "Find Out What They're Interested In" she talks about relating to your children by speaking their language. Living in a house full of males this chapter really resonated with me. I learned how to camp, fish, watch football, Dragon ball Z and Pokemon. You have to find ways to connect to your children on their level. One of the best ways is to learn about something they are interested in.
How To Be A Zen Mama: 13 Ways To Let Go, Stop Worrying and Be Closer to Your Kids
Intentional Conscious Parenting

This was a fantastic book! Being a mom is so challenging and no matter how
much you think you have it all together or not, reading this book helped me
immensely. And as our worries, and stresses change with age, Zen Mom, put a
whole new perspective on life where you can just exhale and be Zen. The
book will remind you to spend time with your kids in ways you may not have
thought of. And to have this book around for the wonderful reminders to go
back to once in a while sure helps as our children grow and our lives get
busier. A marvelous quick read. I highly recommend for all parents young
and old.

This book really spoke to me. The author addressed all my fears and worries about parenting and I felt like she was speaking directly to my situation! Like her, I have often felt like I can be the Zen preschool teacher but then have trouble carrying this philosophy over to my own children. This book allowed me the opportunity to step back from my daily worries and focus on the most important aspects of parenting- demonstrating love and acceptance for all children.
~ Kristin, preschool teacher and parent, Thailand

"I cried when I read your first Zen story about the young mother who forgot who she was. That's exactly how I felt when the kids were little and I still feel it sometimes now."
~ Tricia Gast, Body Talk Practitioner, Littleton, Colorado

I was fighting back tears while I read How To Be A Zen Mama. It's really a gem and I love it. I will reference it often, as I have an 11 year old daughter right now who's dealing with pubescent, pre-teenage angst, hormones, peer pressure, self-induced pressure, etc. Any pearls of wisdom within my grasp are always appreciated. Your delivery is calming and filled with nothing but love and compassion, the traits we desperately need more of in this world.

Kindness and unconditional love are not always accessible when moms find themselves in the midst of turbulent and tantruming waters, but Betsy McKee Henry helps us to navigate the riptides of parenthood by encouraging the art of going with the flow. The book is about maintaining a sense of love, kindness and serenity throughout the storms of family life. She illustrates one example of a frantic mom madly rushing out the door, frantically looking for her keys. In the midst of mayhem her daughter offers her a gift wadded up in toilet paper. Irritated, the mom takes the present to appease her child only to find there's nothing inside. Angrily she chides the girl for wasting toilet paper on nothing. Her daughter tells her she's wrong. There are 100 kisses inside. "How to be a Zen Mama," is full of gems just like this, pulling it all into perspective.