Customer Reviews

Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In a different format, I might have given this author 5 stars; she can write. However, please note that a "lexicon" for the half-insane working mom (from the back cover copy) means a dictionary. Terms are in alphabetical order followed by little essays in which she tries to be cute. On the plus side, you could read this in small batches of time (say, when your child is napping), but on the minus side, the book just doesn't gel together in any coherent way. But before you rate this review as "unhelpful," please take a look at an example from the book and you'll see what I mean:

"Conflict of interest: It's Sunday: you must take the dog to the park before 9:00 a.m. when he is allowed to be off the leash. Husband has soccer from 9:00 to 10:00; teenager has church confirmation class, also from 9:00 to 10:00. Teenager must be at soccer game one town over at 10:30. Middle child has church school from 10:00 to 11:00."
Add 8 more lines of this, and you have a sample entry. Is it "charming"? "Hilarious"? Well, the back cover says so, but I disagree.

If you look at the gushing reviews from other well-known authors, which is what got me hooked in the first place, you will see that someone mentions it would make a good gift. I should have read between the lines: this means it's gimicky. You can't dive into this book: it's just too shallow. Good for quick wading, but that's about it.

In the time since I became a mother seven years ago I have both worked and stayed home. I worked for the first year and a half of motherhood. After adding a second child to our family and trying a job sharing plan that didn't end up working out as planned which coincided with a decision to relocate across the country and sell our house (which meant I wouldn't be able to stay at that job anyway) I started staying home and I have been home now for a number of years. I know that the clock is starting to wind down to my going back to work outside of the home, but I also know in my heart that right now I am not ready to do that. This book works well for both working outside of the home moms and stay at home moms. I hate the fact that stay at home moms are viewed as not working, as if every day is a day off, but that is a whole different topic.

Kristin van Ogtrop is the editor at Real Simple Magazine and has been working since before her first child was born. Her writing is funny and easy to read. I got through the book in just a few days mostly while I was nursing my son or winding down before bed. Each chapter is arranged with a letter and alphabetical listings of terms for moms. Some examples are "accounting error" when you accidentally have one more child than you can handle, "boredom fantasy" when you remember back to when you were much younger and actually had enough free time to be bored, "ignore the tray" where you must act like a waiter and not look at all that is on your plate otherwise it will all tip- just keep you head up and keep going and you will be fine, and "that-sounds-like-fun-I'll-try it!" where you end up thinking you can do more than you can and end up in a situation that may be uncomfortable or just a pain like having your house renovated while you are still living in it.

Van Ogtrop is really funny, it is nice to read about other mothers who don't feel like they have it all together all the time. I really enjoyed the alphabetical nature of the book, it made it feel organized. Earlier this year I read a book called Mother Daze and this reminded me of that one. It was also written by a working mother who had three children and they both did a good job with relating to the reader and using humor. For all mothers and maybe even all women, there is such a balancing act going on in our lives with how much time to give to our jobs, our families and ourselves and it is so hard to achieve what feels just right for all of those areas and really, sometimes if we just managed to get a bit more sleep it would go smoother but it feels like there isn't enough time to get that rest since so much needs to be done and we just keep going around on this treadmill.

I requested this book for review from Hatchette Books

I don't know how I feel about this book. It seems to be very personal to the author herself, and not all of the definitions felt familiar to me. On the other hand, I've only been at this working mom thing for six months now. It's definitely another one in the genre of upper-middle-class moms, like so many other books. The War on Moms: On Life in a Family-Unfriendly Nation made the point that most of these books miss the point of what it's like for families that don't have supportive husbands, nannies, or understanding workplaces. Nevertheless, I too am one of the privileged few who was able to stay home for maternity leave, has a safe and clean place to pump and a workplace that will give me a flexible schedule. And you know, I feel pretty lucky. This book on the other hand sometimes made me feel a little sad. The author seems so harried, and most of the definitions are about hurried, rushed, stressful situations. I think the book really focuses on some of the negative sides to parenting, and tries to make them funny. Sometimes it succeeds. However, reading anecdote after anecdote, I eventually started to feel a little down. Or maybe I felt lucky - after all, I'm not feeling "half-insane" yet. Then again, I only have one kid. Perhaps this book is incentive to keep it that way.

Hilarious, brutally honest, and totally non-judgemental. Finally someone has put into words what most of us raising children, whether working outside of the home or not, are thinking and feeling.

I loved this book! Since it is written as a series of definitions (which will resonate with any working mother, no matter how far up the corporate ladder), it is easy to pick up and read whenever one has 2 minutes to spare. I, however, raced to get through it because it was just *that* good. Don't be fooled however: while it is humor-filled and mostly light-hearted, I was reduced to tears over more than a couple of painfully poignant definitions. A validating read for any working mother, "Just Let Me Lie Down" will help you to love your - albeit crazy - slice of life. Enjoy!

I laughed out loud so many times reading this book. Its not a parenting book or even a book with a story line you have to follow, which for me was great so I could pick it up and put it down as I needed, between chasing kids and answering emails. I appreciated the fact that I could relate will most of the 'Terms' Kristin came up for every day life experiences. I definitely want to share with all my half-insane working mom girlfriends.

Disclaimer: Not a working mom, not a mom, not even a woman. Still, very impressed with this book.

Working mothers are a special breed. Having to balance the emotions, responsibilities, and sheer WORK of being a mom with the pressures of working outside the home is one of the most daunting tasks out there, and that special group is well deserved of a book that is easy to read, provides a little perspective, and on top of that, is pretty darn funny.

JUST LET ME LIE DOWN is that book. Author Kristin van Ogtrop uses here experiences as both a mom and a magazine editor to pen a dictionary of terms every working mom needs. Some are just flat out funny. Most are funny with a bit of a message. A few are just pure genius. Throughout the book, the consistent theme is one of balance and perspective; sorting out what's important from what just gets in the way. It's a skill all of us could use, but that a working mom can't live without. Whether it be giving advice about Blackberry addiction, finding time to have dinner together, or just making sure to take some "me" time, van Ogtrop's dictionary can both educate and entertain any working mom who can find time to read just a few pages every so often.

Again, though I'm not a working mom (I'm a working dad, but that's way different) I picked up some important nuggets from this book. In addition, I asked my wife to read it, because I think she will pick up a few things as well and that's an endorsement at least as good as anything I can write here.

Warm, smart, well-written, funny, and easily digestible, JUST LET ME LIE DOWN makes a great gift for any working mom out there. Highly recommended!

As an avid reader of Real Simple and a HUGE fan of Kristin's weekly blog,I was elated when I heard she was writing a book. Kristin understands the life of a busy mom. This book is written in such a clever and witty way, her stories literally made me laugh out loud. This book is everything I thought it would be.

I am a working mom of 3 and I also own my own business.
Although I am fortunate to have a wonderful & helpful husband there are things that fall through the cracks. After I read this book, it was nice to know that I am not alone, there are other half-insane working moms out there. This book is a must read for ALL MOMS!

Read either cover-to-cover, or in snippets, Just Let Me Lie Down is a mom's eye view that tells the untold side of motherhood. No, things don't always work out perfectly. Yes, sometimes you linger a little longer at the office, because at least there, you won't be forced to mediate three screaming kidfights while trying to get dinner cooked, while the dog is howling to get out the door. Although not a mother myself (being male, and voluntarily child free), I still found plenty in this book to read, and enjoy.

The book is laid out in alphabetical order, but doesn't really read like a dictionary or encyclopaedia. Instead, it's a series of vignettes interlaced with each other. I'd compare it to having a tasting menu versus going the whole nine and a large meal. Just think of it like a blog you can read on the subway. Definitely good for when you want to get into a book, but don't really have the full time and attention span for major plot points or characters.

As a fan of the Real Simple magazine that Kristin is the editor of, I expected a much better read than I got. This book was inane and impossible to get through. It is written as a dictionary of terms that all working mothers should be able to relate to. What she tried to make funny comes off as contrived and stiff. I do not recommend this book at all.