Not Like My Mother:Becoming a sane parent after growing up in a CRAZY family by Irene Tomkinson, MSW [Kindle Edition]

MSW Irene Tomkinson (Author)

Book Description

"Not Like My Mother  This book is a gift for anyone who has ever said,
 
 “I am NOT going to raise my kids the way I was raised!!”
 
If you are trying to be the parent you always wanted and didn’t get, Irene will teach you why it is more effective that you be the parent your children need – not the one you needed. How to separate what belongs to your history and what belongs in your present life is some of the rich, practical advice you will take away from  Not Like My Mother.
 
In the early distribution of Not Like My Mother readers reported they couldn’t put the book down. It reads like a compelling novel with a human and spiritual insight that makes you feel a part of the conversation.
 
YOU WILL WANT THIS BOOK FOR ALL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!!!"

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Irene is a successful holistic therapist, retreat leader and a gifted teacher and communicator. She takes complicated psychological constructs and puts them into language that is easily understood. She weaves with humor her own powerful story of recovery and spiritual unfoldment into her teaching. Find a comfortable chair, let the phone go to voice mail, and give yourself the gift of . . . NOT LIKE MY MOTHER.

Product Details

• File Size: 320 KB
• Print Length: 180 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (February 14, 2008)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005OYB8OO
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,427 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #35 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Biographies & Memoirs

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "If I only had this book when they were little" July 6, 2008

By Bonnie F.

Format:Paperback

Irene asked me if I would like to read the unedited copy in preparation for her best seller (at least that was the first thought I had in my head)as I started reading it, tears came to my eyes, and I couldn't put this book down. I thought, "if only I had this book when my kids were little, I wouldn't of tried to parent them how I was parented" The mistakes I made, the damage I had done without knowing it...I thought I was doing the right thing as a parent, and reading Irene's book I knew I hadn't...but it was not too late...she shares her own personal story of what she did and what she is doing now. I found the answers in this book for nurturing, healthy, effective parenting..It is never too late, and what a gift you young parent's and us older ones will benefit from (and even if you don't have children and are just grandparents or your own mother is still alive) as you read this and start implementing it into your life now, if you want to change how you feel,act,think,and respond to your children,adult children,grandchildren,or just anyone ...this is a "must read"

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest, compelling and thought provoking May 26, 2012

By Stowe39

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this book today and read it in one sitting. If you're a parent who grew up in less than ideal circumstances, and can't understand why your children don't appreciate how good they've got it - you NEED to read this book.

Irene tells her story with brutal honesty. She examines her situation and explains how she justified decisions, but doesn't sweep her less desirable traits under the carpet. I admire her courage.

Since finishing the book, I am able to realize how my upbringing has affected me, and I'm now analyzing how I parent my children.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Deeply personal and thought-provoking July 1, 2012

By Cheryl A. Bowman

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Every once in a while I run across a real jewel in among the free books on Amazon. This is one of those books.

To my surprise, I found a deeply thoughtful, at times almost uncomfortably honest look into the inner life of the author. It is a good book for those that tend to learn more from walking beside someone rather than being told what to think/do. This isn't a conventional self-help book, but a lot of lessons can be gained by a thoughtful reader.

At the end, the memoir left me thoughtful and strengthened, challenged yet encouraged. It won't help everyone, no book does, but it helped me and for that, I thank the author.

The ending was great....

We teach what we need to learn. And we teach it until we get it.

I finally got it. Now it is your turn. Go find your own story, claim it, appreciate it, don't deny it, and above all have compassion for it. In the end, what else do we have but our own story with all of its lessons and blessings?

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Like My Mother is a must read July 23, 2008

By Nancy Eichhorn

Format:Paperback

Irene's personal, humorous and insightful writing style allowed me to initially romp through the pages picking and choosing what resonated on the surface, while her presence and heartfelt stories motivated me to explore my own life more deeply by both rereading the text and writing in response to the offered prompts. Irene's willingness to share her stories allowed me to look inward at my behavior as a child and my expectations of my parents, as an aunt and my expectations toward my niece and nephew, and as a counselor and the stories my clients share and my response in return. There is something for everyone regardless of being a parent or not. Irene offers herself not to say, "Here is the right way to be an effective parent," but rather, to say, "Here's what I did and why I made those choices then, and what worked for me and what didn't," and she offers some reasons as to why and ways to change. Irene's honesty was infectious; I found myself willingly looking inward with the same courage to reveal my shadow side with humility and grace. I learned from Irene's experiences and with awareness I have the ability to truly change. Nancy Eichhorn M.Ed., M.A.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A free book that was worth a million! June 20, 2012

By Deborah Edery

Format:Kindle Edition

Although I received this book as a free download from Amazon, I rate it as priceless. Many of the messages conveyed through Irene Tomkinson's painful and very personal journey present many universal truths, the ones that wounded adults just missed growing up and just don't get until ready or desperate. To paraphrase Tomlinson: When a student is ready a teacher will appear.

When you did not get the tools growing up and you are still hurting, the tendency is to try to protect loved one's from the hurt we experienced, and we become the fixers. What we don't realize is that we are not the same people and that their experiences are their own and different from ours. We find it so hard to allow them to find their own path and in turn find our way back to being ourselves instead of "living for others". One reviewer lamented not having this book when her children were young. The key is to be ready to internalize the wisdom the author so bravely shared. It is never too late to change our approach to living.
Are you ready? If so the book is worth a million.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazed June 13, 2012

By AR

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I read this book in just a couple sitting, which is very unusual for me. It is amazing the insight this book provided and I am finding myself thinking of it as I interact with my small children. I expected it to be more comical but instead it gave me something I needed more, a serious look at what is causing me to parent the way I do and what choices I made in life as a result of my own parents. It is a must read for anyone who struggled with childhood issues.