Customer Reviews

Steady Days: A Journey Toward Intentional, Professional Motherhood

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A delightful and inspiring book! I'm a mom of three balancing family, work, and homeschool. What I value is practical, real-world advice on how to make the most of these days at home with my children. Steady Days gave me ideas for things I'd like to add into our daily rhythm and ways to make those changes possible. I've been especially inspired by the structured play ideas and the list of small changes to make. I also gained some perspective in the chapters on retaining enthusiasm for mothering - easy to do on the wonderful days, but a challenge on those difficult ones. Jamie has given moms practical, easy to implement tools for intentional, professional motherhood. A quick read, full of good information - perfect for busy parents!

"Steady Days" is wonderful reminder for the importance of intention in our lives, especially when raising children. This little book was a fast read, but full of useful ideas and gentle nudges towards days filled with more intention and calm. And although this was a quick read, I know that I will be returning to this book often. My own son has just turned three and I feel now, more than ever, the importance of having a calm and "steady" rhythm to our days. I also really appreciated the idea of approaching motherhood in a professional way because whether you stay at home or work success in the family arena requires the same attention to detail and intention as any other choosen profession, and in "Stead Days" Martin lays out a great framework for finding a good balance.

I used to be a "professional" in the work place but feel like that has gone out the window since I decided to be a stay at home mother. This book is really helping me develop some structure in my day. I can't wait to implement some of the strategies and start with some "intentional" mothering! This is a great book to help Mothers efficiently navigate through their day.

This book is excellent for moms who need practical and creative ideas to implement in the daily life of motherhood. If you are needing organization tips, there are many ideas for getting yourself organized. For those who love organization, this book has a wealth of ideas on how to stay organized! If you are overwhelmed by the idea of "schedules" and "organization", you can always tweak the ideas that the author gives to suit your lifestyle. Either way, it is a great addition to any mom's library. The author bases her practical tips and ideas on driving principles: Getting organized, retaining enthusiasm, learning together and making memories. It is a fast and easy read, which is a plus for any busy mom.

I love this book! I've juggled a career and family for so long and always felt like neither were getting the best of me. My husband and I have talked for so long about making a plan, setting a schedule and organizing our time so that we can do simple things like go to the gym without the guilt of abandoning "work". Sitting down to "plan the plan" just seems so daunting! Steady Days has done all of that work for us. I know there are so many families out there who will benefit so greatly from the practical, no nonsense advice given in this book.
Jamie's ideas for creating memories along the way are again, simple to implement but will reap huge rewards later. A fabulous piece of work!

I have a slight problem with authority and rules. Therefore, it follows that I also have issues with schedules and organization. I mostly feel that all of those things cramp my style. I like to be able to run off and do things on the spur of the moment without worrying about what I'm not doing. However, I was definitely finding myself and the children to be in a rut. I noticed that the TV was slowly taking over our lives again, I was on the computer all day long, nothing was getting done around the house and we weren't rushing off on any exciting adventures; planned or unplanned. I felt as if we were slowly coming apart at the seams and life felt chaotic and harried all the time. Every member of the house could feel it too which was just making things worse.
the bo
So, last week while I was perusing Amazon, "Steady Days" kept popping up on my recommended books list. On a complete whim, I put it in my cart and then ordered it. When it arrived, I was still very skeptical. This book had the potential of ruining my life and making me do things that I didn't want to do. For whatever reason, I picked it up before any of the other books (that I was much more excited about) and started reading.

One of the first thing I read as I flipped through the book was this,

"Some people think that if they become organized, they will lose their spontaneity and passion for living. Because they really value these qualities, they think they must accept their disorganization in order to maintain their free spirit. This doesn't have to be the case. Having a flexible structure helps you enjoy spontaneity. If you have taken the time to be organized in the things that matter most, then you will not feel behind. So when an opportunity comes your way, like the first warm day of spring or a special concert for the children, you can ditch the rest of your plans and go for it. You can enjoy without guilt because your other responsibilities are up to date."

That simple paragraph really clicked with me and I was hooked. Over the past few days, I have written and implemented a morning and afternoon routine for the kids and I, and we are all adjusting to it rather well. It made the days flow much smoother and we all were engaged and interacting with each other. I am really looking forward to this becoming the norm here and where that will take us.

I'm not saying that this was a miracle cure for all the ails my family, but it is certainly clearing up some of the symptoms! "Steady Days" has become my new go-to book for getting through the day with grace and making the changes that are necessary. I encourage you to get a copy of this book and check it out for yourself.

Had this book only had a few more chapters, it would be a 5 in my book. I really appreciate the encouragement and guidance toward steady days with my children. This book is arranged into 40 short (1 to 3 pages) chapters, to help busy moms get through them. This book will help you plan your days and keep encouraged while easily making memories and keepsakes for your children. I do wonder how many 3 ring binders the author has in her house, since her solution to everything is a 3 ring binder! I found the tips simple, but useful. As moms, we sometimes feel the need to over think and over complicate things. There are several pages in the back of her reproduceable worksheets, but they are easy enough to make on your own. (And they are available on her website for download- for a fee.) I just wish the book had gone on a bit further- how to stay organized when you're out, what to do about a steady schedule when you're on vacation, how to make the schedule work for multiple children better, etc.

Steady Days gave me much-needed tools and tips for becoming an organized, professional mom. After putting some of Jamie Martin's ideas into action, I feel more confident, prepared, and intentional in my job as a mother. I recommend this book to all moms, especially if you're missing being in the work force or feeling bogged down by all the responsibilities of raising children.

I have numerous books on parenting, and have taken bits and pieces from many of them, but this book is by far the most practical and useful to me. The book is full of helpful examples, not just vague generalizations. It is chock full of good ideas that one can immediately put into use to carve out reliable time to get things done, as well as realize your goals for your children and family.

I'm one of those people who resists routine and structure. I like to feel spontaneous, and structure tends to feel oppressive to me. But with a toddler, I NEED and WANT structure. If you're like me, you'll resist structure until the chaos tipping point makes you desperate for a semblance of order and control. I'm over the hump now, and I have to say it's nice on this side of things. Structure means I don't have to reinvent the wheel every two hours of the day, or every day of the week, which is just too much work! Organization allows me to think and plan during the rare times I'm CAPABLE of that during the week. The rest of the week I can coast. Routine allows me to rest, and as everyone says, children really do thrive in it.

Sunday evening is now my weekly plan time. I make a weekly to do list and a shopping list, which makes me feel on top of the essentials. With the shopping list made, I look forward to Monday, our new food shopping day. I've never had a food shopping "day" in my life, but for some reason I am enjoying this. (One of my big stresses lately has been getting meals together, and with this I know that I won't be left stressed and scrambling to put together a meal at any point during the week.)

I've also begun planning activities more intentionally for my daughter. I love her idea of rotating the structured play activities each day of the week, so the toys come out once per week for maximum "wow" effect. She even lists examples of what her own toy rotation might be. I found it very helpful to read the concrete examples. Matchbox cars one day, Legos another, dress-up another...she lists more, and reading it really helped me to get the picture of what structure play can look like for us. (On that note, I'm also enjoying "The Toddler's Busy Book" for activity suggestions.)

I love her 3-ring binder idea, a book that has all the essentials (calendar, to do lists...) that she keeps in the kitchen for repeated reference during the day. Organization central!

Anyway, I'm still working through the book, but it's helped us already, as I seek more structure in our daily lives. More rhythm and less chaos.

Thank you Jamie Martin, your book is a real blessing!

Steady Days is just the book I needed right now. I'm in the middle of a very trying time with my 2 1/2 year old, strong-willed son, and I've been walking through my days in a bit of a fog, just trying to make it through the day. This book opened my eyes to so many small and doable things to think about and actions to take to help my make my mothering more intentional. This book is written in short chapters that are perfect for mothers who only have a few spare moments here and there. Now I'm spending a little more time thinking through a (loose and flexible) schedule for the day, instead of just relying on a mile-long (and unrealistic) to do list. I'm taking time to write down some Daily Blessings each day: the sweet and heart-warming moments that happened in between all of the tantrums. There is something very calming and soothing about the author's tone throughout the book, and knowing that she has 3 small children, I know that she really understands exactly what I'm struggling with. Be sure to check out the author's blog, [...], if you haven't already!