12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know: Getting Back to Basics and Raising Happy Kids (Paperback)

by Michele Borba Ed.D. (Author)
Key Phrases: real moms know, real mothers know, maternal secret, New York, Simple Secrets Real Moms Know, Mother's Promise (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A worthy addition for most parenting collections." (Library Journal, February 15, 2006)

Review
"12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know is a revolutionary, wonderful, and welcome answer to a mother’s prayers. Michele Borba has shown us all how to be loving moms who raise great kids, without losing our peace of mind, our lives as adults, or our true selves."
—Phyllis George, former Miss America and former first lady of Kentucky

"Michele infuses you with the wisdom and warmth of her over twenty years of teaching, shares the savvy of her indepth research of over 5000 parents and helps return you to the heart of successful parenting."
—Stacy Debroff, author, The Mom Book and founder of momscentral.com

"12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know is a Godsend for all the anxious, stressed-out mothers who worry that they're not "doing enough" (and that's pretty much everyone!)"
—Christiane Northrup, M.D., author, Mother-Daughter Wisdom; The Wisdom of Menopause; and Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom

"I am a firm believer in the importance of parental involvement and the tremendous influence mothers can have on their child's development.  I appreciate the message that this book champions and the guidance it provides to mothers struggling to foster a brighter future for their children."
—Mary Bono, Member of Congress, California's 45th District

"Michele has done it again.  She's given mothers a book full to the brim with wisdom, stories, and tips on how to raise happy, well adjusted children."
—Mimi Doe, author, Busy but Balanced and founder of SpiritualParenting.com

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass (March 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078798096X
• ISBN-13: 978-0787980962
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #220,768 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally!, August 9, 2006

By	Deborah T. "Mom of 9" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Finally, a real book for real moms offering real practical guidance for raising real children! I should know. I'm a mom of nine (yes, 9) children, aged 5 to 17. I've bought, read, skimmed, and peeked in almost every mothering/parenting book there is out there, and never found one that really offered sound direction or reassurance until now. It's put everything I've learned about being a mom (so far) into a wonderful, clear, and uplifting format (easy to pick up where you left off and read when you can catch a moment), and teaches me so much more. It should be a mandatory "manual" for all mothers!

The other thing I love about this book is that it promotes the fact that as moms we need to take care of ourselves, pursue our own interests, and not loose our identity in our families. Something I've worked hard to do myself and one of my biggest secrets for being "successful" in my calling as a mother. This book not only encourages you to eliminate the "supermom" image from your life, but tells you how to do it. Then helps you develop your own individual identity as a mother and set up your own mission statement or mothering plan from what Borba calls "A Mother's Promise," based on the true needs of our children.

There is no cookie cutter technique for parenting. Each family is unique and each child has their own individual needs, responses, attitudes, temperments, etc. This book helps you to use your mother instincts, as well as your own experiences, to create a plan that can work for your own family and each of your children as the individuals that they are.

I found this book at my church bookstore, but there is nothing necessarily religious or spiritual about it (other than respecting mothers' instincts). And yet, it doesn't offend in any way, and remarkably supports every parenting "style" from traditional to liberal, religious or cultural/ethnic based.

Dr. Michele Borba definately did a wonderful job with this book and my hat is off to her for being able to consolidate so much information she's acquired over the years from interviews, work, and research. People have been telling me for a long time that I should write a book about mothering (which I could only do about mothering my own children), but now I can and will simply recommend this incredible book.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Back to basics, April 3, 2006

By	Mary Mooney "Four Seasons Book Club" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's high time we went back to basics in parenting. When my kids were young and I was transporting them from point A to point B, we turned the radio off and had some of our best conversations in that car. These days almost every mom I see dropping her child off at school has a cell phone to her ear as the little one exits the car. The look on their little faces is pitiful. They are used to being casually dismissed. So is the look on the mom's as she drives away, distracted and once again harboring guilt. So sad. Yes, mom's today are busier than ever. . .but do they have to be? No! Michele Borba's new book shows new, over-worked mom's how to achieve balance. Childrearing is supposed to be a joy. . .okay, it's frought with some rough days, but how many are of our own making because we've over-booked and over-stressed our kids and ourselves. What happened to simply being? Talking? Listening? Young adults tell us to "chill". So does Michele, in a completely practical, digestible way! BUY THIS BOOK and give it to young mom's in your life. I HAVE!

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, July 6, 2006

By	N. Kelcher (Seattle) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is about getting back to the basic principles of mothering. Borba uses real-life scenarios to help you understand how to employ the 12 "secrets." Also included in each and every chapter are sidebars with ideas and tips from mothers, a comprehensive list of books for more information on that topic, and a small area for you to jot down your thoughts. Borba says she wants this to be the last parenting book you read for a little while, and this is certainly the case for me. Barring any special problems you may have with your child that require further research and reading, it's a good bet you'll read 12 Simple Secrets and then take a break from other parenting books (especially the supermom, guilt-ridden books and magazines that seem to permeate the Parenting section in bookstores these days). This book is a breath of fresh air. I recommend you have a notebook handy as you read so you can jot down all the great ideas you'll get.