I Was a Better Mother Before I Had Kids (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Friends and coworkers gave us three baby showers before our first child was born..." (more)
Key Phrases: Girl Scout Would Have Been Prepared, Mother's Day, Care Bears (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jean Kerr, Erma Bombeck, Dave Barry, Anna Quindlen and countless others have been exploring the subject for years, and now Borgman, a nationally syndicated columnist and mother of three, follows directly in their path in this somewhat uneven but overall worthwhile collection of her columns. As she hits on the usual topics (dieting and cooking, pets, family vacations, clutter, celebrating Mother's Day, husbands and cooking) readers will nod knowingly, all but finishing her sentences (which in this genre is not necessarily a bad thing.) Some of her one-liners are inspired, for example on driving with your teenager: "You take the passenger seat while the kid you still have to tell three times to shut the refrigerator door slides in behind the steering wheel." Others, especially the bits about dieting, have been done before. She's pretty good at capturing those familiar bittersweet moments, and sometimes she can be acerbic, as when she describes the dreaded disease "affluenza" afflicting many families. However, she can be sentimental and preachy about the good old daysAand sometimes what might have been a good read in the nightly paper doesn't work as well in book form. But at her best, Borgman will make parents laugh aloud or bring tears to their eyes.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Kirkus Reviews

As touted by the publisher, another candidate to fill the hole left by the late Erma Bombeck. It's unfortunate that every writer who tries to find a few laughs in the sturm und drang of raising children needs to be compared to Bombeck or Dave Barry. True, Borgman is no Erma Bombeck, but why should she have to be? She is a nationally syndicated columnist (more than 350 Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service clients) whose subjects are kids, family, husband, and keeping it all together. This is a collection of her columns, organized loosely into chapters such as ``I Cook, Therefore I Am,'' about feeding a family of five; ``Household Hazards,'' about the challenges of running a household for same; and ``Are We Having Fun Yet?,'' about traveling with same. The columns are sometimes amusing, occasionally moving or insightful. A few fall flat. Amusing : ``A Field of Greens,'' about coaching her husband to cook using sports metaphors, or ``Joy Ride,'' about coping with a choking baby and two school-age terrorists in the backseat of a minivan 30 seconds before the light changes. Moving: ``The Long Good-bye,'' about her mother-in-law suffering from Alzheimer's. Insightful: ``Cool, Calm, and Crazy,'' about the responsibility of being a parent. Very flat: ``Misdemeanor Recipes,'' about who should really get the credit for hand-me- down recipes. A section called ``The Heart of Things'' waxes maudlin on old-fashioned virtues, like duty, responsibility and saying no to your children. Borgman is witty and has a playful imagination. On the other hand, why spend 21 bucks on this uneven collectionsubscribe to one of the newspapers that carries her column, and you'll get the day's news as well. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Emmis Books (April 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578602130
• ISBN-13: 978-1578602131
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #928,461 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun to read!, May 7, 1999

By	[e-mail] Debbie Reale (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Was a Better Mother Before I Had Kids (Hardcover)

Lori Borgman can make you think as well as laugh. She has a unique take on things, and is not afraid to say what many of us think, but may not admit to thinking. I've been a fan of her newspaper column for several years, and was glad to hear that her first book was coming out. I enjoyed this book from start to finish! It made me laugh, it made me think, and it brought tears to my eyes at times. Parents, you'll relate to it. The short pieces it contains are perfect for the abbreviated attention spans we moms and dads seem to have after kids... I recommend Lori's book, and I'm looking forward to more from her!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Funny!!!!!!!!, September 24, 2003

By	Happy Mom in Naples "plunsford3" (Naples, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Was a Better Mother Before I Had Kids (Hardcover)

This book is extremely funny...any mother can truly appreciate Lori's stories. Just about every story she told I was saying to myself "that's so true!!!" I highly recommend this for yourself and buy a few extras for presents for any other mothers you know!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On Your Mark!, April 30, 2001

By	Jean (Bismarck, ND USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Was a Better Mother Before I Had Kids (Hardcover)

Get set!! Go buy this book!!! Lori Borgman's columns started appearing in our local paper this year and it is hard to imagine a better antidote for today's glammed-up, TV-focussed world. She writes delightful, down-to-earth stories about issues today's families face, that will make you laugh, think and sigh. Definitely NOT boring!