When my bright and cheerful copy of In the The Happiest Mom: 10 secrets to enjoying motherhood arrived in the mail last week, I gave a little shout of glee. I’ve been an unabashed fan of author Meagan Francis’s no-nonsense, no-judgements blog The Happiest Mom for quite a while, so I knew I was in for a treat.

As a mom who also blogs, I can honestly say that this job can be hazardous to your mental health! I literally scour as many of the incredible sites out there as I can on a daily basis (scrapbooking! crafting! quilting! baking! going green! slow-living!) looking for relevant stories. And although I am supposed to be looking at the content objectively, it’s very hard to take my mom hat off. I inevitably end up comparing myself to other moms in ways that, well, just make me feel like I’m falling short of the perfect mom mark.

Which is why I always love returning to Meagan’s writing. Through her posts, she is able to consistently shift my focus away from trying to be the “perfect mom” and back to being a “happy mom,” which my boys will agree, is a very good thing.

Why you should read the book

From the opening salvo, straight through to the last page, Meagan provides great nuggets of advice wrapped in the warm, funny voice of a good friend. I found myself nodding along, guffawing at the occasional situation that hit close to home, and feeling more confident in my own ability to parent. It’s so refreshing to find a parenting “expert” who doesn’t present singular approaches as “the right way” or “wrong way.” Meagan has constructed a framework for navigating motherhood that helps you figure out how to avoid the poles of perfection and failure and find happiness in those subtle shades of grey in the middle.

The book was a pleasure to read. It is perfectly suited for busy moms to devour in 10 minutes here, 10 minutes there – or all in one sitting, like I did. In addition to in-depth coverage of a particular topic, each chapter contains fun quizzes, useful tips, and real-mom wisdom. The topics cover the gambit of motherhood and include: finding real mom friends, how to stop comparing yourself to others (yes, I underlined & highlighted that chapter!), why no expert is better than your own instinct, what you need in your mommy MacGyver kit, and loving your love life.

Regardless of whether you’re a pretty happy mom or struggling to find your equilibrium, Meagan’s wisdom is like a shot of happiness that immunizes you against your worst enemy: fear of being a “bad mother.”

You can purchase The Happiest Mom book at Amazon.com. Every book comes with a free subscription to Parenting Magazine, which is just one more reason to go get a copy.