Buddhism for Mothers: A Calm Approach to Caring for Yourself and Your Children

I came across this book at the right time, and reading it at a leisurely pace has been very very useful for me. It has reconnected me with meditation and with many things I already knew but haven't thought about and/or done for years.

Practical, short, and easy to read, this book fits well into the bits of time many parents can find for reading. My main gripe is that it's SO gendered, from the title (why not Buddhism for Parents?) straight through the text. If you are also sensitive to these issues, I'd advise skipping the first chapter--I almost quit reading because I found its dismissive treatment of partners (meaning male ones) and its assumption that mothers don't work outside the home (and fathers do) so alienating. That would have show more been a pity. show less

If you have encountered books about Buddhism previously and put them down after a few pages because they just seemed too esoteric for you, too out of touch with your life, then this is the book for you. The author is as ‘everyday’ as you will get for a Buddhist author. She lives in a normal family, concerned with normal, everyday living. Her husband is not a Buddhist, and her two young sons are as challenging as any children their age. But Napthali is different to most mothers in one way – she incorporates Buddhism practices into her life as a mother. She shares her experiences with the reader not in a ‘I am better than you, learn from me’ way, but rather in a ‘I found this works, you might find it helpful’ approach.

As show more with her other book, Napthali writes in an engaging manner that is accessible to any reader. You could easily read this book in one setting, but it is also a resource you can dip in and out of. Even if you only take away one message from this book—that you are only human, and that’s okay and you can cope as a mother as human as you are—it will be worth it. I recommend this book to all mothers, Buddhist or otherwise. show less

I really enjoyed reading this book. Napthali wrote a lot of being peaceful and calm, and the book felt peaceful and calm. The preface spoke to me in so many levels and when I read that I knew I had to read the whole book!

That said, I don't plan on becoming Buddhist (which I have to say in case some relatives read this and start to panic and call me to talk to me about it LOL!) But, there are some great ideas in there that are too good to borrow.

I think Napthali is a gifted writer and I love how she sprinkled her own personal stories in about when she was less than patient or peaceful or calm. It sort of takes the pressure off of the reader. I don't have to worry about being perfect, I only have to worry about doing better is really what show more I felt a huge message of the book was.

I loved some of the analogies she uses in here - when she compares emotions to visitors who are coming over. I've already repeated that a few times - it's such a great, understandable way to get the point across to not be afraid of our emotions.

I loved the section on meditation - something I've wanted to do but still haven't.

Although at the end, it was also clear her intent was to speak to Buddhist mothers or to try to convert some of us to become Buddhist mothers. As I said, I have no intention of doing that. She talks about how you can meditate outside of Buddhism, but she makes it sound like doing that would automatically mean you weren't a part of a loving community out to care for others and be kind and wonderful and loving. I feel I already have that sort of community around me - that it doens't just exist in Buddhist communities.

But overall, I really thought this was a great book and I'm glad I read it! show less

I enjoyed the book. There were times when I found the author making too many assumptions on how a mother's life is. Not all mothers chose to stay home with the kids. I also found the numerous quotations from other mothers distracting so I have to admit to skipping most of them. Nonetheless I enjoyed the book and came away with some interesting ideas. I happened to read this book at the same time as In Praise of Slowness and I find that the two books work well together as companion pieces.

Realistisch, haalbaar, wijs, praktisch, onmiddellijk toepasbaar. Heel graag gelezen. En ik ga het wellicht nog eens lezen om het allemaal nog beter te laten doordringen.

"We rennen rond als gekken en slagen er misschien wel in om onszelf af te leiden van onze innerlijke wereld, maar uiteindelijk voelen we toch de behoefte om te stoppen en tijd te maken om gewoon te 'zijn' (...) Als we leren om ons geluk binnen onszelf te zoeken in plaats van het aan de uiterlijke omstandigheden te koppelen, kunnen we de kracht vinden om de beproevingen waarmee we te maken krijgen te doorstaan."

This book offers a lot of advice I'd already realized, but presented in such a thoughtful way that I really appreciated. At times the buddhism was a little too much for me, and I didn't 100% agree with everything here, but overall really wonderful parenting book.

I found this an interesting, useful, and uplifting book. Though I am not a Buddhist and have no intention of ever calling myself one, I found it interesting to read about practices, words and ways of thinking which can match up beautifully with my own faith, and support my own spiritual journey. I skimmed through some sections, and found much of it somewhat repetetive, but there are many bits of helpful and encouraging wisdom I'll be taking away from this book. It also seems to be a relevant way for a mother of young children to learn something about the basics of Buddism.