BOOK REPORT you weren't always my mom?

Before I Was Your Mother

by Kathryn Lasky

My three young children are always fascinated when I tell them stories of my life before they came along. "You were a dancer?"  "You lived in Scotland?"  "Really, you used to suck your thumb?!"

Hard as it is for our kids to imagine, all of us mothers were once little girls--playing, laughing, getting into trouble and dreaming big dreams, perhaps dreaming of what it might be like to have a family of our own.  I love this book for allowing moms to stroll down memory lane a bit and remember what it was like before we had the weighty responsibilities of motherhood. 

Lasky gets specific, naming her dog and her best friend and recalling the magical Jello creations her own mother used to make.  It's inevitable that your kids will want to know more about your story and that's the real fun of this book.  As Lasky recollects, we are all encouraged to remember...and then to share our stories.

Pull out the old photos and scrapbooks.  Show off your wedding dress or college diploma.  Get inspired to tell your own story.  You might be surprised how reassuring it can be for your children who are inevitably experiencing some of the same joys and struggles that you did, back in the day.  And don't forget to acknowledge your own mother!

Image from barnesandnoble.com

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools