Hiding From the Kids In My Prayer Closet: A Book Review

**Book received for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own. 
 
For me, motherhood seemed like my calling. I had always loved kids and babysat when I was a young teen, so it just seemed like something that would come naturally to me. And in many ways, it did... though I think nothing can ever quite prepare you for motherhood, no matter how 'made for it you might be'.

Still, I am the mom that lives and breathes for my kids. I love planning fun kid parties and doing kids crafts... I live for trips to the zoo or fun 'kid' activities. But I must admit, as much as I love my kids and being a mom, sometimes even I find myself wishing I had a place to hide for a few moments of peace. You all know what I mean, right? When you cannot even get a chance to pee without a little hand peeking under the door...or just barging right in!

And that's coming from a 'natural' mom... the mom who dreamed of motherhood. Imagine those who never saw themselves in that role. The ones who love their kids but would rather skip the play dates and mommy groups. What about those moms?

Today, I'm excited to share a book just for those 'un-moms', Hiding From the Kids in My Prayer Closet:

Soon after Jessica Kastner became a mother, she wondered if she was the only mom who found pretend play more boring than watching playdough harden and who dreaded yet another friend’s Instagram post of homemade deliciousness.

In Hiding from My Kids in the Prayer Closet, Kastner shares her experience as an “unmom”—a mom who loves her kids more than she loves the daily experience of mothering. She helps readers laugh at the ridiculous, delight in the unpredictable, and enjoy being the mothers God made them to be.

First of all, can we just talk about that title for a minute!? Hilarious! What mom truly and honestly hasn't related to that sentiment on occasion. As I said, I love everything about motherhood, but I felt it too! We're human, after all!

But truly, this book is AMAZING! I may not be the target audience, but I found myself laughing at each turn of the page, and even relating in some areas too. Mothering through the eyes of someone who doesn't live and breathe and define themselves with that title offers a whole new and interesting perspective to all those experiences, and truly helps you get a better understanding of all types of mothering.

And here's the thing that's clear to me. You don't have to be the mom that spends all day every day with her kids to be a great mom. You don't have to be the mom that lives for class parties and is the first to volunteer in all clubs to be a great mom. You don't have to wake up 2 hours early to prepare your kids a fancy lunchbox to be a great mom. You don't have to spend months preparing your kids' homemade Halloween costumes each year. And that Elf on the Shelf? Yeah, you don't have to kill yourself coming up with fancy scenarios for that either. Being a great mother has nothing to do with these preconceived notions of what a typical mom SHOULD look like, but really is all about how much you love your kids... that's the only thing that matters!

This book is a must read for the 'unmom', but truly is a great read for all moms. Motherhood is crazy and messy and exhausting... but it's fun and there's a lot of laughter to be found, and that is JUST what this book provides!

Learn more and purchase a copy.

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