A review by merricatadamtine
Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace by Ayelet Waldman

4.0

Ayelet Waldman can be her own worst critic, though that may seem hard to believe when you read what some of her critics have to say about her. Yet any mother knows that sinking feeling you get when you are sure that the mom next to you in pick up line, the granny at the market or your mother in law is judging your abilities as a parent. And that special feeling you get when YOU are the one judging yourself. We have become a nation so fanatical about being the best that the idea of not being the best mother can be mortifying. Ayelet looks at these feelings and then skewers them with humor and accuracy. She realizes that when being the perfect mother may not be attainable or even desirable, the most important facet of being a good parent is to be *present*, as in being mindful of every moment, both good and bad. Written in a style reminiscent of Anne Lamont, Waldman is honest, self deprecating and very funny.