Stead Days - A Book Review

Written by K Quinn

I list Steady Days: A Journey Toward Intentional, Professional Motherhood as a great resource under my article for a schedule for children at home but since there are no specifics you might wonder what makes this so good?

The author of Steady Days: A Journey Toward Intentional, Professional Motherhood , Jamie Martin is a mother to 3 children close in age. 2 adopted, one natural. Due to the close ages of the children it’s more like she’s running her own preschool where the children never go home (and are deeply loved). This probably gives her an ideal standpoint to help us out.

It’s a deceptively little thin book but once opened you realize how packed with information it really is. Jamie walks you through such planning ideas as developing a plan for your day (no matter, work at home, part time, work out side the home, etc.), how to spend creative time with your child, putting learning into everyday activities, planning time for your child to become comfortable entertaining themselves, and so forth....

And let me just pause here and say I REALLY liked her idea of how to differentiate between structured play and free play with your child under part 12 Suggested Activities. The structured play was an activity to do be done with your child so mom would do a bit of organizing in advance. You could use this, I feel, with any aged child and use this time to teach your child a new skill, under the radar. All the Suggested Activities are ideal but for some reason this one helped me to see how structured play could satisfy my daughter’s need for mom’s undivided attention but at a scheduled time she would understand and look forward to.

Steady Days is Jamie Martin’s four part book containing 40 sections on getting it together for moms. She calls it a “Journey Toward Intentional, Professional Motherhood.” It’s like taking the organizing principles from the work place and putting them into practice in your private life (that can tend to get out of control such as parenting). But don’t be fooled that still means plenty of love, hugs, and quality time with your children. Once you get organized the other things just fall into place and calmer more relaxed mommy greets each day.

Jamie’s pint sized book packs a gallon of information including...

1.Draft worksheets for organizing your particular schedule.
Sample forms for your home organizer (pick up more at her website => http://www.steadydays.com/resources.html)
Sample routines for schedules that might fit your lifestyle (three children, working mom, part-time working mom, one child, nanny :o, etc,)
Helping your children learn
Reminders of the blessings of parenting
and more

The only con I can think of with this book is if your children have grown and fled the coop then you don’t have a chance to apply these wonderful tidbits of practical parenting.