Book Review: Hands Free Mama

 

I finished reading this book a little while back and it is definitely the type of book that gives the reader a lot to think about. Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford is the author's story of realizing how distracted she was by cell phones, social media, her to-do list, and more. Once she became aware of this, she decided to stop living this way and developed strategies to help herself to be fully present with her family during their time together. I had previously seen The Hands Free Revolution on Facebook, and many of the posts I saw really resonated with me.

I really liked all of the practical ideas in the book. Divided into 12 chapters, each section includes reflections, intentions (action steps), personal stories and more. This is the type of book that can be worked through a little at a time and referred to over weeks and months as we make changes and develop new habits.

I have seen where some readers are working through this book one chapter at a time. I think that would be a great way to take small steps toward lasting changes. It would be easy to become overwhelmed with trying to read this book straight through and implement all the ideas at once.

That being said, I’d like to share a few of my favorite ideas from my initial reading of the book. In Chapter 1, the author really addresses being aware of the problem of distraction and makes the suggestion that the reader set up a time each day to take time off from technology. In Chapter 3, one idea that is mentioned is to involve children in daily household tasks. Sure, they take longer and might not get done quite right, but what a great way to spend time together, talk, and even teach! We’ve tried this a couple of times by allowing our daughter to assist us with chores she doesn’t usually help with. She really enjoys rinsing and loading the dishes.

This book is great for all of us that need a little reminder about what’s really important in life and how to take time and focus on our family and friends.

 

I received a copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.