The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity

Mothers are expected to do it all: raise superstar kids, look great, make good salaries, keep an immaculate house, be the perfect wife. In this rallying cry for change, Meg Meeker, M.D., uses her twenty-five years’ experience as a practicing pediatrician and counselor to show why mothers suffer from the rising pressure to excel and the toll it takes on their emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual health. Complete with an all-new tool kit of wellness tips and exercises, Dr. Meeker’s book reveals the 10 most positive and impactful habits of healthy, happy mothers, including
 
• making friends with those who know the meaning of friendship
• finding out what money can buy (and what it cannot)
• lightening the overload—and doing less more often
• discovering faith and learning how to trust it
• taking some alone time and reviving yourself
 
By implementing Dr. Meeker’s key strategies, you can be happy, hopeful, and can teach your children to be the best they can be—and isn’t that the most precious reward of motherhood?

Now with wellness tips and exercises!

Q: This new book discusses ten essential habits that mothers should abide by to reclaim the passion, purpose and sanity in their lives. How did you come up with these specific habits--were any of them based on your own personal experience as a mother?
A: I comprised a list of "habits" for mothers after I identified the key stressors in mothers' lives. For instance, I found that money, feeling overwhelmed with complicated schedules, and fear that they weren't parenting well enough were some key stressors. These habits counter those key stresses. Since there isn't much research available on mothers' attitudes toward fear or competitiveness, for instance, much of my advice comes from years of listening intently to the mothers I see in my practice.

Q: Why is solitude so important to mothers these days.
A: Solitude is extremely important for several reasons. First, as mothers, we are continually bombarded with another person's needs and demands. In order to stay sane, we need a reprieve from these. Also, we need solitude so that we can spend reflective time on deeper, important issues such as: what do we want from our lives, what is our purpose and what do we really want for our kids? Finally, solitude teaches us to learn to enjoy our own company. This cannot be understated because every mother needs to learn to like herself and like being with herself. Only solitude affords this.

Q: Whether you are a single mother or in a happy relationship, you assert that it is so important for women to form friendships with other women. Why?
A: Mothers need other women friends because one of our primary needs is to be in deep relationship with a few close people. Our kids cannot serve this need and our husbands can only do so to a certain extent. We mothers need women friends because women think like we do, they stick with us when others leave us and they love us in ways that many husbands, family members or children can't.

Q: There are a lot of advice books for parents on the market. What makes your approach to parenting and motherhood different?
A: My approach to parenting has always been to start where you are and move forward. Many parents ruminate on their mistakes and this prohibits them from becoming better parents and from enjoying parenting more. Mothers, in particular, beat themselves up so much for past mistakes and I always encourage mothers to look forward, not back. This book, is the only book I have ever seen that is written for mothers, not to be better parents, but to learn how to enjoy parenting once again. And I know that any mother can enjoy her role as a mother more!