The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity

I bought this book for myself and then I purchased another as a gift for a friend. I read the reviews beforehand and was a little worried that I would feel like I was being preached to about my "place" (which would really get under my skin!). Instead of feeling guilty as a mother, it actually made me feel proud for every little thing that I do as a mother.I really felt like Sally Clarkson tried her best to speak to both the working mother as well as the stay at home mother. Being a stay at home mom is a really hard job, and she conveys this as well as offers a lot of encouragement. It is so important that a new (or been there done that) mother to understand how important the tasks of motherhood are. It's so easy to get lost in all the chaos at home, to sit back and realize these years are so fleeting. She offers advice and draws from her own experiences on how to be a stay at home mom. In almost every household, it IS possible for the mom to stay at home. Sacrifices may need to be made, but that's what a parent is supposed to do for their children.I personally felt that I really wished I could go back to my old job (which I felt was incredibly important) so I could be useful to my household. I struggle with feeling like I don't contribute to my home. There were so many days, and still are sometimes, where I felt like maybe my kids would have been better off with someone else as their mother. I didn't see how God wanted me to be as a mother, and I couldn't find a practical way to be a Godly mother and wife. I am not "beneath" my husband, nor his servant, and it seemed like a lot of these types of books wanted to tell me to forget about my hopes and dreams and just devote every moment to being everyone else's servant. I don't feel at all that this book says that. I was so relived to read that Sally also shared a lot of my feelings of worthlessness and how she was able to change how she looked motherhood and how she now finds it so rewarding.This book isn't just for the stay at home mom, though I do think that they benefit the most. It's hard in todays society to remember that the stay at home mom DOES have the most important job out there. I highly recommend this book because, let's face it, the world makes moms feel like they are "settling" if they choose to stay home and raise their kids, and we need encouragement and guidance that shows us that we are certainly not settling or wasting our talents.

Great book about the Bible’s view of motherhood and the common struggles .

I just finished reading this book and I am so encouraged! This book is not just discussing ideals, but it also gives practical ways for us to live out our missions as mamas. Anyone who might be struggling with a divided heart, this book is for you. I owned a medical practice for 4 years before I had my first child. A year and half after he was born, I sold the practice to stay home. Soon after, I became pregnant with my second child. It's been a little over a year since my second child was born. I have a bachelor of science degree and enjoy working. Recently, I have been struggling with the idea of returning to work; even just working from home. This book is exactly what I needed to hear and learn; understanding God's design for motherhood and why it is important to stay home and stay focused on my children during this time in my life has given me peace and greater purpose! If you need encouragement in this area of your life, if you want greater peace and purpose as a mother, then this is the book for you!

I wanted to love this book. I really do feel that mothers need every bit of support as women who serve and keep home largely without recognition or immediate payoff. It's especially true of Christian mothers who seem to live on the margins. But I didn't love the book, or even really like it. Clarkson's writing style is inelegant and wordy, which makes her extravagant descriptions of exposing her family to "first rate" art, literature, and music ring a bit hollow. I thought she painted a very pretty picture of family life, but it seemed disingenuous and over idealistic- the candles, the music, the tea time. And many of the things she claims her children have told her about her parenting/training seem laughably untrue. "Say, mom, I really appreciate you training me up this way" from an eight year old? Or "Boy, I can't wait to light a candle, drink some Irish gold tea, and sleep in bed for three days!" from a thirteen year old boy? Hmmm. I don't think I'm buying it. I want to buy it! But I simply can't. Overall, I felt the book rang to me more of a self-endorsement than a guide to whole Christian mothering. I thought there was more than a bit too much of Sally patting herself on the back for her awesome parenting, and a little too little offering of help to those "in the trenches". And, for some reason I can't put my finger on (maybe chalk it up to cynicism?), a lot of it rang phony. There IS good in it, though... I really do like what she says about family culture, rhythm, music, candles, tea parties, etc.- as ideals to strive for.

I wanted to like this book and kept giving it a chance. But (for me) the tone didn't feel right. I also realised that I personally don't think of being a mother as a mission or a ministry - but a time (maybe a lifelong time) of simply being a mother. It is a simple choice (but not necessarily an easy one) to become a mom- with God's grace and a person's decision it can happen. I recommend Edith Stein's 'Essays of Woman' to get a profound and elegant understanding of woman's vocation and the Catholic Family Handbook for a gentle and humble approach. Even if one isn't Catholic - there is a beauty in both that is rich and deeply helpful. We are all unique and for me this specific book was too prescriptive.

Really encouraging for mums at any stage of their journey. I particularly liked section 2 of the book.

Really enjoying this book, some parenting book leave you feeling guilt ridden but this one inspires and empowers I feel!

I love the heart that God has given Sally Clarkson. A book full of wisdom and encouragement for mothers of all different stages.

A very encouraging book. Acknowledging the difficulties of Mothering, the challenges, but the importance of it! The book did seem aimed at mother's who have children older than my own (2Y & 5M), but I have a copy of the book, and may read it again in a couple of years. I would recommend other moms to purchase this book. A heart warming read.