I feel like this book was written 100% for me and as hard as that is to admit (it gets into a lot of deep topics) it's also a reassuring moment for me as a mother. I will be recommending this book and writing about it on my blog - so many take aways and I'm sure as it sinks in over the next few weeks I'll get even more as it trickles through my experiences with my family.

I think I like to think that I haven't lost myself, and I know I've done a lot of GOOD work to 'find' myself after kids (or during kids because they're still around!). And then a book like this helps to me to see how I"m still minimizing myself at times and how that's ultimately not helpful for anyone, myself or my kids.

10/10 - bravo!

As a stay at home mom of two under two, my kids are my whole world, quite literally I am with them 24/7 and I wouldn't change it any other way. I love finding parenting books that expand my thinking and really help me cherish the moments I have but also learn how to not only manage my time but my emotions.

This book has such a refreshing take on motherhood & really helped me look at how I can move on through each stage of motherhood, while still loving every moment.

I really enjoyed this book as a Mom and I feel like so many parents could relate as well. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher allowing me a copy of this to read.

Dr. Morgan Cutlip delivers on all her promises in this book. She gives you solid, indisputable reasons to shed your mom guilt, and strategies you can implement immediately for beating mom burnout. I am a mom of 3 kids and was elated to easily and successfully use a strategy on myself when I had only made it halfway through the book at the time of using the strategy. This is a straightforward, easily digested book that you can read in bite-sized pieces or in large chunks at once, and good reference to come back to for quick reminders. It left me feeling hopeful instead of resentful or more beaten down. This is a good book for any and all moms – it is THAT accessible and timely.

Such an important book for all moms to read! I often find myself feeling guilty for resting while I'm sick, working late, wanting to have a girl's night out. This book reads like the wise friend we all need to remind us to put on our own oxygen mask first, that to be an amazing mom, you also need to be your amazing self.

“De-selfing means that one’s self, including ones’ thoughts, wants, beliefs, and ambitions, is ‘negotiable’ under pressures from the relationship. In other words, when women feel their relationships will suffer if they prioritize themselves, they sacrifice their own needs, desires, and wants to preserve the well-being of the relationship.”
Sound familiar, ladies?
Psychotherapist and relationship expert Dr. Morgan has written a book that addresses the conflict between their needs (our children and family) and our needs (who me?) that can prevent the overwhelm, burnout that many of us have felt for so long (I’m looking at you, COVID). What I love about this book is all that it encompasses; attachment styles, our own personal history, guilt, intensive mothering, that impact our overall experience of motherhood. I highlighted so much.
Add it to the stack. Thank you for the ARC NetGalley and Thomas Nelson!

This book hits home! I walked into my step-sons life when he was 7 and quickly took on the mom role when he is at our house. I LOVE him, but parenting is hard sometimes (okay 99% of the time).

Cutlip did a wonderful job at providing practical strategies that would / could be easy to put into your every day life. She also writes in such a way that although a professional in the field, does not downplay feelings that many moms may feel. She draws upon her experiences as a mother which made her so relatable. I feel totally seen & validated.

I loved every second of this! Especially the “go mom yourself” sections at the end of every chapter. Knowing I can just turn to that page quickly and get a good recap is wonderful! I’m positive I will reread this again, especially down the road when more kiddos join our family.

I will leave this here.. Cutlip wrote, “mother yourself like you mother your kids” and I know I will think about this quote in the days & weeks that follow!

Thank you NetGalley & Nelson Books for the opportunity to read to this ARC!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I couldn't finish it because it couldn't keep my attention. That could be for many reasons,I will try again soon. It just couldn't keep my attention.

This is one of the best, if not the best, parenting book I have read in the past year. I intend to purchase this book in physical form as soon as I am able.

I am an educator, with education in child development, who has longed for children of “my own” for over a decade. Through a combination of adoption and IVF I have two children, and I have absolutely lost myself in the last four years.

I’ve needed and wanted a roadmap for years. Reading this book felt like she was talking to me directly, like she’d lived the life I was living and she knew the way through the tunnel and out of the other side.

I was worried her book would not be aimed at someone like me because of her Christian roots. But, while she clearly draws many of the positive principles of Christianity that are universal to everyone, it was not a Christian book, and it was not mentioned at all, except in passing. So if you are a secular reader, you will absolutely find it relevant.

In fact, none of this work was judgemental or pushy, or ever made me feel shame. I found myself relaxing into it, and buying into each idea that she proposed.

I needed help with the worksheets and she was immediately responsive (within 24 hours) and provided me with them.

I received this work from Net Galley, but I will absolutely be purchasing it in the future.

Just finished "Love Your Kids Without Losing Yourself" and this book hits home! It's a refreshing take on motherhood – the author completely normalizes the struggles, even when she's an expert in the field. It's like she's saying all the things I've been needing to hear.
Motherhood can be a real pressure cooker and this book dives right into that and reminds us that the pursuit of perfection is a wild goose chase. The best part is that the author backs it up with solid statistics and studies, so it's not just one person's opinion.
This book is like a reassuring hand on your shoulder, letting you know you're not alone in this journey. And what's even better, it's not just theory – there's practical advice that's easy to weave into your daily routine. Trust me, if you're looking for a gem of a book that helps you keep your sense of self while being an amazing mom, this is it!

I haven't read a book like this yet because I keep wanting to read fiction, & I'm worried about getting bored or feeling like I wasted time. I don't feel that way with this book. It says things that I need to hear. Modern American motherhood is full of the pressure to be perfect, as if that even exists! The author provides statistics & studies so it doesn't just feel like an opinion piece. It's succinct & tells us we are not as alone as we feel. It even contains practical advice that's easy to implement into our daily lives

I tend to approach all parenting books with a soupçon of skepticism; I find that nothing about parenting is one-size-fits-all and sometimes parenting books don't account for the wide spectrum of varying circumstances that parents are living with. So I was pleasantly surprised when Morgan Cutlip's Love Your Kids Without Losing Yourself not only acknowledged but repeatedly mentioned that every parent is fighting a different battle.

I appreciated the way the author breaks down the actionable steps you can take to approach parenting in a more peaceful way. I think part of me was hoping for a quick fix "oh, I just do XYZ and I'll feel more like myself again!" Obviously, that's not realistic, but I will take away a lot of lessons about how do easy and quick check-ins with myself to figure out what needs to change in the moment to adjust my approach to parenting and give myself some space to breathe.

4.5 stars rounded up. Some of the advice may not be applicable to all parents (as a single parent with sole custody, some sections weren't relevant to me), but like I say, the author does acknowledge it and tries to address it to the best of her ability from her own (albeit different) experience. Thanks to NetGalley and Nelson Books for the ARC.

Excellent book on not losing yourself in motherhood. I will have this on my shelf and recommend it to mothers who will benefit from it.

As a single mom to a sweet boy, I struggle with finding "me" time. This book is so practical and insightful. I love the way it was written and seems easy to put the concepts in to practice. I will be telling all my mom friends about this one!

This is a mommy support book. I feel most moms don’t get all the support we need and it feels like it’s optional for men. This was definitely something I needed to read and hear! Advice done right!

Love how it’s starts of “Balance is Bologna” and follows it’s self up with her normalizing having troubles even when she has expertise in the field. It feels validating to read this. I also enjoyed “the conflicts all moms face” and how they run in the background of our minds. I am a therapist and I have told my clients “the system is rigged” to share that societal expectations of motherhood are dangerous. She also addresses chronic giver syndrome (not my term). The research is on point with this book. I’d recommended it in my practice. Especially “Mother yourself like you mother your kids”. Now this is a nod to self compassion. Love that detail. I was so excited too when she talked about my favorite TED talk with Kelly McGonigal. And I could have cried when she normalized sex issues.

My one criticism is that the RAM concepts should be shown in horizontal spectrums. When I opened to those pages all I could think about was a crucifix and it was displeasing

This book is a crucial book for moms. Not another parenting book that focuses on how to get your kid to do_____, but instead an easy to read, and practical (yes, actually practical) process to support moms. If you are a mom of young kids, then this book will change how you parent, and more importantly, care for yourself.

As a teacher, wife, and a mother of two, I am always on the hunt for fun and educational books, but also books that help me grow as a person and parent. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was interesting and not what I expected. I truly learned a lot from this book. As a mother of two things get overwhelming really fast. This year we welcomed our second child into our lives and I felt as though I was losing myself as a person. I love my children very much but I just felt very lost. This book came at a perfect time. Even though I had to read it off and on because as a parent there is very little time for you, I learned so much and also regained myself in the process. I would recommend this to a first time parent or just a parent in general. We all have our moments as parents where we forget who we are and I think this book will help anyone who is experiencing that loss of self.