Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the free book.
I absolutely adore Laithland's page on Instagram, and I was so excited to get an early chance to read this book. As someone who strives to be a responsive parent, but wasn't parented this way, it can sometimes be hard to find a resource that is relatable. The standard 'scripts' can feel so awkward at times. When I found the page @mommacusses I was so excited. Here was someone trying their best to be a responsive parent and talked in a relatable way. Laithland's voice throughout this book was what I've come to know and love from her. There's sarcasm and humor. But there is also really great and easily digestible parenting advice here. Each chapter breaks down a different parenting topic or struggle and is talked through in simple terms. She also isn't afraid of sharing about her own shortcomings and what it looks like when you mess up, too. This is a book I will return to again and again, and I can't wait to get a physical copy to mark up while reading.

I do follow Gwenna on social media, I do find her tik toks/reels both funny, relatable, and sometimes educational. Having said that I come at this from the point of a casual fan, I can see that this book will lack appeal to people who do not already know who she is.

The book has a great message and lesson, but it felt dragged out to hit the required word count that resulted in it feeling too long despite being fewer than 250 pages.

If you like Momma Cusses on TikTok (Hi Gwenna!!!) but wanted more in depth discussions when she shares her gems and opinions- you’ll love this book.

If I could ONLY change one thing- it would be fun illustrations or charts? I think a bit of illustration would have drawn me in more-
With the cover, I had expected “more” whimsy on the inside if that makes sense.

Still, great starter and great book!!

Reading through the synopsis too quickly, I think I misread what this book was about, thinking it was more a memoir-ish/anecdotal type narrative about the humorous things we see as moms rather than a self-help type of book. But I found the voice to be really relatable, like you're talking to a friend. I find a lot of the books written by so-called experts to be a little too pretentious, so this was refreshing. Really easy to read and accessible.

I think this would be most useful to a new mom, as it's got a lot a good stuff on that mom guilt that you're never quite prepared for, and some actionable ways to go about being a responsive parent.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for making this book available to read in exchange for a review through NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley for the Arc!

This is the parenting advice book you didn’t know you needed. If you’ve ever watched mommacusses on social media you know she’s hilarious and her relationship with her children is to be envious of. In this book she walks you through the “you can too” and the “you’ve got this” and the “every kid is different every parent is different” of parenting. This book is uplifting, inspiring and funny. The one thing I truly love about it is that it in no way ever makes you feel inadequate instead reminding you that you are human. A definite must read for anyone with or considering having “crotch-goblins”

Since finding Gwenna on social media, I have found comfort in my own parenting abilities as well as gained valuable insight into the approach she uses with her own “beta-version humans”!
This book encapsulates all of the same lessons and takeaways. The way that she uses the term responsive instead of the commonly used and confused “gentle” has been eye opening to the approach. To think of responsive parenting as the opposite of reactive just makes so much sense!
Throughout the book, I can imagine her speaking - with her tones and humor. Some of the humor and nuances are lost in digital text, so I do feel that the book will be taken to the next level if she does a narration.
A great read for millennial parents of various stages of their journeys!! Highly recommend the book, as well as her socials !!

Thank you to Gwenna Laithland, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am not a parent, but as someone who would like to do well for their future offspring, I feel as though this book is a great starting point for learning what to do (and what NOT to do) to help your kiddos feel safe, secure, and appreciated. Laithland’s humor and easy-to-digest explanations help drive home the points she makes. I appreciate the fact that she writes as though the reader is a friend, as it made the book feel more personal. Overall, this guide has a great message, and I could see it being a valuable research for both new and experienced parents.

I loved this book, but I think I would have loved it more as an audio book. I know the author from her social media presence and tried to read it in her voice, but nothing is as good as the real deal. I'm glad that she put in that she wasn't a professional and had no education to back up her ideas, but it sounds like imposter syndrome. She has a ton of great ideas.

I got to read this book before it’s official release through Net Galley and I’m so happy I did! There’s several things I really loved about this book starting with the Foreword written by Gwenna’s daughter. I enjoyed reading her thoughts on this book and her perspective being included adds credibility. I also like that throughout the book Gwenna not only admits to her parenting faults but she walks through what happened and how it affected her children. This book is written in a way that makes me feel like I’m talking to a friend who just gets it. This may not be a how- to guide but it is a great read.

This book was entertaining and felt like you were getting g the information from a friend. Nice y to I feel validated and get some laughs and tips too. I didn’t agree with all of it but enjoyed it.

I found this book entertaining.I love the terms she uses to describe our off spring. I like that the book is not written by a professional and written from the perspective of a mom. Feels like you're getting advice from a friend. There were some things that were a little over the top for me. But some things I read made me think "light bulb". Overall, I rate this book 3.5/5. Thank you to NetGallery and the Publisher for the ARC of this book.

This is great for anyone new to responsive parenting. As someone who has already been intentionally using responsive parenting techniques, it was a good refresher. It was also a nice morale booster and motivator during a period of feeling burnt out.

This was just okay for me. Some things made me outright guffaw;others I felt went a bit too far. I do, however, greatly appreciate her being real and honest about how difficult it is to be a parent.
I'm a Jenny Lawson fan. So perhaps I unconsciously expected similarity.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Gwenna for writing this book. It is so refreshing to get parenting advice that is real, honest and not from someone with a ton of letters after their name. Coming from Gwenna you know you’re getting tried and true advice that really works. She may not be a professional but I’d rather have someone with life experience than a degree giving me parenting advice. Parenting is an “in the trenches” lived experience. It’s not something you can learn from a textbook so it doesn’t matter how many degrees or years of school you attend, it’s all about lived experience in my opinion, that actually counts. Gwenna has that, and she gives it out with sass, spunk and humor which I love. I’ve followed her on TikTok and I am so happy she wrote a book. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy! These are my honest opinions and they are my own.

Insightful and fun read for parents of all levels. The humor brought by Laithland helps to ease the stress parenting can bring to all whether new or experienced.

I begin with an apology. While I was interested in this book, both because of the description and because of the description of humor, I realized quickly this book was not for me. If I had really thought about it, I might have realized that, so that's why I apologize. While I am a parent, I'm also a grandparent and it's been a long time since I've been around young kids as a parent I think I'm perhaps too old (71) for the parenting "tips" which I didn't find that helpful and/or the humor. As I thought about what I would write, I remembered that I'm a big fan of Jenny Lawson. I do often find her quite humorous. So, I guess it's preference for styles and the subjectivity of humor. I'm glad this author has an audience, but I won't be joining.
I will not place a review anywhere but here.