Children and Emotion : The Development of Psychological Understanding: The Development of Psychological Understanding Book

I'm surprising myself by giving this five stars (it's not my normal five-star fare), but it was so enjoyable to read and has given me so much to think about and revisit that I really think it deserves the five-star rating (from me).

That said, I don't think this will be a five-star book for everyone, so I need to clarify:

First, have you ever absolutely LOVED a book, only to reread it a few years later and wonder what was so great about it? Sometimes, you just happen to pick the perfect time to read a book...where you can relate to everything in it and overlook all its flaws and totally immerse yourself in the writing. That happened to me with this book. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I have a new baby and my life is slowly becoming ever more chaotic. I honestly don't think I could have read this book at a more appropriate time...my feelings, frustrations, hopes, fears, anxieties, and dreams were all validated. I feel like it was truly a tender mercy to read this book just when I needed it most.

Second, besides the perfect timing, many of the topics have given me a lot to ponder about. One of my favorite analogies compared life to a video game (ironic, I know, that I would like a video game analogy). There are many sections that I want to write up and post around my house so that I can see and remember them on a daily basis.

Third, I don't want to give this book back to the library. I want it to be my own so I can reread sections and feel those good "mommy-feelings" all over again.

Last, speaking of rereading, I think on a Mother's Day in the future, I will reread the book in its entirety. Nothing says five stars like "I will take the time to read this book again." Depending on what my life is like at that point, I might wonder why I gave this book five stars, or it might be that I will love it just as much but in a different way.

If you are a mom, you will for sure like this book, even if you don't love it...it is full of funny stories and takes a very realistic look at mothering. It will make you grateful for this very special job.