Mothering Many

It so happens that I have six children. That doesn’t mean I always fall into the philosophical stereotypes people may have of large families. I’m not into parenting philosophies at all: the size of my family simply reflects the number of children God has given me. I parent as I am able, by the grace and mercy of God, and I ask for quite a bit of forgiveness. Other than that, I mostly seek encouragement. I like to hear about parents who are not tired of their children and teenagers who are not angst-fiends. I like baby pictures! And, social camaraderie, digital or community, is pretty nice, too. With that in mind, today I offer a review of Mothering Many: Sanity-Saving Strategies from Moms of Four or More, edited by Lutheran author Marie MacPherson of Into Your Hands, LLC.

Mothering Many Review

Can I admit I can be a bit scared and intimidated about parenting books? I have six children who are just young enough that I don’t particularly feel inner expertise. At the same time, I can’t just have people tell me how to run, or think, about my life. Thankfully Mothering Many was a positive, encouraging book, presenting a variety approaches, many honestly admitting, “I’m still working on that!”

The format is straight-forward. The project began when the editor, Marie MacPherson, started to think ahead about her growing family. She turned to a large number of ladies and asked them questions. The book is the result. The ladies are largely Christian/religious, but they are not all so. I can see why the different women could all be friends, and I laughed out loud that what they most seem to have in common is scrapbooking! And, you know, kids. 🙂

Some cosleep. Some have varying views about vaccinations, but generally if you want to hear from a number of women with tips on mothering many, this is a good place to start. It’s well organized so I can go back and revisit topics, including:

1. Domestic Tranquility
2. Money Matters
3. Generally “Kid”ding Around
4. When You Really Need a Break
5. Learning Time
6. The “Wife” Part of Being a Mother
7. Spiritual Wisdom

Many of the mothers homeschool, so that was addressed and at times emphasized.

Two of the last sections were my favorite, one emphasizing “Big families are wonderful because . . . ” and the other showing how the editors own answers have changed as she’s gained experience and, well, more children. 🙂

The resources and recommended readers often lean Lutheran and to the right, which I appreciate, but this is overall a very congenial book. There are not mommy war elements, dictations on law, or “my way or the highway” tones. On occasion you can see that some familiars are large in part for doctrinal reasons, but I’m happy to recommend the book, even if you are only curious how larger families function. I’m happy to recommend the Facebook group, Mothering Many, too!

Thank you, Marie, for your work on this! May God continue to bless you and your family!