MS Conception and parenting misconceptions – book review

At the Kids Emporium Bloggers breakfast, Pamela Power was one of the speakers.  I loved her humour and frank manner.  After jumping a few technological mental block hurdles I bought her e-book MS Conception (also available in paper) on Takealot.

Modern motherhood is cloaked in misconceptions.  Social media generally projects motherhood in rose tinted hues.  Most mothers present the painted face of parenting.  Our little angels immortalised in their cutest, sweetest moments, snapshots which reflect well on our parenting.  This is not really an attempt at subterfuge, we want to freeze all those precious moments in little cyber time capsules.  It is natural to focus on the pure and the beautiful.  I have little desire to store or share the memory of a screaming red faced tantrum, or the floor so littered with toys that injury is likely to result from a brief foray into a plastic minefield.

Pamela Power uses expletives with generosity, her protagonist Jo embodies a real woman and mother.  The very human, fallible Jo feels like a friend.  I’m certain that every mother will identify with Jo and like her.  I felt relief that I’m not the only one who adds colour to the language of motherhood.  Last week Acacia (5) said “FFS” before I could correct this Fjord (8) said to her, “That is a very ugly word, you mustn’t say it aloud.  When I really want to say it, I say it in my head, next time just think it, don’t say it.”  Ah! they may learn bad language from me but are also learning how to self-regulate.

The story line in this novel held my attention to the detriment of my family who I am visiting in Durbs.  The humour had me smiling through most of my journey through the book.  If there were a saying along the lines that the ending maketh the book, it would ring very true in this instance.  I highly recommend MS Conception as a warm, light, funny, unpretentious read.