FORMER Bridport News journalist Sarah Thompson and fellow writer Alex Manson-Smith are exploding the myths of motherhood in a book just published.
Alex and Sarah are two mothers and lifelong friends, who started their youresomummy.com website in 2014 as a way to vent about how much they disliked baking, disguised as a blog.
You're So Mummy is their first book, and includes chapters such as ‘Grannies as childminders: Learning that there’s no such thing as a free lunch’, ‘Moving to the countryside and realising you made a terrible error’ and ‘Learning more than you ever wanted to know about JCBs, or How boring books for boys can be’.
Sarah said: “It’s what every mother actually thinks, but is too nice to say out loud.”
“Set aside the Gina Ford baby manuals, silence the baby-whisperers and shelve the Jo Frost Supernanny guide book – this is the book to make new mothers feel better about themselves, and have a laugh along the way.”
There are no tips, no advice, no routines, no philosophies – just an honest account of two writers’ adventures in the 21st century Motherland, she said.
Their advice:
- Under no circumstances can you name your child after a flower (too popular) or a city (too common). Animals, however, are fair game: Fox, Wolf, Bear, Otter – these are all entirely acceptable first names.
- Haven’t read a classic novel since school? Never mind. Just plunder your GCSE set texts for ideas. To Kill a Mockingbird in particular is a winner. Atticus, Scout, Harper – these tell the world you’ve read a book and are anti-racist.
- To prove your anti-establishment credentials, give them a name that sounds like it belonged to a criminal or, at the very least, someone clinically insane e.g. Sid, Myra, Jonny, Harold. Fred and Rose are perfect for twins.
Alex added: “This is the perfect antidote to all the smug, scolding, impossible-to-achieve tomes of advice that are passed around baby yoga classes all over the country.”
There will be a launch party at Waterstone’s in Bridport next Thursday March 3 at 6.30pm.
Alex Manson-Smith is a journalist and has written lifestyle features for The Times, Telegraph, Guardian, Evening Standard and Observer, as well as award-winning commercials for Google, YouTube and Nike.
Sarah Thompson is the author of Style Council: Inspirational interiors in ex-council homes, published by Random House in 2015. She’s also writes for the Daily Telegraph, Smallish and Prima Baby, and various commercial clients.
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