Hands free mama A guide to putting down the phone, burning the to-do list, and letting go of perfection to grasp what really matters!

In her first book, mommy blogger Stafford turns her experience of losing two years of enjoyment of her children's lives to overbooking and perfectionism into a handbook of strategies to ignore "daily distractions and grasp moments of loving connection." She blames the constant lure of the smartphone and laptop, combined with one's inner drill sergeant, for the loss of precious moments, and recommends clearing the calendar for both loving rituals and spontaneous, mutual play. Saccharine stories about how much her children hug and kiss and say "I love you" when she focuses on them, and a privileged attitude that the world is made up of stay-at-home moms whose commitments are mostly optional, combine to passive-aggressively dare readers to make their children a priority. Though later chapters urge readers to let go of perfection, and although it's certainly not the core lesson Stafford is trying to teach, her way of sharing her story makes her first guilt-laden message stick: you are throwing away the meaningful gifts and lessons you and your small children can give each other whenever you choose to focus on anything separate from them. Mothers for whom this lifestyle appeals may find affirmation here, but those struggling to balance childrearing and personal time better may feel judged. Agent: MacGregor Literary. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

An extension of the author's blog, -HandsFreeMama.com, this book describes Stafford's struggles to put aside her electronic devices and focus on her children. A former special education teacher, Stafford successfully begins to pay attention to her daughters and somewhat repetitively shares moments of joy she finds with her children. The book is aimed at stay-at-home moms and lacks concrete suggestions for accomplishing all of the author's goals in concert with other tasks required for day-to-day living. Jaimee Draper reads with enthusiasm. -verdict Mothers who work outside the home may find some of the platitudes offensive, while some parents will appreciate the thoughts and consider the book a wake-up call.-Cheryl Youse, Moultrie, GA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.