National Network for Equitable Library Service

Rule number one in the parenting handbook: "Keep 'em off guard." Then along comes Cathy Hamilton (a 40-something mother of two, by the way) who blows the whole cover for motherdom. Okay, Mom will still have a trick or two up her sleeve, but Mom's the Word goes a long way toward giving the "other side" some boisterously entertaining explanations about parental messages. Consider the author's take on this momism: "I'm so mad at you I can't see straight." This is what Mom says when she's boiling, raging, over-the-top angry. It should not be taken literally, but if Mom happens to be driving when she screams these words, better encourage her to pull over . . . just in case. Mom's the Word knows just where Mom is coming from . . . and motherhood will never be the same.