Confessions of a Domestic Failure

by Bunmi Laditan

[ibeforem]

I thought this was good, but it really rode the edge of too cringey for me. Ashley is a first-time mom who is struggling like a lot of first-time moms. She doesn't know who she is anymore, she feels like she can't get a handle on routine household tasks, she feels inferior to her sister (also a first-time mom), not to mention the pressure of all the "perfect" moms out in the world and on the internet. So when she sees the chance to learn from the ultimate Perfect Mom, she jumps on it.

As Ashley's failures multiplied, I could feel my shoulders pulling further and further up towards my ears. I don't do well with second-hand embarrassment, and I wanted to scream at her several times. But at the same time, Ashley's struggles are very relatable. Many women feel the pressure to breast feed, don't know how to feed their growing child, have trouble finding the time to take care of themselves, can't figure out how to fill the day yet always run out of time.

Overall, I was satisfied when I reached the end of the book, and found the ending to be both fulfilling and redeeming. But the avalanche of failures throughout the book are hard to forget.