So very relatable. I loved her thoughts on Candy Land. She was spot on with how the times have changed. We really don’t have to entertain our children every moment of every day…Candy Land was made for KIDS so yeah it’s ok if we as adult cringe when we get asked to play it lol.

In this book there’s something for everyone. There is no citing of text or medical journals…it’s more like you’re at a bar venting or laughing about all things “momdom” and another mom sitting nearby gives you that look like “I see you” and then you get to talking and you both just keep saying “Oh I know right!? Yes! I’ve been there.”

This was an entertaining audiobook. If you’ve ever felt alone in your momming, yeah she’s been there too…we all have. You’re not alone and if anyone tells you being a mom is a breeze they are lying to you.

If you’re struggling just know we all are at times, as long as we don’t all meltdown together. Us mommas need to stick together and support each other.

Gwenna has a way of saying exactly what some of us are thinking, but are unable to vocalize on our own. Her voice is honest, raw, and real. She makes very clear that she does not consider herself a parenting expert, but the listener will disagree. Her view on parenthood is inspiring, and she reminds all of us that we're all doing the best we can. I would recommend this book for any library's parenting section.

I absolutely loved this! I have seen Gwenna come up on my instagram and have always enjoyed her reels so when I saw she wrote a book I was so excited!
Her writing has the same great informations she shares on her page and it was so nice to hear these words of wisdom from someone I related to in life and I know hasn’t always been perfect but is doing their best. Hearing things from another parent and not a therapist or someone with 16 letters after their name is so amazing and underrated.
Absolutely loved this and love putting her help into practice with my kids.

Momma Cusses by Gwenna Laithland

Thank you so much NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St.Martins Essentials for the gifted copy and the chance to review it honestly.

First of all the foreword totally got me choked up. Abbi did a phenomenal job narrating. Gwen a also did a fantastic job narrating her book baby. This book is ridiculously relatable for the mother that I am. I 100% relate to this parenting style and as soon as I started reading it, I recommended it to all of my mom friends. It reminded me that I’m only human and trying to do better is better than not trying at all. As parents we try to be “perfect” but we really do forget that’s just not achievable because we are human and we do make mistakes. I really really enjoyed this read! 10/10 recommend and I’ll be keeping it on my shelves forever. If you don’t have time to read it physically, the audiobook is amazing!

Happy reading!

Pros:

For fans of Momma Cusses prepare for what feels like an extended chat. Gwenna managed to keep her charm and personality despite having to edit and likely overthink how to word things in this book and it is wonderful!

As a person without children I still found this book to be helpful. While I am not a parent, I assist with events for children at work and also just have to deal with humans. Gwenna gives really great techniques to help set boundaries, recognize emotional states and regulate yourself or help someone else. It never feels as though you are being talked down to and it feels like she is genuinely rooting for you to succeed in your goals. I would definitely read more self help books if they were like this.

I love that she wraps up each chapter almost like a study guide. I feel like this would be a great thing for people who may want to refer back to certain topics but can’t remember where they are.

Cons:

This book was exactly what it needed to be. That said, I want more books and stories by Gwenna. Maybe the woes of motherhood or crazy shit that only happens when you’re a parent.

I follow the Momma Cusses Tik Tok page and love her content. I love that she narrated her own audiobook. It just made it more authentic to listen to. Gwenna had many lessons to teach about responsive parenting. I could relate to a lot of the things she said. Gwenna explains things in a way that makes it easier to understand. She even kept in the "did not read" paraphrasing at the end of the chapters which actually helped me remember what i heard if I stopped in the middle of a chapter. I like that she is honest and says that these things may not work for you but this works for her family. Gwenna also suggests ways that you can adjust certain things to maybe fit for your family. I enjoyed listening and I really do feel like I can apply the things she talked about to my life.

Why did I want to read Momma Cusses: A Field Guide to Responsive Parenting & Trying Not To Be the Reason Your Kid Needs Therapy by Gwenna Laithland? Obviously because of the title! But imagine my shock as I'm listening to the audiobook and suddenly recognize the voice from Instagram! I was pleasantly surprised and instantly felt I could trust what was said!

How do I begin to sum up my love for this book? Simply put: I feel every parent could benefit from reading (or hearing) Laithland's words. I believe the no-nonsense approach works best and Laithland has this level of accessibility in spades, refusing to mince words with her honesty. I found myself nodding along, constantly having light-bulb moments and generally thinking, "Gwenna GETS me." This will become a comfort read of mine for those times a sense of community and comradery is needed!

Laithland herself narrates her book, and nobody else could read her words the way she does. I love the realness, the rawness and the no BS approach to Laithland's inflection and tone, which only reiterate the points made in the book.

Random chapter thoughts:
-as the good Momma I am, I reread chapter nine twice, as instructed
-that chapter on self care, though. I needed that one!
-I want to print out the Co-Regulation Appendix and keep it in my back pocket
-I had tears in my eyes as I finished the very last chapter

If it wasn't already clear, yes, I love and highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Essentials and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

Why am I reading and loving a parenting book when I have no desire to be a parent?
Because Gwenna is funny and sarcastic and irreverent and compassionate and just the right kind of stubborn.
Because I still like kids, and for my niblings and friends' kids I want to be a safe adult for them. And that means more than I avoid intentionally harming them- it means I have to learn a bit about the Unintentional ways that adults can plant the seeds of harm when we forget what it's like to be a kid, and are "learning to person from scratch".
And as someone currently in the throes of therapy to deal with all the emotional learning that was missing from my childhood, the content of this book is So helpful in breaking down the complicated mess that is being a human-with-emotions into digestible concepts and strategies.

As far as parenting books go this is the most enjoyable one I’ve ever read.
Written by a non parenting expert who constantly reminds you that you are the only expert for your child- I gained a lot of perspective about my relationship with parenting and a lot of reassurance that nobody is a perfect parent- and that’s okay. The author is relatable, but so well spoken that they can put scenarios and feelings into words that you might struggle with articulating.

I devoured MOMMA CUSSES by Gwenna Laithland — it was like chicken soup for my soul with swear words and just what I needed. I listened to this on audio (thanks @macmillan.audio!) and I highly recommend it as she narrates it herself. I also had a kindle copy from @netgalley but enjoyed the audio so much I mostly stuck to that. I do want to purchase the hard copy to go back and reference though as I feel this will be a parenting/self help book that I will reference time and time again.

I think most parents feel like or are afraid that they’re messing their kids up. I know I’m one of those parents, and I found this book to be informative and so relatable. From Pinterest fails and social media illusions to car line rage, I was laughing out loud so often while doing the dishes that I was creeping my family out. Of course, I immediately went to her Instagram page and began following her (@mommacusses if you want to check her out). Gwenna doesn’t claim to be an expert, but she explains how we are the expert in knowing our own child and how working on ourselves leads to responsive parenting. This book was fantastic and a must for any parent.

A great ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read! Be sure to grab a copy — release day is this Tuesday 3/5!

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @stmartinsessentials for the early copies!

I recently devoured the advanced reader copy (ARC) of "Momma Cusses" by Gwenna Laitland, and it stands out as the best parenting book I've ever read. Gwenna's no-nonsense, witty approach, reminiscent of her entertaining content on TikTok and YouTube, brings a refreshing and honest perspective to parenting. Her unique personality shines through, offering a relatable and judgement-free outlook that can ease the guilt often felt by stressed parents navigating the challenges of raising good little humans (or one of the other hilarious terms she uses for children).

I loved listening to the audiobook, narrated by Gwenna herself. Her impeccable delivery and authentic voice add an extra layer of engagement and enjoyment. While her advice may not be groundbreaking, the humor and lightheartedness injected into the narrative make the audiobook a must for quick reminders that you are the best parent for your child and tangible advice that you can apply immediately. I highly recommend "Momma Cusses" to parents at any stage—new, seasoned, or those working with kids. It's a delightful blend of guidance and laughter that deserves a spot on your shelf for easy reference and a good laugh.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you scour the internet you’ll find many parenting experts who will tell you that they have the exact recipe or magic remedy to making your littles the perfect little humans, Gwenna is not one of those people. She graced our social media’s by becoming many moms go-to resource for both responsive parenting and the laugh most of us so desperately need. She fills this books with examples, tricks, tips, and stories about raising kids in the best way we know how, how to learn along the way, and how to react to our own mistakes in order to (hopefully) not be the reason your child needs therapy

I had the chance to get through this bad boy before it was released, very excitedly I might add. So a big thank you thank you to both NetGalley and Macmillan Audio!If you have been on TikTok and have kids more than likely you have seen Gwenna around, she is both hilarious and resourceful. Having joined social media (TikTok at first is where she built her platform) when her eldest teenage daughter asked if she could make an account. Suddenly many moms (me included) were tuning in for the fun, the advice, the stories, and Abby’s chaos lunches (as a fellow Abigail I feel this and every-time Gwenna shares her quirks I laugh and start to realize it might just be an Abigail thing) on the regular and loving every second!

Her book was a wonderful expansion of her social media, bringing together all her experiences and mistakes in order to share how she has approached responsive parenting with her kids she spends this book making us laugh as well as feel much better about the stress and strain that is being a mom and raising mini humans. It isn’t an easy task leaving many parents to often question their approach, their worth, and more.I don’t think that there’s anything that I would have changed at all about this book, it was exactly everything I was hoping and expecting it to be from the moment that Gwenna announced she was writing this book! Her narration was also so much fun as she has the perfect inflections in her voice, and who better to tell those hilarious parenting fails than the woman herself?

I consumed this book as an Audiobook thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio, it came in at 7H54M total. It is also slated for release as an ebook coming in at 276 pages and a physical book coming in at 288 pages! It is slated to be released March 5th 2024 in all three formats, it is ready for pre-order on many big retailers and local bookstores as well!

This book made me laugh out loud, cry, and contemplate so much. The way that Gwenna writes makes the typical boring parenting book accessible to so many more parents. I have already recommended this to every parent I know, especially those who are in the trenches with toddlers. This will also be a go to gift for parents.

Love Gwenna !! I’ve been following her for a while and always enjoy her hot takes and advice !! This book was no different

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of "Momma Cusses" in exchange for an honest review. As many others who will pick up this book, I know Gwenna Laithland from TikTok and was excited to add to my reading goal while listening to what she had to say. This is like a warm hug of parenting books. I found myself internalizing many of the messages with both my mom brain and my teacher brain. This book is great for parents with kids of all ages. I got some really tangible strategies that I will easily hold onto as I embark upon the toddler years, and it was honestly just a comforting book. I did appreciate that at one point I was driving around listening to the book with a sleeping baby in the back and a drive through snack, while Laithland was talking about doing the same thing with her children. I hope that she is working on something else, because I would definitely give it a read.

Okay starting off I am not a parent. I want to be a mom one day in the future though. I did teach for two years for a while though. I picked up this book because I have run across Gwenna on YouTube and was extremely interested in her book.

Gwenna has an amazing personality and listening to her audiobook made me smile and laugh while at work and I did truly enjoy this book.

She is honest and truthful about her own personal experience. She tells you multiple times that you are the best parenting experience for your own child. Which I think is such an important fact that many people seem to forget.

I can’t wait to see what else Gwenna does as the years continue.

Thank you net galley, the publishers and Gwenna for the arc

The term "responsive parenting" is the author's attempt to trick readers into accepting her advice on "gentle parenting" because of the negative stigma surrounding the concept of "gentle parenting." Which she overly reiterates is not "permissive parenting." In the Afterword, she openly states she does not address anything other than parenting mainstream kids. So if you go into this book thinking this will be something new and helpful and you have special needs kids, 2e (twice exceptional) kids, and/or already have a firm grasp on gentle parenting....save your time for something else. That being said, a lot of this information would have been helpful before I had kids when I knew nothing about what to expect. The demographic target audience for this book seems quite niche, but if you are a first time millennial parent, it might be right up your alley!

Momma Cusses is full of practical, relatable parenting advice. Laithland is upfront about not being an "expert," but her methods are tried-and-true and realistic. She covers co-regulation, autonomy, agency, and consent, among other topics. She shares anecdotes from her own life to illustrate her points.

4.5/5

Gwenna did such a good job with this book, her whole personality shines through it just like her work on Tiktok and Youtube. Her parenting perspective is refreshing and honest, in a way that can relieve a lot of guilt from stressed parents that are just trying their best to raise good little humans. I found her advice to be helpful and gentle, while also being realistic and something that could be practically implemented.

I got an audiobook copy of this ARC and I think Gwenna did a beautiful job narrating. I always prefer a self-narrated book, especially from an influencer with lots of experience in this kind of work.

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For the sake of transparency, I did not know who Gwenna Laithland was before picking up the book and what drew me to the book was the title. I did find out while reading this book that my teenager follows her on TikTok.

Gwenna Laithland did a fabulous job narrating her book. I was able to hit a 2.5x speed which is the gold standard for audiobooks in my personal opinion.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC.