Still Going It Alone: Mothering with Faith and Finesse When the Children Have Grown - eBook

What now? The kids are grown and gone. Still Going It Alone: Mothering with Faith and Finesse When the Children Have Grown by Michele Howe is here to help you deal with the transition. No more arguments about curfews, SAT scores, bad-driving habits, homework, or Saturday morning clean-your-room frenzies? Many single mothers, who have devoted their lives to rearing their children, often feel lost when their children grow up and leave the nest. These mothers have spent so many unselfish hours mothering and providing for their children that they’ve forgotten how to have a life for themselves, and they find parenting a grown child different and challenging. Howe’s book targets single moms whose children have moved on and out. (This book is a sequel to Michele’s book, Going it Alone, which is for single moms rearing younger children.)

Michele’s positive self-help book will show women how to acclimate to these new crossroads by giving them examples of how other moms became more aware mentally and spiritually. A few of the chapter topics are: entering the crossroads, relating to in-laws, instilling financial stability, grandparenting, and caring for aging parents. Each chapter begins with a Scripture quote and consists of different real-life stories of struggling women, a step-by-step section on how to adjust to changes and set positive action plans, a mother’s prayer, and a thought for the day.

This book is well organized, but it’s easy for readers to get confused as to which character each story is about because there are so many different stories within each chapter. This isn’t a “quick-read” sort of book. The benefit to the reader will be greatly improved if she takes her time to reflect on and absorb each chapter’s message. This is a great reference book — one that mothers will want to keep handy as their lives continue to change — to reflect on over and over again. The back of the book also contains recommended resources for further reading and spiritual growth.

Chapter Six’s Bible verse is from 2 Timothy 1:7. It says, "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." I recommend this book for mothers who are looking for a boost with this parenting transition. Be prepared to journey with proactive single moms who look at this new parenting quest as an opportunity to grow and embrace change through the power, love and self-discipline that God has given us. -- Michelle Weidenbenner, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com

"As kids grow up a mom's role shifts and changes, and it's not always easy to adjust. In her new book, Still Going It Alone, Michele Howe offers practical and positive principles for single moms who are entering those empty nest years and beyond. From preparing your kids for their careers to imparting goal-setting directives to helping them make wise choices in relationships, Michele's book covers every aspect of encouraging grown children to succeed in life. Most importantly she points moms to the Lord as their true source of peace and strength. Each chapter is filled with personal stories and practical applications to benefit every mom. I highly recommend this book as a guidebook for all single moms with grown kids."
—Karol Ladd, author of The Power of a Positive Mom

“The saying, “Once a parent, always a parent,” is so true. In her book Still Going It Alone, Michele Howe offers encouragement and advice for single moms who are approaching the empty nest and looking beyond. As well as accepting the changes that take place in the parent/adult-child relationship, single moms need to look to their futures regarding friends, finances, and job opportunities. And Michele also points out the importance of keeping their lives centered on their Maker.”
— Susan Osborn, Director of the Christian Communicator Manuscript Critique Service, author of 29 books.

“Calling single mothers toward a future ‘flush with opportunity,’ Michele Howe invites her readers into others’ lives while sharing doable steps, heart-felt prayers and poignant excerpts as they release their grown children, change careers or anticipate retirement, consider remarriage and embrace aging. A timely book with a much-needed chapter on preparing your child for marriage using wisdom earned from experience.”
— Kari West, speaker and author, When He Leaves: Help and Hope for Hurting Wives

Michele Howe is the author of several books, including Going It Alone: Meeting the Challenges of Being a Single Mom and Prayers to Nourish a Woman's Heart, as well as hundreds of articles for women seeking to live in relationship with God and others. Michele also writes a weekly women's lifestyle column entitled "Embracing Life's Curves."

Howe (a reviewer for PW) wrote her first book, Going It Alone, for newly divorced moms who faced raising their young children alone. Now she helps mothers take steps farther down the road as children leave the nest and begin families of their own. “It is my hope and prayer that this book offers single moms a safe place—a community—where they find rest and renewed hope, strength, and shelter,” the author says. She addresses many unique challenges facing single moms as they enter a new phase of life: an empty house, helping young adult children set goals and building new relationships with them, in-laws, new career options, finances, grandparenting and more. Her chapters on caring for elderly parents and aging are especially helpful. Howe laces her book with real-life stories and adds hands-on action steps in each chapter’s “Ready, Set, Adjust!” sections. Chapters also include a prayer and final thought taken from a pertinent book. Howe targets an audience not often aimed at and hits it dead on. (Dec, Publishers Weekly.) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.