Parents, how many of us have been in a store picking up a few things when suddenly we are subjected to a massive explosion.  Our child wants this, she wants that, and we said “No”.  We see the people around us shaking their heads and we can just imagine what they are saying.

How many times have we gone to our child’s baseball games only to watch him lie down on top of one of the bases and look at the clouds while throwing dirt up in the air?  All the while the game is going on around him.  Have you been mortified?

I’ve had people tell me that if it were their child they would use a wooden spoon on them.  Others tell me about all the great and wonderful things their little Johnny does.  He’s captain of his kindergarten baseball team; he’s going to be a professional baseball player.  Becky is fourth grade valedictorian; she’s so smart she is destined to be the CEO of a huge company.

And what about our kids?  They can go on to be all these things.  Richard Branson has ADHD and is Dyslexic.  Jane Pauley has Bipolar Disorder as did Winston Churchill (though in those days it was called manic depression).

But we feel alone dealing with the meltdowns, the distractions, the exhaustion.

Then along comes a book that is upbeat and funny written by two mothers of children with disabilities. It is called “Shut Up About…Your Perfect Kid“  Gina Gallagher and Patricia Konjoian have been there and done that!  They wrote this book because they were “fed up with reading depressing books about our children’s disabilities”.

And it is impossible to get depressed even while reading about not only their issues but those of other parents like us who have contributed to the book.  Have you ever felt like this:

“I’m telling you Gina.  Things are so stressful at home.   I got on the highway and had this urge to just keep driving”.

“ARE YOU INSANE, PATTY?  Don’t you ever run away from home without picking me up first!”

How many of you have been half way out the door saying “I can’t take anymore?”  I hear that a lot in my house.

It’s time to get a different perspective on the trials we and our kids have.  Let’s not forget that these problems are trying for them too!

The book is easy to read.  The situations are definitely easy to identify with.  And it’s a great feeling to know there are other people out there just like us.  Each chapter covers a different subject including medication, school, and sports.  They contain stories by parents like us and comments by the authors that will have you rolling on the floor.

You’ve seen the bumper stickers “My honor student loves me”.  Well, Gina and Patty reminded me that “My bipolar kid loves me and hates me.”

Grab this book, read it, and enjoy it.  Then perhaps you will want to join “The Movement of Imperfection” because let’s face it, not every kid is “PERFECT”.