Hands Free Mama: A Guide to Putting Down the Phone, Burning the To-Do List, and Letting Go of Perfection to Grasp What Really Matters!

I read 2 different blog posts by Rachel Stafford and instantly identified with her. I pre-ordered her book and eagerly awaited its arrival. I've turned off the phone and put away the distractions to connect with my children, after reading my first night. I was able to feel connected and present with my boys in a way that I haven't experienced. After choosing my children after school yesterday rather than the to do list or other distractions, my 3 year old held my cheeks with both of his hands, looked deep into my eyes and said, "I love you, Mommy!" He then kissed me on the lips. A six year old son that has never been physically affectionate with me, snuggled up on the couch while I read to him for an hour. The best books are the ones that inspire change and impact your life. This is one of the best books I have ever read, and can not wait to see the results in my life as I enact more principles from the book.

I'm very glad I purchased this book and I've really enjoyed it! Lots of helpful reminders about paying attention to what really matters. I personally found the author hard to identify with at times. She has a very type-A personality, which is evidenced by the fact that she had this epiphany about herself only very recently to focus more on what matters but turned around and immediately wrote a book about it! I'm not sure she possesses as much depth as she wishes and sometimes her writing is too corny for my taste, but a real treat nonetheless.

We're all probably guilty of it. There are many of us who can't walk by our phones without picking them up to check something. Or wouldn't dare leave the house without it. (And be without a device with a pixelated screen while we're waiting at the dentist's office? Or in line at the grocery store? Or even at redlights? NEVER!)

Many of us have electronic devices that constantly vibrate, hum, ding, and ping to remind us that "people need us" and "this needs attending to" and "we are so very, very busy." But think about it. Would the world really end if you didn't answer that phone call/text/email right now? Or even until this evening after the kids are in the bed? Or all week, really?

Probably not. (In fact, very likely not. We just like to think that the world WILL end if we let go of what beckons us towards itself electronically. It makes us feel important and needed, does it not?)

Stafford challenges us as wives and mothers to realize that someone else desperately needs our love, our undivided attention, our focus: Our husbands and our children.

This book takes us through a GENTLE set of reminders of what's truly important in this short life....and gives real, tangible, enthusiastic goals that we can all set out to complete to become more "hands free."

It's not just about distractions that don't matter. It's also about the things that we truly believe DO matter: Our home's state of cleanliness. Our appearance. Our to-do lists.

I enjoyed this book immensely and feel greatly challenged -- and encouraged by it. I didn't feel preached at or condemned. Stafford does an excellent job telling us and showing us all the ways she's failed -- and still struggled -- in her efforts to become more "hands free." It's an excellent reminder and useful resource for anyone.

for any mom who ever goes to bed with guilt that they yelled at their kids, or who maybe realized they came home from the park but wasn't really "there" with their kids. I read a few bad reviews and I was shocked anyone would criticize this. then again, to each their own. I feel it should be on every mom's night stand for when you are in need of some inspiration, or a late night "friend" to let you know that all is ok , that you tried and can get up and do better the next day. As a mom of 2 teens and a 9 year old,I think Rachel is one of the best mom-focused writers around!

I was so excited to read this book, but my excitement didn’t last long. Her advice isn’t practical. The stories are repetitive. I gave up after the story about her daughter waking up in the middle of the night and eventually asking to read books. So she agreed bc she’d never get that moment back. No working adult I know would read books In the middle of the night because their child asked.

I couldn't stand to read more than twenty pages of this book. I'm sure some people love it, and I can sort of get the appeal for them, but it was not what I was expecting. Very God-focused. If that's not your thing then you probably won't like it either.

This is a great book for anyone who's feeling overly connected but not sure how to do anything differently. She offers weekly suggestions and it is loosely broken down into 1 year's worth of small changes that add up to big time real connectivity. I wouldn't give this as a gift without knowing that it was wanted, but I originally borrowed it from the library and then needed to buy it so I could reference it often.

I think Rachel Macy Stafford's book is so important for our society. I became a parent almost 15 years ago, and I think it was a WHOLE lot easier to stay connected and present with my kids back then. Computers stayed on our desks and had incredibly SLOW dial-up modems. Our cell phones, if we had them, made phone calls only. We were too poor for cable, so the kids only had 1/2 hour or so when a good PBS show came on. My friends and I sat around on the couch or in the back yard together talking and watching our kids play and building relationships.

Now, I find myself so connected to my iphone that I risk missing out on what's going on in the present moment. Back then I got bored, certainly, but that boredom led to creative, zany moments with my kids that make me smile to remember them. Now when I get bored, whether it's at stop-light (!!) or in my house, I turn to my phone to somehow entertain me. Things like checking email and FB have taken on a crazy sense of urgency. Work follows me home, and it's easy to try to multi-task and end up missing out...

I like how Rachel's book shows us there is an alternative. There is a way to take small steps to reconnect with those closest to us and to make memories. Rachel does this in a warm, non-judgmental way, so we don't feel like beating ourselves up when we fall short.

If this book makes us take a look at how we spend our time, and how we prioritize the "urgent" over the important, like our "to do" lists over our children, it will have made a real difference in our society. I believe it does and it will! Thank you, Rachel, for starting The Hands Free Revolution.

I got my book this week after waiting for publication. Rachel does a great job of reminding me of what's important in life. As a grandmother now, I have more time to pay attention when my girl is here, and I do my best to make the most of each visit because I don't know how many I will have. Young mothers particularly need encouragement to pay attention to relationships and not to try to keep up with the outside world if it interferes. Well done, Rachel.

No matter where you are in your parenting journey, this book has insights and wisdom that can help anyone become a better, more loving, and more attentive parent. Raising kids can be monotonous at times, and in the daily grind it's easy to lose sight of the blessings under our roof and the limited time we have with them.

What Rachel does is help us see our children with renewed focus and a grateful heart. Everything we want as parents is already there - it's just a matter of noticing the beauty behind the scabbed knees and mussed up hair. With her eloquent prose, Rachel can make the most ordinary moments seem breathtaking and miraculous, something we long to experience again and again.

I'm thankful for this beautiful writer and her soulful prose. Can't wait to read her next book!