Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches by Rachel Jankovic
Review by Alyssa Bartek
There are countless wonderful books on parenting available today, but when I picked up Loving the Little Years, I knew I had stumbled upon exactly what I needed. The first paragraph of the first chapter reads, “If there is anything I have learned in the course of my fast and furious mothering journey, it is that there is only one thing in my entire life that must be organized. The kids can be running like a bunch of hooligans through a house that appears to be at the bottom of a toaster, and yet, if organization and order can still be found in my attitude, we are doing well. But if my attitude falters, even in the midst of external order, so does everything else.”
Yikes! It was only the very beginning of the book, and I was already being challenged. Mothering is one tough job, but Christian mother Rachel Jankovic completely understands since she wrote the book at the time of being a mother to five children ages five and under! The book was written to encourage mothers of young children and give them a fresh perspective on their situation.
Designed for busy moms, the book is short in length and divided into quick chapters that reflect on various thoughts from the author. Â This allows it to easily be read in any quick intervals mothers may get. The book really pierces to the heart and role of mothering to remind moms of their God-ordained position.
I would recommend this book to any mother of young children because I think we can all use some wise encouragement! My copy is marked with highlighted quotes and notes that really spoke to and uplifted my heart. Just as Jankovic says, “Motherhood is hard work. It is repetitive and often times menial. Accept it. Rejoice in it. This is your toil. Right here. Those are the faces. Enjoy them.”
