Mama's Got a Fake ID ~ A book review

I think that almost every mom at some point suffers from an identity crisis after becoming a mother. You get so overwhelmed with raising children that the "you" in you becomes lost. You are known as "Johnny's Mom" instead of for yourself. The part of you who graduated with honors, or helped save a company tons of money is no longer recognized. You are just a mom. Running car pools, baking cookies, running fundraisers.

I don't remember struggling with this much, but I thought my kids WERE my greatest accomplishments, and the only thing I had done with my life. But there were times when I struggled with who I could be outside of them, and what I would do with ME when they are all out of the house.

I don't have all the answers yet, but I do know that I am valuable outside of being a mother, too, and I have a life that is "Lisa" and not "Mommy." I live in both worlds and it is great! But if you do struggle with the two halves of yourself, read Mama's Got a Fake ID by Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira, it will help you become the full you that God intends for you.

Summary:
Formula for identity loss:
1. Take one multifaceted, intriguing human being.
2. Bless her with a child.
3. Mix with today’s cultural assumptions.
4. Add the demands of motherhood.
5. Presto! All identity except Mom disappears.
For every woman wondering what happened to the unique combination of gifts and abilities she was known for before kids came along, Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira has good news: in Mama’s Got a Fake I.D., Rivedeneira helps moms reclaim their full identity as creative beings, gifted professionals and volunteers, loving friends, children of God—and mothers.

This inspiring and practical guide shows women how to break free from false guilt, learn a new language to express who they really are, and follow God’s lead in sharing their true self with others. After all, motherhood doesn’t have to mean losing one’s identity. Instead, being a mom makes it possible for a woman to discover a more complete identity as the person God made her to be.

Author Bio:
The former managing editor of Marriage Partnership and Christian Parenting Today, Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira has been a trusted voice writing and speaking to women for more than a decade. Today she is the managing editor of GiftedForLeadership.com, an online community for Christian women in leadership. Rivadeneira works from home in the Chicago suburbs, where she lives with her husband and their three children.