Thankfully, I have not heard this uttered from the mouths of either of my children (yet?) but I can vouch for having spat them at my parents once or twice. To prepare myself for hearing these words one day, I picked up Kathy Buckworth‘s newly launched book I Am So The Boss of You.
Okay, let me back up. I actually picked up the book so that I could have it in hand for when she arrived into Ottawa for her book launch celebration. You know … friends, appetizers, drinks … yeah, that … I didn’t want to miss that! Hosted by Good Karma Baby’s Sherrie-Mae Guthrie and author Laurel Anderson, I wanted to show my support for Kathy on this extra notch in her belt (she has already written a slew of books, my favourite of which so far is The BlackBerry Diaries).
From left to right: Angele of Shoe-Box-Be-Gone, moi, Kathy, and Chris of Canadian Dad.
As the gathering at the Ottawa Marriott‘s Spin Kitchen Bar kicked off, Kathy explained that she’d had the premise of this book in the back of her mind for years. She could recall how her, and so many other women like her, were highly successful in their senior management positions but then floundered at home when it came to taking charge with the kids. In response, she’s created what she calls “An 8-Step Guide” for taking charge and reclaiming your rightful position of Family Boss.
“Most moms I know want and sometimes claim to be the “CEO of their family.” That’s terrific. Except most of them are not good or effective CEOs. They are CEOs in title only. They haven’t done the due diligence within their families to ensure that their “team” has taken on the right responsibilities, established appropriate goals, and that everyone is clear in where they are going. This is a fundamental step in making sure you are an effective leader and not just another cliched bad boss.” [page 19]
However, the woman is a comedian at heart. So the advice is shared with some slapstick thrown in. As example, here is a section that discusses giving kids allowances.
“I think kids today get a bum rap. While they are still expected to pitch in on family chores, “experts” tell us not to pay them for “simply being a member of the family.” In my humble opinion, these “experts” are slightly demented. This is not the way the real world works. Employees don’t work for free, do they? Ah, but you might suggest that employees have chosen to be at work. Is it better to have the choice? Those of you who don’t have teenagers may not have had it recently pointed out that they “didn’t ask to be born.” [page 110-111]
Now, if you think this handy-dandy guide to taking charge of your family (with a lot of tongue in cheek!) is for you … don’t worry, I didn’t forget about you! When I bought my copy, I bought one for you too! AND I had it autographed especially for you:
To Enter this Giveaway for one autographed copy of Kathy’s book:
- Please be located in Canada so that the shipping won’t cost me a fortune
- Leave a comment below telling me who’s the boss in your family
WINNER OF THE PRIZE IS ERIN!!! Congrats Erin! Right now, your baby boy might be the boss, but maybe with Kathy’s help you can get a promotion 
I will be in touch to get your mailing address. Enjoy!!! xo
Speak Your Mind