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I Am a Mother

Jane Clayson Johnson

4.14 · Rating details · 3,853 ratings · 967 reviews

How do we get women to stop saying, "I'm just a mother"? Or, "I used to be such and such, but now I'm just a mother"? When Jane Clayson Johnson, former network news correspondent and co-host of The Early Show attended a gathering of nearly fifty LDS couples, she was shocked to hear the women in the group describe themselves as "just a mother." She had not expected Latter-d ...more

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Hardcover, 144 pages

Published March 15th 2007 by Deseret Book

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Feb 26, 2009 Stephanie rated it liked it

Recommends it for: Mothers

Recommended to Stephanie by: Carrie

One day, I received a phone call from a friend I hadn’t seen in quite some time. This friend spent a few minutes telling me about her exciting career, then asked me the dreaded question: “So, what have you been up to?”

Frantically, I tried to think of something to tell her. Should I tell her about my potty-training woes? Our recent afternoon at the park? My daughter’s triumphs at Kindergarten? “Well,” I said lamely, “I’m a stay-at-home mom.”

There was a long pause. “Aren’t you lucky!” my friend fi One day, I received a phone call from a friend I hadn’t seen in quite some time. This friend spent a few minutes telling me about her exciting career, then asked me the dreaded question: “So, what have you been up to?”

Frantically, I tried to think of something to tell her. Should I tell her about my potty-training woes? Our recent afternoon at the park? My daughter’s triumphs at Kindergarten? “Well,” I said lamely, “I’m a stay-at-home mom.”

There was a long pause. “Aren’t you lucky!” my friend finally said brightly.

The conversation pretty much died at that point, but it illustrates my point: mothers, especially full-time moms, don’t get the respect they deserve. To be honest, most days, I don’t even respect the job myself. It’s hard for me to find fulfillment in the endless rounds of diapers, tantrums and cleaning.

Jane Clayson Johnson is the former co-host of The Early Show on CBS. At ABC News, she covered national and international stories for World News Tonight with Peter Jennings and Good Morning America. She gave it all up to be a full-time mother. She wrote I Am a Mother to encourage mothers to be proud of their role, to stand up and say, with dignity, “I am a mother!”

Johnson uses numerous inspirational scriptures, quotes and stories as well as her own experiences to laud the importance of mothers. These serve as a great pep talk, but since I already know how important mothers are (thank you very much!), I found the most wisdom in a chapter titled “Walking in Each Other’s Shoes.” In that chapter, Johnson encourages women not to judge one another; an important reminder, I think, as battles rage over working vs. staying at home and breastfed vs. bottle-fed and the number of children to have. Sometimes we women are our own worst enemies, and it shouldn’t be that way.

I think it will be a long time before the world respects moms the same way it reveres doctors and lawyers and actors, but perhaps Johnson’s suggestion is a good place to start: stand up proudly and announce to the world that I am a mother! Maybe if we respect ourselves, others will start to respect us, too.

DISCLAIMER: Most everyone I know loves this book and gives it five stars. The only reason I didn’t is because I am a crusty, cynical, evil woman and I don’t enjoy inspirational books as much as most people. ...more

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Jan 26, 2008 Hannah rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: Mom's who don't find value/purpose in their roles.

Recommended to Hannah by: Wendy

This book was a little too cheesy for me. I felt like over half of it was quotes by other people, and I just don't like books like that for the most part.

I felt like she kept referring to her great job and how luxurious it was, and the sacrifice she made to become a mom and give up the wardrobe and make-up stylists. I mean surely if she could give up her glamorous lifestyle and find meaning in motherhood, than any woman can! I just couldn't relate, I didn't need to give up a fancy job to feel va ...more

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Feb 15, 2008 Natalie rated it it was ok

I love the topic, of course. The quotes she used in the book were awesome. But that was part of the problem- the book is mostly a collection of quotes. I liked hearing a bit of her biography and how she got to what she is now. I liked hearing that her kids also throw up and make messes and all the rest. And I of course am in awe and admiration that she decided to be a stay home mom instead of a national news anchor. But there was a tiny twinge of "poor me" that I didn't like. I don't think the s ...more

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Feb 08, 2008 Jeanette rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2000-2019-publication

I am a Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson, former co-anchor of the Early Show on CBS , is an inspiring little book about what it means to be a mother and how we as women can and should support each other.
The book is peppered with quotes from everyone from leaders of the LDS Church to Oprah and Anna Quindlen. Johnson also shares many personal stories about her life before and after she became a mother. The central message of the book is one of support and understanding for mothers every where and in I am a Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson, former co-anchor of the Early Show on CBS , is an inspiring little book about what it means to be a mother and how we as women can and should support each other.
The book is peppered with quotes from everyone from leaders of the LDS Church to Oprah and Anna Quindlen. Johnson also shares many personal stories about her life before and after she became a mother. The central message of the book is one of support and understanding for mothers every where and in every situation.
My favorite part of the book was the chapter titled "Walking in each other's shoes." Johnson discusses how we as mothers, judge and criticize each other too quickly and too harshly without really knowing each other and our stories. "In every woman's story there are unknowns-struggles only she knows about, fears she's tried to overcome but still harbors, disappointments and sorrows she bears. The last thing any of us wants-or needs-is to be judged be others who don't know our stories, in part or at all." (104) Instead of judging and criticizing, we as women and mothers need to show charity and compassion towards one another.
I also really enjoyed two quotes from Bruce C. Hafen that Johnson shared on this same topic.

* "Can we love and support each other without judging each other harshly? So many of us are trying our hardest to live the commandments, often against great odds in our personal lives and unique family situations. Heaven knows, the world isn't giving us much support in these relationships. Let us support one another, even when-especailly when we differ on matters of personal choice and circumstance. Those are usually differences of preference, not principle." ("Women and the Moral Center of Gravity." in Ye Shall Bear Record of Me, 300).
* "If LDS women criticize each other rather than connect with and support each other, the adversary wins the day by driving wedges into natural, womanly relationships of strength. Because women can give so much never-failing charity to each other in relationships, one curse of the modern world has been to isolate and alienate women-including LDS women-from one another by making them more competitive" ("Women and the Moral Center of Gravity." in Ye Shall Bear Record of Me, 300).

This book comes in at a short 138 pages but it will make a great book to pull off the shelf when I need a little boost or a reminder on those days when I am neck deep in spit-up, diaper changes, laundry and dishes that what I am doing is important and that it really does matter. ...more

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Apr 04, 2009 Danae rated it really liked it

I didn't have to give up a high-profile career to have a family, but I want my children to know that just the same it was something that I very conciously chose. Ironically, in some ways it's almost harder to be a woman today--because we have so many choices, it always feels like you're making the wrong one. If you chose to get married and have a family, you're giving up all these wonderful opportunities to be fulfilled and have experiences and be out in the world doing tremendous things--and if I didn't have to give up a high-profile career to have a family, but I want my children to know that just the same it was something that I very conciously chose. Ironically, in some ways it's almost harder to be a woman today--because we have so many choices, it always feels like you're making the wrong one. If you chose to get married and have a family, you're giving up all these wonderful opportunities to be fulfilled and have experiences and be out in the world doing tremendous things--and if you go to work and be out doing all these things, you're neglecting your family and not being the mother you should be. This book was a good reminder about how important being a mother really is, and how we ought to help each other and show each other kindness. Having a large family, I feel tremendous pressure to show everyone that I CAN handle it--if we go out of our house, they have to be as clean and neatly dressed and well behaved as I can possibly manage, just so people don't raise an eyebrow and comment to their neighbor about how I clearly should have stopped at one or two. It is really unnerving to take them out in public and watch people summing you up-- see them counting how many there are, estimating how old they are and how far apart they must be (my six-year-old refuses to grow, so she is not dramatically larger than her 4-year-old sister, and this throws people) and therefore whether you had these children on purpose, and therefore whether you are a good/clever/capable/clean/decent person. I have had people refuse to sit near us at restaurants, which severely hurts my feelings, because it is a matter of life and death for my children to behave themselves when we go out to eat--if they were misbehaving they would have serious trouble when we got home; but these people don't even wait to see if they are decent children--they just see a large family and assume that they will be awful. I liked that message in this book-- that even though the world judges you and trys to tell you that you are "just" a mother, and says that like it's a bad thing, what you really are is so much more important. ...more

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Oct 04, 2008 Michelle rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2010

While this book is largely a compilation of quotes from general authorities and noted authors, they are very good quotes!

I do find that, against my better judgment, I can get bogged down with motherhood from time to time. The tedium, the lack of feedback, the guilt, the constant wondering if I'm doing it well enough. The world does not value women who choose to stay home and raise families, so I have had that uncomfortable experience of having a so-called "successful" woman asking me what I'm d ...more

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Oct 12, 2007 Allyson rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: everyone

As a mother who came from being a 'career woman,' it is sometimes a rough transition for me to go from savvy working-woman to mother of 3 with spit-up in my hair and carrots slashed down my shirt. Don't even get me started on the days when my husband comes home from work and I find myself saying 'oh, you cutsie-wootsie wittle boy...we soo gwad daddy came home!' It's just nice to have a grown-up conversation once in a while and know that not everything I'm doing as mother is invisible and hardly ...more

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Oct 07, 2007 Nancy rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

The book is a fast read, but I just couldn't finish it. I liked what the author had to say and her personal stories were interesting, but I don't think this book had anything new to say. Maybe I expected too much.

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Mar 12, 2009 Lori rated it it was amazing

During these tough economic times, it really helped to remember my most important role. I appreciate Jane Clayson Johnson's story as well as the thoughts she shares from our leaders.

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Oct 09, 2012 Heather rated it it was amazing

Shelves: parenting

After feeling the magnificence of motherhood being lost in the seemingly ceaseless laundry, cleanup, and sleepness nights, I picked up this book and was powerfully reminded why I chose to be a mother, and to stay home with my children. Johnson is unabashedly honest about her own life and motherhood experiences, refreshingly direct, and beautifully inspiring. I have rarely encountered a book this powerful, and would recommend it to any mother or mother-to-be.

Two of my favorites from this book are After feeling the magnificence of motherhood being lost in the seemingly ceaseless laundry, cleanup, and sleepness nights, I picked up this book and was powerfully reminded why I chose to be a mother, and to stay home with my children. Johnson is unabashedly honest about her own life and motherhood experiences, refreshingly direct, and beautifully inspiring. I have rarely encountered a book this powerful, and would recommend it to any mother or mother-to-be.

Two of my favorites from this book are a quote from Elder Holland (which is now on my bathroom mirror), and some advice from the author. Elder Holland's quote: "You are doing God's work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you, and He will bless you, even--no, especially--when your days and your nights may be most challenging. Like the woman who anonymously, meekly, perhaps even with hesitation and some embarrassment, fought her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Master's garment, so Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and weep over their responsibility as mothers, 'Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.' And it will make your children whole as well."

And, from the author, "Motherhood is . . . all about seeing the big picture, especially when so many things you do don't last--folded laundry, washed dishes, a clean house. We simply cannot control another individual's temperament or behavior. But we can use those moments when we want to throw in the towel to our advantage. So many times, the mundane tasks--or the 'Surprise! You must now mop up an entire carton of milk off your newly washed floor' or the 'I'm sorry, Mom, I had no idea it was 1:00 A.M. already' moments--provide extraordinary teaching opportunities. If you can control your behavior when everything around you is out of control, you can model for your children a valuable lesson in patience and understanding . . . and snatch an opportunity to shape character. That is what the Lord would want us to do, to look beyond today to eternity, to truly look at our children and do our best to teach them well."

This book is a gem. ...more

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Oct 01, 2008 Bradi rated it really liked it

Hello Friends.

I JUST read a book entitled, I Am a Mother, by Jane Clayson Johnson. I LOVED it and recommend it to any woman.

One of my favorite parts of the book follows. This is what I read, "Author, obstetrician/gynecologist, and women's health expert Christiane Northrup, M.D., says, "Our mother provides us with our first experience of nurturing. She is our first and most powerful female role model. It is from her that we learn what it is to be a woman.... (WHAT FOLLOWS IS THE PART THAT I FIND ...more

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Mar 17, 2008 Niki rated it it was amazing

April 2015 (Kids 12,9,7). My kids are 7 years older since I read this book the first time and I still found great value in this book. I needed a good book to remind me that being a mother is a valuable, important responsibility. It has tremendous value even though it's not a job we get paid to do. This book is so uplifting and makes me grateful for the blessing of my 3 boys.

April 2008 (Kids 5, 2, 3 months). I really enjoyed reading this book. It made me feel so proud to be a mother and uplifted. ...more

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Nov 22, 2008 Mommywest rated it it was amazing

I got this book for my birthday before I had my fifth child (my request), and I read it after he was born. It is a beautiful, empowering book! The world tries to tell mothers that what they do isn't really that important; that true fulfillment lies in satisfying one's self, getting worldly praise, and "doing it all." Jane Clayson Johnson reminds us that the work of motherhood is the most important work we will ever do, and is a role that is eternal, unlike most of the other roles we play in this ...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Christina rated it really liked it

I only had a few pages left but no time to read. I finally had the spare time to sit down and finish it last night. This book is full of quotes and inspiration. I just love all the reminders. I've never felt like "just" a mother because it has been such a blessing for me to have children. I've often felt inadequate but I love that this reminded me that I am doing my best and that Heavenly Father will be my partner in motherhood. I can recieve revelation for my children and try to bring them up i ...more

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Nov 20, 2007 Diane rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: All Women

Recommended to Diane by: Mandy Morgan

Thanks to my dear Primary Presidency/friends, Brenda Hardisty, Kellie Rogers, and Meli Perrier, I now own this book. They gave it to me for my birthday gift, after taking me out to lunch! How sweet are they?!

As for the book, I enjoyed it immensely. Sometimes I wonder why women need to hear praise and receive a pat on the back but regardless of the reasons, I do appreciate it. And occasionally it's nice to be reminded that mothers matter. Women don't necessarily need to be recognized because once ...more

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Mar 04, 2010 Karen rated it really liked it

Every Women should read this book. Jane Clayson's way of encouraging women to realize their role as women leaders is encouraging. Women have long ruled the world through the rising generations. In every role that a women finds herself, she is able to communicate love, charity, goodwill, knowledge, etc. and is able to carry the burdens of many.

Jane explains how important reaching out and helping others without JUDGEMENT is. Oh if we as women could do that always. We would bring about the second ...more

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Apr 28, 2009 Laura rated it it was amazing

I have just entered the world of parenting books and am going a little crazy. I loved her stories the best.
""Motherhood is all about selfless devotion, about doing 'everyday things' everyday. There are few instant rewards for mothers...most of us don't remember what horse won the Kentucky Derby three years ago... I bet that your children can remember a trip to the park, a favorite family story."
"You don't have to do it all right now...You need not sing all the verses of your song at the same ti ...more

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Jun 27, 2008 Amanda rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: All Mothers

Recommended to Amanda by: My Mother

I absolutly loved this book and would definately ask any mother to read it. This is a book I read fast and then re-read it slower. The first time was so fast, I couldn't put it down, I cried a lot through it or found myself understanding exactly what she writing about. I read it slower the second time gathering up bits and pieces I'd lost the first time through and gathered more meaning behind what she was trying to say. I really enjoyed this book and think my Mother did right in giving me this ...more

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Apr 12, 2009 Jessica rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed reading this book, because it hit home for me. It's all about mothers and how we shouldn't ever apologize for our choice to raise children by saying we're JUST a mom but that we should proclaim proudly that "I AM a mother!" I felt as though I could relate to the author a lot. She was a big newsreporter with a huge career ahead of her when she decided to be a stay at home mom. My story is not near so dramatic but I enjoyed hearing what she had to say. It has helped me take greate ...more

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Feb 12, 2011 Kayleen Baguley rated it it was amazing

Thank you, Jane for sharing your stories with us! I highly encourage all women to read this book. It is such a refreshing look at the TRUE power of womanhood and motherhood. You do not need to bear your own children to be a mother. As women we are blessed with a sisterly bond and a caring heart for all those around us. Let us use those God-given gifts to uplift and bless each other's lives, not to judge and compare and tear our sisters down.

I AM A MOTHER! :D

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Jan 23, 2008 Heather Murphy rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: Mothers with no sense of motherhood

Recommended to Heather by: Cathy

One of those books that gets published because the person is famous (not for being a writer or story teller, I might add). I saw her at Time Out for Women giving tid bits of this book and I couldn't keep my eyes open 'cause she was so boring. I guess she doesn't know the difference between entertaining audiences and stating the news.

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Feb 18, 2009 Rachael rated it it was amazing

Jeff gave me this for mothers day last year and I read this back when I was pregnant. That is probablly why I was very emotional about this book. I can't remember it alot now but I remember it made me cry. It just made me realize how excited I was to fullfill my dream of being a mother and how it is the best job to have in the world.

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Apr 23, 2011 Bette rated it did not like it

I didn't finish this book, the book finished me. I used to watch Jane Clayson on KSL news in Utah and didn't like her then, so maybe I'm not a good critic of her book. I thought the book could have ended a hundred pages before it did and I also thought the book should have been named "Jane Clayson Johnson's Book of Thoughts". There were way to many quotes for my liking.

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May 07, 2008 Katelyn rated it it was amazing

Amazing book for any mother. I read this a few years ago, soon after having my first child, and its message has really stuck with me. Of course there are still "bad mom" days, but there have been many times when I have remembered this book during the bad times and it has helped me change my attitude.

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Aug 10, 2008 Camille rated it it was amazing

What a great book -- makes you glad you are a mother. This book helped me realize that even if all the work I do as a mother goes unnoticed or unappreciated (which a lot of daily tasks of a mother are that way) that the only way to find true joy and happiness in being a mother is through my own perspective and through my own eyes.

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Mar 26, 2008 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: mothers and those who support them

Shelves: favorites

She makes me realize that my ability to be a mother is a great gift and to appreciate the time that I have to stay home with my children. I love her positive attitude and that she "gets it". There is no work more important than being a parent and mother's need not be ashamed to say that we are mother's.

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Sep 25, 2008 Melanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: motherhood

Wonderful, feel-good book about the power of a mother. Great pick-me-up for those "me against the world" days! Jane Clayson Johnson shares some great quotes, and her own story is touching and inspiring! What stories about me will my children pass on to their posterity? I hope it's all the good things I do! ;)

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Jul 06, 2008 Leslie rated it it was amazing

I loved this book! It really makes you stop and think about the role of a mother and how very important it is. It's a very easy read and so uplifting not just to mothers, but for grandmothers, daughters, sisters and those who are thinking about being a mother some day. Next time someone asks what I do for a living I will answer very proudly, "I am a mother"!

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Dec 22, 2008 Sarahjane rated it it was amazing

Shelves: inspiring-stories

Apparently I didn't review this the first time I read it! I read it after mothers' day soon after it was published and loved it.

I just re-read it, and it helped me remember the importance of, and POWER in, motherhood. I think any of my Mom friends would enjoy it.

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Jan 16, 2008 Marilyn rated it liked it

I liked Jane's perspective. I have mixed feelings. I finished it feeling inspired about the importance of motherhood, and a little disappointed that it feels so much harder for me than it is for her? Not sure I said that right, but...

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Jane Clayson Johnson

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Former co-host of The Early Show on CBS.

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Quotes from I Am a Mother

“If you can control your behavior when everything around you is out of control, you can model for your children a valuable lesson in patience and understanding...and snatch an opportunity to shape character.” — 67 likes

“In every person's story there are unknowns-struggles only they know about, fears they've tried to overcome but still harbor, disappointments & sorrows they bear. The last thing any of us wants-or needs-is to be judged by others who don't know our stories, in part or at all.” — 33 likes

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