On the MyBrownBaby Stoop: ReShonda Tate Billingsley Spills On Her New Book, “The Motherhood Diaries”

With gems like, Let the Church Say Amen and The Pastor’s Wife among her 26 (!) books, national bestselling author ReShonda Tate Billingsley knows writing. But the mom of three also know motherhood—so much so that for years, she’s shared charming anecdotes and personal stories of her children on social media, cracking up thousands followers along the way. At the center of her musings is 13-year-old Mya, the diva whose Instagram post—and subsequent punishment— went viral; 10-year-old Morgan, who has a serious case of middle-child syndrome and a knack for giving her teachers a few of her mother’s favorite things; and finally, Myles, a witty and precocious five-year-old who, as his grandmother says, “has been here before.” It was while chronicling her journey that ReShonda discovered she wasn’t the only mother who longed for the days when she could use the restroom in peace, who sometimes sat in the driveway because she didn’t want to go in the house, and who sometimes wondered, Is this what I signed up for? With the encouragement of her followers, The Motherhood Diaries was born.

Through hilarious, enlightening dialogue and narrative, ReShonda chronicles her own journey while revealing candid imperfections of a mother trying to balance it all. The Motherhood Diaries also features the humorous and heartwarming stories from 20 other mothers also trying to “get it right,” rounding out a collection of candid and honest conversations about the good, the bad and the downright disastrous path of mothering in the New Millennium.

MyBrownBaby proudly bills today “The Motherhood Diaries Day” as we feature an excerpt from ReShonda’s new book, and get the author to dish on her zany—and familiar!—motherhood journey, from her most embarrassing mommy moment getting caught threatening to remove intimate parts from her arguing kids to the moment she realized why her kids will never, ever make it in the ‘hood. Enjoy, and please support ReShonda and her stable of 20 co-authors by clicking here to buy The Motherhood Diaries.

1. My name is ReShonda Tate Billingsley.
2. I live in Houston, TX.
3. My brown babies are Mya (13), Morgan (10) and Myles (5).
4. I make a living writing books.
5. The last time my kids cracked me up was last week. My daughters were arguing and Mya said to Morgan (who was wearing a colorful outfit) “That’s why you look like an abstract painting!” I was like really? My kids would SO not make it in the hood!
6. The last book I read with my kids was You Can’t Eat Toes For Breakfast by Rickey Teems, Jr.
7. My favorite place to take them is BJ’s Brewery (they love sharing pizookis).
8. My proudest mom moment was watching my kids step up to the plate to help with my mom, who had a brain tumor and a stroke.
9. My most embarrassing mommy moment was the time when my kids loudly arguing while I was on a business call. I put the call on hold and went CLEAN OFF, yelling like a banshee and telling them “If you don’t stop fighting I’m gonna come up there and pull your uretha out!!!”….then returning to my business call and finding that I hadn’t pressed the Mute button like I thought.
10. The thing I most want my children to know is how at the end of the day, they are the most important things in the world to me and I love them with all my heart.
11. The one family tradition I hope my kids continue when they grow up is unity and never getting mad enough to turn your back on a family member.
12. If I could invent one thing to make being a mom easier, it would be a clone.
13. The best invention for kids ever is the trampoline. I wish I could find the inventor because he has given me HOURS of peace!
14. The kid snack I’m most likely to get busted eating is Oreos.
15. The most important life lesson I want my kids to learn is that hard work, honesty and perseverance will help them accomplish their dreams.
16. The one thing no one knows about me is I used to dream of being a rapper. I tried to show my beat box talent, but they were so horribly embarrassed, they couldn’t watch!
17. The thing I lost as a mom that I wish I could get back is my fine body that used to turn all those heads in college.
18. My “I’d Rather Be…” bumper sticker would say, “I’d Rather Be Shopping… Alone!”

RELATED POSTS:

1. The Motherhood Diaries: A Humorous Look At Raising Kids In the New Millenium
2. Tough Love On Social Media: ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s Old School Parenting in the New Millennium