A Good Mom's Guide to Making Bad Choices

The creators of the beloved podcast Good Moms Bad Choices challenge outdated notions of what being a “good” mother truly means—inviting moms of all kinds to embark on a healing journey that unlearns old scripts about motherhood and shows that you can be a little bad, and still do a lot of good for your kids and yourself.

They are everywhere on social media. Images of perfect, pleasant women with perfect, pretty children in perfect, tidy homes—the epitome of “good” moms. But this model of motherhood is an illusion that far too many women either measure themselves against or simply cannot relate to in the first place. Enter Jamilah Mapp and Erica Dickerson: if you are sex-positive, cannabis-friendly, and love sharing NSFW stories with your fellow mom friends, you’re not doing anything wrong and you are definitely not a bad mother. And Jamilah and Erica are your tribe.

These two best friends, single mothers, and creators of the Good Moms Bad Choices podcast are here to remind every woman that you can be a good mom despite not fitting the “perfect mom” standard. In this much-needed book, part memoir, part guide, and part manifesto, they bring the refreshing honesty and down-to-earth humor of their podcast to the stories of their own journeys as mothers, offering women insight and tools they can use to recognize their own past traumas, find a way to healing, and break free from unrealistic expectations of what it means to be a good parent.

Jamilah and Erica take us through their own journeys as single mothers raising children, being in (and falling out of) relationships, making mom friends, and, ultimately, finding themselves as they learned to redefine motherhood on their own terms. Uncensored, unapologetic, empathetic, and no-holds-barred, A Good Mom’s Guide to Making Bad Choices takes an unconventional and much-needed approach to motherhood that recognizes that moms are vibrant, sexual, creative beings with needs and desires that deserve to be acknowledged and respected. It’s a breath of fresh air for all moms today.

“These two friends are on a mission to debunk what it means to be a good mom and redefine motherhood.” - The Today Show

“Mapp and Dickerson combine their wit and humor to show how you can excel at motherhood—by embarking on a healing journey to eradicate old scripts and embracing every part of yourself… [A] colorful manifesto.”  - Ebony

“I’ve learned so much about redefining motherhood, sexual liberation, healing and manifestation for myself from these besties.” - Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence

“Through their personal and often hilarious stories of their journey to motherhood, these mamas turn the definition of the perfect mother on its head.” - The Root

“The book feels like it was written by two of your close friends who happen to be hilarious and wonderfully direct.” - Shondaland