My Child and Other Mistakes is a funny and honest memoir about motherhood by Ellie Taylor, a British comedian. The book follows Taylor's journey from being a carefree singleton to becoming a mother of two. She writes about the highs and lows of motherhood, from the joys of bonding with her children to the challenges of sleep deprivation and tantrums.
Taylor is a gifted storyteller, and she uses her own experiences to make the book relatable and funny. She is also refreshingly honest about the challenges of motherhood, and she doesn't shy away from the messy bits.

My Child and Other Mistakes is a must-read for any parent, whether you're a new parent or a seasoned pro. It's a reminder that motherhood is a rollercoaster ride, but it's also one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.

A refreshing, hilarious, raw and brutally honest account of the process of deciding to become a parent and everything that follows, whatever the path this may take.

Ellie's comedic, best-friend style shines through, covering even serious topics in an approachable way.

A book I wish I could have read before having children but which is still relatable, poignant and uplifting now my children are a little older.

Unfortunately during the pandemic I requested a lot of books on cover alone.

I don’t really know who this person is and I will not be reading this novel.

Refreshing…
Honest, funny, raw and often relatable account of motherhood and other delights from Ellie Taylor. Genuinely open and authentic. An entertaining, refreshing and enjoyable diversion.

A really excellent part autobiography (postpartumography??) part hilarious anecdote on the real journey one goes through to become a parent.
There are parts where you cry laughing because ‘it's funny cos it's true’.
There are parts where you will cry because the realities of becoming a parent just isn’t fun and games all the time.
And you will love Taylors quick wit and patriarchy smashing style.
A good read for any mum/parent/friend of anyone with children.
A good read for any not too unsettled expectant mum.
An honest honest account of parenting I wish everyone around me had had insight into when I had my babies.

I've been a fan of Ellie Taylors since she was on Show Me The Funny (yes I was one of the ten people that watched it - you missed out people). Her humour is very like mine so it was a no brainer choosing to read this, especially as a mother. Whilst my experience was different in many ways (I had a disgustingly easy first two years as a mum....it got harder when she could answer me back) there was so much I found relatable and hilarious. There are a few serious moments, mainly about how the UK tends to fail to support its parents but for me these were not too heavy handed. But in the main it's constantly funny and refreshingly honest.

This really spoke to me and articulated a lot of the thoughts I have had myself at points in my life. Like the author, I too was unsure about whether being a parent was the right choice for me. This honest and funny account was so relatable.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is a parent or thinking about becoming a parent.

AD - This copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

My Child and Other Mistakes by Ellie Taylor is about her decision to become a mother and her journey through to parenting.

What can I say other than Ellie Taylor can make anything sound funny. This is a cracking read, which I recommend to anyone. Very nice.

A very funny book by a funny comedian. I found this book both funny and insightful and look forward to more books from her in the future.

I ended up devouring it in one morning. It was interesting, insightful, laugh-out-loud funny and moving, with moments of important social commentary. An excellent read. Recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely love Ellie she’s one of my favourite comedians so was excited to see she had a book out and I got approved for an ARC. It’s a very honest and raw read at times and Ellie covers the whole experience conception, birth, the discrimination mothers face, discrimination non-white mothers face in healthcare treatment and expectations as a mother. Ellie doesn’t hold her punches, but I never expected her to, full of her usual humour and grit, but also such sensitivity and kindness to her audience. Fantastic read, only criticism is I’d have liked a bit more of Ellie other than her motherhood role, but that’s all I can criticise

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I really enjoy Ellie Taylor's stand up, and she's great on the Mash report. I was interested to read her book, and appreciate the DRC I got.

When I started to read it though, I found that I was a bit put off by the set up: she says in the first few pages that there's nothing revelationary, and it's just her telling of having a baby.
Which is exactly what you get -nothing we don't know already. Having a baby is tough, and it's even harder when he or she arrives. You're tired, covered in poo, sick or food and wonder if it's worth it, when ultimately it is.

I saw her stand up in the last couple of years, and this is essentially a longer version of the show. It would work well as an audio book, perhaps some more about Ellie beyond MUM, and maybe a bit shorter. I did skim read it to the end as I wanted to see what the rest of it was like, but ultimately it felt a bit like a whinge about how her jetsetting husband is away a lot, her chosen career means she also travels and so they have to get a childminder, and it only took them two months to conceive. There were also too many she who will not be named references - I wasn't a fan before she dropped the cloak to reveal a bigot, and we've known about it for long enough now to do ignore her.

I'm a fan of Ellie Taylor. When I watch her acting or her stand up I genuinely belly laugh at the things that she has to say so I was eager to read her memoir My Child and Other Mistakes because I knew that I would be entertained. Ellie Taylor did not let me down.

In My Child and Other Mistakes, Taylor chronicles her ascent into adulthood. I don't mean the passing of the years that makes us a grown up but the decisions that we make that validate that in modern society such as getting engaged, getting married, having kids.

What Taylor does in her coming of age memoir is show you the reality of this in a funny way. She doesn’t sugarcoat the harder times or the times that make her look just a little unhinged. It all adds to the wonderful colour of this story. Her thoughts on motherhood are especially honest and she lays bare how hard it is but also how rewarding she has found it.

My Child and Other Mistakes is a wonderfully funny read.

My Child and Other Mistakes by Ellie Taylor is available now.

For more information regarding Ellie Taylor (@EllieJaneTaylor) please visit www.linktr.ee/Elliejanetaylor.

For more information regarding Hodder & Stoughton (@HodderBooks) please visit www.hodder.co.uk.

Amusing book that will resonate with most parent's experience of life with children. It's very honest and very raw in parts - and Ellie writes about the whole experience, from planning, conception, birth and beyond - including the discrimination the mothers face in the workplace, and discrimination and injustices that non-white mothers face in the healthcare system and expectations placed on them as a parent.

Funny, raw, heartbreaking in places, you will laugh and cry your way through this book.

**Listened to the audio book and read along with the electronic version**

I'm a big fan of Ellie Taylor - I think she's hilarious, and as a fellow Essex girl I can relate to her a lot of her anecdotes. This book was so honest, and so funny! I think this book would appeal to mothers and non mothers alike. Broody or non-broody! Male or female! This book is for everyone.
If you really want to be entertained this is the perfect book for you - just be mindful you will be laughing out loud, so may not want to read this book on the train!
The audio book is read by Ellie Taylor herself, and this just adds to the comedy and the rawness of the stories. I definitely recommend listening to the audio version.

I really enjoyed this book, and I think mothers and wannabe mothers will be super grateful for the honest account of giving birth/adapting to being a mother too.

Brilliant book - just wish it was longer!

My Child and Other Mistakes: How to ruin your life in the best way possible is a memoir/ biography book written by stand-up comic, broadcaster and actress Ellie Taylor that takes the reader on a journey through the author’s experiences with motherhood.

“She has ruined my life in the best possible way.”

A raw, refreshingly honest, and hilariously funny read, this book begins prior to Ellie’s pregnancy during a period of her life when she was questioning whether she wanted children. It then travels through via various highlights and lowlights including; the pregnancy itself, childbirth, navigating the early days of life with a new-born, and of course, motherhood.

“The child I wasn’t sure I wanted is now everything I could wish for.”

During the intro of her book, Ellie Taylor acknowledges are privileges as a White, Cis woman in a marriage with a Cis man, and later she also acknowledges her privilege when it comes to aspects such as ease of conception and maternal mortality rates (but more on that aspect of the book later.) The author also points out in the introduction that having children is something that happens to people every hour of everyday making truly unexceptional, except, of course, to every parent it feels exceptional.

“As a cis white woman married to a cis white man who were fortunate to conceive naturally, my account of parenthood is undoubtedly limited by my many privileges.”

Taylor’s book is naturally predominately lead by her own experiences of pregnancy, childbirth (in this case via C-section) and being a mother, however, she does also pull anecdotes from other mothers and parents that have been part of her life and these add further depth (and occasionally some comedy) to the narrative.

This is a story told from the heart and there are some truly emotive moments in which Ellie Taylor shares her tales of motherhood with all the grisly, painful, and heart-breaking details. That said, she also successfully manages to ensure that the writing feels easy to connect to and is consistently humorous, and therefore, not a difficult read.

While Taylor can only share with readers her own experiences, she does also delve into some important and series issues surrounding childbirth and parenthood. She briefly discusses miscarriage, relaying the story of a friend who had sadly experienced it, however, for readers who may be impacted by this story, Taylor gives prior warning so that those readers can skip on a few pages to avoid reading.

What’s more, Taylor also draw attention to Black, Asian, Latinx, and POC maternal mortality rates compared to those experienced by White people. While the author does not claim to be an expert, she shares some statistics, facts and emotions and recommends Candice Braithwaite’s I Am Not Your Baby Mother for a more in-depth read from a Black author.

Other issues that Taylor’s book explores are; discrimination and lack of support in the workplace, maternity, paternity, parental and shared parental leaves (in particular with reference to the UK’s policies), the cost of childcare, the physical strain of childbirth, and mental health issues. In regard to the latter, Taylor is open and honest about her own mental health and well-being in the first few days of being a mother, and her words serve as a reminder that these feelings are normal.

Even if you don’t relate to specific stories and scenarios Ellie Taylor and her partner faced in becoming parents, I think every parent can relate to the feelings and emotions poured into the pages of this book as you laugh and sob your way through it.

My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for a copy of “ My Child And Other Mistakes “

Even though it’s been a good few years since I’ve experiences the “joys of having a baby , “ this book brought back many memories , good and bad.
Ellie Taylor , familiar to me from her tv work, covered both sides in this book , honestly and with good humour.
I’m sure this will be very well received by any new , or expecting parent.It’s good to know you aren’t alone in feeling at times , you don’t know what you’re doing, but it does all get better with time..
Be kind to yourself !
Very readable and recommended

My Child and Other Mistakes is a frank and funny account of comedian Ellie Taylor's journey from being a single woman to meeting her now-husband, pondering motherhood, trying to get pregnant, being pregnant, having her baby and then navigating the trials of newborn life and figuring out her new place in the world.

As the mother of a 2-year-old girl, who must have been born not too long after Ellie's daughter, I really enjoyed looking back at that period of time in my own life, through another woman's perspective. There are many many moments of "oh my gosh YES!" where she really nails an experience or emotion that I'm sure every mum can relate to. But it is all tackled with her usual fast wit that she is famous for.

For anyone who is pregnant, or trying to weigh up whether or not they ever want to be pregnant, this is a really helpful insight into what you might experience and - importantly - that all of the negative experiences and emotions that you may go through are NORMAL and OK! For those like me who have recently experienced preganancy and newborn life, it is a great book to reflect on what you have experienced so far - and to realise that those times where you think, or thought, you were doing a bad job, you were just / are just a human being and doing the absolute best that you can.

I read most of this book whilst snuggling my daughter to sleep on an evening. During the final chapter, she was snuggled up in my arms at about 9pm, after an hour and a half of trying to settle her down into her own bed to go to sleep, and feeling zombie-like, desperate for some alone time relaxing with her dad downstairs, and willing the small monster to settle to sleep, whilst reading a beautiful account from Ellie of how all these frustrating and draining moments are so worth it for the snuggles and the joy - and I really appreciated that reminder that we are all going through the same ups and downs but that we wouldn't want to change a thing. (apart from maybe a bit of time to sit down and watch something on tele that doesn't star Mr Tumble.)

First up, thank you for this book! Secondly, I am DNF-ing this book. While it is quite funny at times (but sometimes also trying just too hard to be funny which makes me roll my eyes) the format is just not working for me at the moment. I think I would enjoy this one much more in paperback format. So I will wait for the book to come out in paperback (no clue how long that will take) and then buy it. It wouldn't be the first book that I had a hard time connecting with in ebook but that works in physical (and I even have it the other way around as well).
But the book itself? I did like reading about Ellie and about how she is now (as of 28%) pregnant and how she feels about that. I had a big laugh at how she tried letting her parents (and her husbands parents) know. 4 stars, definitely.