Celebrity Moms- AKA "You MIGHT Be heading to the Joan Crawford Mom of the Year Award" by Ageleke Zapis

Disclosure / Disclaimer:  I received this info, free of charge,from Cataldi Public Relations for blog posting purposes. I received no compensation, for it's post, monetary or in kind.. 

Nor was I what to say, all opinions are my own,

With Mother's Day just around the corner, one unlikely parenting expert is giving some of the entertainment world's star moms a report card of sorts, on their biggest faux pas when it comes to raising their mini-stars. Ageleke Zapis is the author of A Childless Woman's Guide to Raising Kids, a new book that provides a humorous, "outsider's viewpoint" on 17 areas that she feels need some serious attention: from sharing, chores, bullying and grooming to cultivating manners and self-esteem.

As Mother's Day 2013 rolls around, Zapis isn't sparing the rod, when it comes to the celebrity moms she thinks are setting not so great examples when it comes to raising their high-profile offspring.  Here's her list of the top quartet of offenders for this year:

- Gwyneth Paltrow: for the "It's (All) Bad. When you Feed your Children Astronaut Food" 

Another of Zapis' complaints is moms who take a lab rat approach to what they put into their children.  In Zapis' opinion, Paltrow seems to be the chief offender here on the boldfaced name front. "If you have to put it in the blender and it comes out looking like something you find in a dirty diaper, this is not the way to go.  While you should certainly be mindful of what your kids eat day-to-day, the occasional chicken nugget or slice of birthday cake at a party won't kill them."

- Katie Holmes: for the "Children are not Born to be Vogue Cover Worthy Mini-Versions of your Fashionista Self"

While Zapis does stress the importance of good appearance in her book, she draws the line when it comes to donning a revolving door of high-fashion items. "Kids should keep up a good appearance but I draw the line when the celebrity parent seems to be hell bent on having them look red carpet ready at all times, even when they're going off to school or a play date," Zapis comments. "Also kids should dress like kids, not backup dancers for a Madonna tour. If a little girl can't pronounce lipstick, she shouldn't be allowed to wear it!"

- Gwen Stefani: for the "Music Tours are not a Place for Children, That's Why God Created Roadies"
One of Zapis' pet peeves is the many musician parents who tote their children around on cross-country tours. "I've observed that the best kids are the ones with the most stable schedules and surroundings," says Zapis. "With the late nights, the long flights, the groupies and the heavy gear that can tumble at any moment, taking a child on tour seems like the worst idea to come down the musical pike since the Real Housewives started to make dance records."

- and last,but not least:  Kim Kardashian: for her "Don't Strangulate Your Child, Even if it's Free Couture"

In Zapis' observations, the trend in super sexy, uber tight fitting maternity wear is: "Not only a little unsightly, but pretty much grounds for an ASAP phone call to child protective services. Recent snug-fits donned by mom-to-be Kim Kardashian make Zapis wonder: "Can't an outfit like that actually strangulate the baby?"

Come on, you KNOW you laughed at all of those and thought to yourself, "Yup, I wondered the SAME thing!). So check out Zapis' book for a refreshing look at motherhood this Mother's Day!

About the Author: Although she is childless by choice, this Cleveland-based entrepreneur found herself forming plenty of opinions about the different scenarios that unfolded between parents and their offspring at the boutique she owned and operated.

Over time, she began to pay more attention to the child/parent dynamic whenever she was out and about. For those times that she dared to voice an on-the-spot opinion about what she was witnessing, she was often told that as one without child she would be better off keeping her opinions to herself.


One day, after hearing her grumble about a particular incident that she saw, her husband Lee said, “Honey, why don’t you do something about it?” That was all she needed to hear. A lightbulb went off and a book was born.

Ageleke’s lack of child-rearing experience didn’t keep her from her mission––helping parents by offering an outside perspective. “If you think about it,” states Zapis, “most parents are so immersed in their duties that they can’t see the big picture. As an ‘outside’ observer I am able to find the humor in the insanity that I see. I think this book expresses that and helps parents take a closer look at their children and themselves….in an informative and entertaining way.”


One stipulation that Ageleke put on the book is that it had to do more than just point fingers at inappropriate behavior and ineffective parenting. For every point she raises on children’s behavior, she also offers up sound advice with a healthy dose of humor on how to better approach that particular situation in the future. She’s hoping that parents will take note….and then take action.

Ageleke was born in Craig, Colorado and lived in Denver her entire life until she married and moved to Cleveland where she has lived for 20 years. She went to Colorado State University and Majored in Landscape Design and Construction and worked in design until she moved to Cleveland. She worked in radio for years and then started her own business, a boutique business in the pet industry. Her first book was a children’s book titled, Django Goes To School. She just finished making this book into an app. for the ipad.