Happy at Work, Happy at Home: The Girl's Guide to Being a Working Mom [Hardcover]

Caitlin Friedman (Author), Kimberly Yorio (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 15, 2009

This fresh, empowering, and fully comprehensive guide is the must-have handbook for every working mom!

Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio have helped readers find their dream jobs, be a boss without being bitchy, and even start companies of their own. But what happens when a career girl becomes a mom and her world turns upside down? Can you maintain your ambition and momentum at work while still being the kind of parent you want to be?
Of course you can! In Happy at Work, Happy at Home, Caitlin and Kim guide readers through every step on the road to having it all, offering detailed, practical advice in their trademark style. Working mothers themselves, these authors know what it means to juggle the demands of office and home, and they’re here to help the rest of us.
From first breaking the news that you’re pregnant, to making the most of your maternity leave, to getting the help you need from your partner and childcare professionals, this book is a must-have resource for a whole generation of working women who aspire to keep their careers on track and their home life running smoothly (without losing their minds).  As the title suggests, the insightful tips from both the authors and from intimate and eye-opening interviews with other successful moms will help all working mothers on their quest to be satisfied, fulfilled, and happy at work and at home. 

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval Review Happy at Work, Happy at Home

Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval are CEO and president, respectively, of advertising agency The Kaplan Thaler Group. Together, Kaplan Thaler and Koval have also authored three bestselling books: Bang!: Getting Your Message Heard in a Noisy World, The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World With Kindness, and The Power of Small: Why Little Things Make All the Difference. Read their review of Happy at Work, Happy at Home:

Pregnancy. Maternity leave. The "next step." As mothers, authors, and executives ourselves, we know that while this time is incredibly exciting and special, it can be equally just as confusing and overwhelming. We’ve experienced first-hand the challenges of trying to balance a family and a career, and so we appreciated Friedman and Yorio’s forthright, head-on approach to tackling the expected--and often unexpected--issues working mothers encounter.

Perhaps most importantly, Happy at Work, Happy at Home arms readers with the facts, perspectives, and tools necessary to make their own smart decisions. The authors show that success (by any definition) lies in each woman taking charge of her situation and managing it by creating their own action plan. We particularly liked how they articulated applying your work skill set to this period in your life.

Friedman and Yorio also do a strong job of sharing the stories of a wide range of women from various corporate backgrounds. Combined, these mothers’ (and even some fathers’) viewpoints and decisions illustrate that there is no one "right way" to do things. The only "musts" are to educate and be honest with yourself (no, you really can’t do it all well, all of the time), as well as be flexible. These stories also generate a great sense of solidarity--this may be a unique time in your life, but you’re not in it alone. As the authors point out, "If there was ever a time for mothers (working and stay-at-home) to band together, it’s now." So whether you’re a chief executive officer, or a "Mom in Chief," everyone deserves the same amount of respect and support.

Happy at Work, Happy at Home is an empowering guide--one that will help readers find their own path to growing a career and family. --Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval

(Kaplan Thaler photo © Gideon Lewin)
(Koval photo © Chris Cassidy)

From Publishers Weekly

Working moms Friedman and Yorio (co-owners of a PR company, YC Media, and authors of The Girl's Guide to Kicking Your Career into Gear et al.) take on motherhood in their latest career advice book. Pointing out that the situation of working mothers hasn't changed much in the last decade (i.e., working moms still earn less than men and childless women, still feel guilt and continue to do more than their fair share of housework), the authors urge women to take matters into their own capable hands. Beginning with pregnancy, Friedman and Yorio walk women through the steps necessary to ensure smooth transitions to maternity leave and back to work by using organizational skills and planning (while simultaneously noting that once a baby enters the picture, anything can happen). The authors include tips on finding quality, reliable childcare and warn mothers that they will have to work harder, better and smarter upon return to work to prove that they haven't lost their ambition, edge, and guts. Friedman and Yorio stress that working moms can't do it all without help: delegating responsibility to dad, nanny or others is essential, along with resisting the urge to micromanage. The authors also remind moms to focus on home life while at home and work life while at the workplace. Interviews with successful working mothers provide additional encouragement and insider perspective. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Crown Business (September 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767930533
• ISBN-13: 978-0767930536
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.8 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,207,238 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars OK for the moms who actually LOVE their jobs and WANT to go back to it. October 28, 2009

By Breezy

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you are pregnant and you want to know the best way to tell your boss, how to plan your maternity leave, and how to plan your return to work, this would be a great book for you. When you get back to work, this book will also help you justify your choice to work.

If you're like me, and work because it pays the bills, and not because you LOVE your job, then this book isn't for you. The authors only speak to women who want to go back to work after having a child.

If you're looking for a book to help you deal with the daily emotional tight rope you'll walk after having children (especially when you have 2+ children), this book will either

1) make you feel better because you realize there are other moms out there who would also rather spend time at work than at home (see Trap #2 in the "Traps we Fall Into" chapter - "Many days we'd rather be at work than at home, changing diapers, running after toddlers, or arguing with our partners about who's going to get up in the middle of the night.") HA! Certainly not me! I feel blessed to have healthy children and I can change their diapers and run after them.

2) make you feel worse because you would actually like to spend more time with your kids and less time at work.

If I learned one thing from this book, it's that I need a new job because I'm obviously supposed to be EXCITED to go to work every day.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I needed this book! September 17, 2009

By B. A. Tinker

Format:Hardcover

I needed this book when I was a young mom! Reading it brought back a flood of memories of trials and joys of being a young working mom. I found I was still thirsty for stories of other families, and for possible solutions to the inevitable challenges.

Personally, I think this is the best book in the series. It flows effortlessly, weaving together relevant interviews, self-reflection, and tactical suggestions for home and work management. It manages to be both serious and hilarious, while keeping a logical development throughout.

The latest Dan Brown had to take a back seat, as I couldn't put this book down.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Happy at Work, Happy at Home: The Girl's Guide to Being a Working Mom October 24, 2009

By Henry W. Wright

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this book for my working mom daughter. She has found it to be very helpful. My daughter has a dual job between being a mother and performing her outside work and publications like this are very useful.