Professionalizing Motherhood [Paperback]

Jill Savage (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2001

A call to consider that working at motherhood full-time is a valid and worthwhile career choice, and secondly, a resource to equip the professional mother to successfully develop and sharpen each are of skill she needs to excel and grow in her chosen field.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

“So what do you do?” How many stay-at-home moms cringe at this common question? Jill Savage has founded Hearts at Home to provide professional conferences and resources to affirm the profession of motherhood, and to train, equip, encourage, and renew mothers as they move forward in their mothering career.

As Jill transitioned from her career as a teacher to become a stay-at-home mom, she realized that though there were books on mothering skills, discipline, marriage, etc, there was a lack of resources that provided the vision and encouragement to set a career course for herself as a mother (as she had done in her professional life) and then provide a framework for developing and sharpening her motherhood skills.

Professionalizing Motherhood is first of all a call and recognition that motherhood is not only a valid career choice, but also a worthy and significant profession. Secondly, it is a resource for professional moms to evaluate and move forward in their chosen career. It begins by establishing the mission of the job, discussion the need for developing a network of “co-workers,” exploring the dynamics of marriage within the role of a professional mother, understanding one’s value in Christ, and finally taking care of one’s needs. It also includes practical homemaking skills and an emphasis on understanding the importance and value of the profession of motherhood.

Jill’s honest, vulnerable, and encouraging style makes her an effective communicator. She shares her personal experiences and struggles, offering transparency as the reader recognizes real life struggles and challenges. Readers will be equipped and encouraged, learning that they are not alone and that they, too, can find victory in their life through Christ.

Professionalizing Motherhood will revolutionize the reader’s approach to the valuable career of motherhood.

About the Author

Jill Savage is a mother, writer, and speaker. She launched Hearts at Home, Inc., in 1993 and now speaks to over 15,000 women each year. She lives in Bloomington, IL, with her husband, Mark, and their four children.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan Publishing Company (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310237416
• ISBN-13: 978-0310237419
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,343,584 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jill Savage is an author and speaker who is passionate about encouraging moms.

A graduate of Butler University in Indianapolis, IN, Jill's holds a bachelors degree in music education. After teaching piano and voice privately for 15 years, Jill now considers motherhood the most important job she will ever do.

Jill's enthusiasm for the profession of motherhood is contagious. Founding Hearts at Home, in 1994, Jill now speaks to thousands of women each year about their priorities, their passions, and their purpose. Jill's honest, vulnerable, and encouraging style makes her an effective communicator. In fact, readers say reading a Jill Savage book is like sitting down and having a cup of coffee with a girlfriend.

Jill lives in Central Illinois with her husband Mark. They are the parents of five children ranging in ages fourteen to twenty-six, and the grandparents of one granddaughter.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Professionalizing Motherhood, April 6, 2001

By 

Peggy James (Shreveport, LA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Professionalizing Motherhood (Paperback)

Here is the book mothers have been waiting for, whether we knew it or not! Living, as we do, in a culture that values income, status, and education over relationships, Jill admonishes us to give motherhood the best of our energy. Why? Because we only get to do it once. Additionally, don't we want to look back on our season of motherhood with satisfaction rather than regret? Jill communicates with warmth and sincerity. There is no condescension. Rather, she talks honestly of her own struggle with the political incorrectness of making motherhood her top priority and of how she came to modify her own career goals so as to elevate motherhood above all others! Professionalizing Motherhood is an intensely practical book. For those of us whose mothers were, for one reason or another, unavailable to us in our own childhoods, Jill unlocks the mystery of the art and discipline of mothering. As a mother who's experienced the joys and frustrations of her profession, she draws alongside us to encourage, educate, and equip us. At the end of each chapter she takes us "A step further" with thought-provoking questions helping us to re-evaluate our values and to define our mission and goals in motherhood. Building on this foundation, she communicates pearls of wisdom gleaned from her own journey and that of others making this book a vertitable treasure trove for all mothers. Wisdom has been defined as "skill in living" or "knowledge applied". This aptly describes what Jill imparts from her heart to ours. So zealous is she to bring these jewels into our homes that she has published this first edition of her book in paperback! Not only does that make it affordable for one's own library, but also as the proverbial gift that keeps on giving! Another positive attribute of the book is that it is easy to read -- an important consideration for busy mothers! And the chapter questions also make it a great tool for support groups. When all is said and done, Jill reminds us that other professions can be modified or put "on hold", but once we cradle our newborn child in our arms we must also embrace, for its season, the profession of motherhood. For the sake of the generation to follow, if not for the more egocentric reason of personal job satisfaction, we should take Jill's exhortation seriously. Read and be challenged!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mother's Unite!, July 25, 2002

By 

Lynn D. Morrissey "Lynn D. Morrissey" (St. Louis, Missouri United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Professionalizing Motherhood (Paperback)

PROFESSIONALIZING MOTHERHOOD
Where was Jill Savage and her fabulous book, Professionalizing Motherhood, when at forty, I
left my career to raise my daughter? Having been in the work-force as a professional for
twenty years and not knowing beans about children, I was at a real loss. Thankfully my
daughter is just ten and I'm a quick study. Thank you, Jill Savage, for arriving in the nick of
time with tons of encouragement, education, and enabling. I have never read a "mothering"

book before which recognizes motherhood as a vital and viable profession. Savage understands
"profession" in its purest, original meaning: an occupation requiring considerable training and
specialized study; an act of faith or belief in something important, as in professing something
we espouse with all our hearts. In the truest sense, a profession has nothing to do with earning
money. And Savage helps us realize that no price tag could be put on motherhood anyway; our
contribution is invaluable! She helps mothers understand their worth in Christ and the
worthiness of their role. She encourages us to take our jobs seriously as any professional
would by employing goals, mission statements, organizational skills, planning strategies,
networking, etc. Wow! What a refreshing way to mentor mothers-with a little business-savvy
for the most important business in which they will ever engage! Yes, she also mentions diapers
and dishpans, but with the underlying knowledge that even seeming "drudgery" takes on great
meaning when done with great purpose-to make our families secure. Savage has written a
sparkling gem that lights a mother's heart-that makes this mother glad she took her heart
home to stay!
-Lynn D. Morrissey, author & speaker

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This book needs a different title!, February 25, 2002

By 

Dallas (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Professionalizing Motherhood (Paperback)

I think if I'd been looking for a book to tell me that (1) God loves me and that (2) staying home with my kids is a good choice, then I would've rated this book much higher. But I already know that God loves me, and I don't have any qualms about leaving the workplace to be a SAHM.

I was intrigued and inspired by the idea of considering motherhood as an actual career, not just my "job". I thought from the title that this book would be a way to help me go about my "career" as a mom in the same way I would a professional career. Maybe it would help with training, planning, time management, skills, tools, etc. It's none of those things. Sure, a chapter is devoted to organization, but it's not full of the practical advice I was looking for. It basically boils down to one sentence: You should use a planner, be it electronic or paper, and be sure to tailor it to your needs.

In fact, ALL the chapters can each be boiled down to a sentence. Staying home with the kids is good. Pray. Spend a little time taking care of yourself. Pray. Don't forget your husband. Join a moms group. Make time for fun. Don't be too uptight. Pray.

So, while I thank the author for giving me the idea to approach motherhood in a new way, I really wish she'd given her book a more appropriate title.