Customer Reviews

So You Want to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

There is one use for this book that perhaps the author hasn't thought of, and it's an important one -- "So You Want To Be A Stay-at-home Mom" is an inspiration for the disgruntled stay-at-home mother who isn't sure that she wants to be there anymore. Being one such mother myself of late, reading this book has changed my perspective on my role in the home with my son and the amount of overtime that my husband puts in. Cheryl's book has give me a fresh perspective on the important work that I do here each day in raising our son and though it sounds like a cliché, has truly changed the way I parent and view myself.

So You Want to Be a Stay-At-Home Mom is a delight to read and it is packed with helpful tips as well as sometimes humorous anecdotes. For readers who appreciate traditional family values that are rooted in Christian tradition, this book is a total winner! We need more books like this available to mothers everywhere.

I got so engrossed in Cheryl Gochnauer's book that I took it with my purse to the hairdresser, the dentist's office, and even to get my car's oil changed. As I read it, I got my own personal "oil change"---I got energized to use "Creativity on the Home Front" as Gochnauer calls one of her chapters. This writer writes well and is so transparent and offers " loving hands on" ideas to utilize so mothers can stay home and BUILD A HOME. Every chapter was helpful, but I especially liked, "Will My Professional Training Go to Waste?"

"So You Want to Be a Stay-At-Home Mom" is targeted to Christian mothers who are currently working but want to become stay-at-home moms and aren't sure it's financially or emotionally feasible. Gochnauer hopes to encourage prospective at-home moms to look at their options now instead of waiting for a crisis that may reveal a choice they could have made years before.

A secondary audience would be Christian stay-at-home moms looking for ways to live better on less, keep up career skills in order to return to the workforce later, plan activities to do with their kids, or get encouragement and support.

Initially, I was surprised and confused to find so many Christian references in this book, as there was no indication on the cover to prepare me. Now I realize that InterVarsity Press is a Christian publishing company. I am not a Christian so I found myself skimming over several portions of the book, but I was not offended. Besides being non-Christian, I am part of the secondary audience and I found the book to be very encouraging. It included lots of tips that I found helpful including developing a mission statement, remembering my priorities, and creative activities to do with my daughter.

Gochnauer's style is easy to read and well organized. She provides many examples from her own life and from other couples who have been in similar situations. Her tone is encouraging and she uses no guilt tactics. She covers many topics well, and others fairly well (the table of contents lists most of the topics fairly decipherably). I consider this book to be a good starting point, but it is not a definitive reference. There is a lot of good advice, but harder questions are often answered with "God provides" and other similar comforts. While this may be enough for some people, it left too many questions unanswered for me.

This book was excellent. It really has helped me to make my decision and fine tune my plan. The book is written well, however it is written based upon Christian principles. Being a Christian, I found even more value to the book; although a non-Christian would find value to the book, they could be put off by it. Nonetheless, there is useful information...religiously based or not.

This book was invaluable to me when I was trying to reach my goal of being a stay-at-home mom!

Cheryl's use of humour and honesty touched my soul. It inspired and encouraged me. She made me believe that I could do it too! If it weren't for this book, I'd still be stuck in the rat race with my daughter being raised by strangers!

If you are thinking of becoming a SAHM, or you have recently come "home" you must read this book!

This book should come with a warning label alerting readers to Gochnauer's Christian agenda. I wanted a straightforward, "how-to" book and what I got was a heavy-handed sermon (complete with cited Biblical references) which got old quick. This works for her, apparently, but I obviously do not share her simplistic philosophy. She even goes so far as to say she debates Darwinism in favor of Creationism! Be careful if you don't share these views - there is nothing in the descriptions to alert you before you buy. If you really want to have a better plan than "God will provide" before you quit your job, check out "Miserly Moms" by Jonni McCoy for a better, more practical guide, or "You Can Afford to Stay Home with Your Kids" by Malia McCawley Wyckoff and Mary Snyder.

Cheryl Gochnauer has written a concise, fun-to-read book that will be an encouragement to moms who are already home with their children, and one that will help women struggling with the decision to stay home make an educated decision. Gochnauer presents a very even-handed look at the pros and cons of being a stay-at-home mom and shares the personal experiences of many families as they made the decision to have mom "come home".

This book is great for if you're thinking about either cutting back your hours or staying home full-time with your kids. The author has been in your shoes, and gives some wonderful advice. It's so nice to know that you're not alone, and to receive guidance from someone so wise and experienced. The book's an easy read, and very well laid out. Also, I want to stress that this book is nonjudgmental about people who ARE currently working full-time. The book's meant to be a supportive resource, not a condemnation to full-timers (as some other similar books I've read can seem). In closing, I highly recommend this books!

This was an easy-to-read book with the pros and cons of being a stay at home mom. It talked about one woman's journey to arrive at that position. It seemed to celebrate stay-at-home moms, more than help readers make a decision, but that was fine by me. It did raise real issues, like when your husband comes home and says, "What have you done all day?" when you've been chasing a toddler around , but haven't gotten to the dishes. I loved the scripture references. I think even non-Christians would find them to be valuable.

As a pastor's wife, I was thrilled to find a book I could recommend. I have given several copies away to women who have been yearning to come home. And I have a copy in our church library. It is conversational in tone and the applications are down-to-earth. It is meant to give the doubting hope that coming home is truly possible when realistic goals are set and met. Also, I have found that the author's webpage (homebodies.org) is an excellent source of encouragement as well. Gochnauer truly communicates heartfelt ministry.