Customer Reviews

What's a Smart Woman Like You Doing at Home?

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As someone with several advanced degrees including an MBA, I was often told that I was wasting my education by staying home to raise my son (currently 2 yrs of age). I found the essays and quotes in this book very supportive of my choice.

This book does not provide mommy tips but it does give voice to many of the reasons for staying at home. I reread sections of it after talking with my career minded friends as a way to remind me that my decision is the right one for me.

If you want to stay at home with your children whether they are infants or teens, this book will make you feel that you are making the right decision.

If you believe you need to be out working then this book would probably just irritate you!

I am so happy to have found this book when I did! It changed my life almost 13 years ago, and so many times I wonder how my life might be different if I hadn't read it. I strongly encourage every mom to read it, whether you are a new or seasoned mom, whether your currently work full-time or part-time or have chosen to be home to raise your children. I guarantee that you will find it thought-provoking! I was a career woman when I became pregnant with twins. I believed the ever-popular myth that women could easily "have it all," happily juggling the perfect family life with the perfect full-time career. As soon as I became a mother, I realized more than ever before that life is full of trade-offs: there are only so many hours in a day, so many days in a week, so many years at home in a child's life. I knew I had to choose my priorities carefully. This unique book includes material not easily found in the mainstream media. Through its commentary and essays, it begged me to think through my short and long-term priorities and choose what was right for me and my family. What's A Smart Woman Like You Doing at Home? helped me to see the "big picture" and helped me realize the path I wanted and needed to take to fulfill my wish of becoming the best mother I could be. Reading the material covered in the three sections, Searching for Supermom and Discovering Home * Startling Realizations and Gentle Discoveries * Mothers and Society -- Perceptions and Possibilities, was an eye-opener and a much-cherished gift! My thanks to the authors and the many mothers who shared their heartfelt stories.

I think the review from "northeast USA" was way overblown. I too thought I would continue working when I became a parent - but that changed when I actually became one, and realized no other caregiver would love our child as much as we, her parents. This book does not condemn parents who work outside the home, but encourages mothers to make their own choice! So little of what is available in the media encourages the choice to be at home, it is nice to read a factual book that lets us know mothers at home are not throwbacks to the dark ages, and that we have the opportunity to make different choices at different stages of our lives.

This is a fantastic book, I recommend it to any woman who is pregnant or is contemplating staying home with her children.

It is a wonderful resource for women who are sick and tired of having former co-workers ask them what they do all day. And for women who have been told they are too smart to be wasting themselves at home.

It discusses some of the emotional aspects of being home and it doesn't sugar-coat how difficult it can be to make the transition from career to home. I read this book while on maternity leave with my first child. As a 30-something career woman I found this book a to be a fanastic help while I was making the decision whether to turn in my resignation or return to work.

Finally, a book for intelligent women who choose the challenging demands of staying at home to raise a family - a choice that requires use of every instinct and every ounce of intellect we possess!

"What's A Smart Woman Like You Doing At Home?" chronicles the real-life struggle mothers face when giving up (or putting on hold) the career they may have nurtured for years in order to nurture their children full-time instead. Without knocking moms who do return to the work force, this thoughtful book offers support and encouragement for new mothers who have trouble adjusting to their new and very different lifestyle, experienced mothers who need a "pick-me-up", and all mothers who have been faced with the question - what IS a smart woman like you doing at home?

For me, this book is like an old friend who is always there with an encouraging word just when I need it most. Hope you enjoy it!

"Smart Woman" is written by a lot of smart women - us! The authors have done a terrific job of pulling together government-gathered statistics and stories from at-home mothers. It's a great read and very encouraging for any mom who loves her family! Plus, it shows that the "mommy wars" are just a figment of the media's imagination.

Since becoming a stay-at-home mom, I've been looking for books to help me through this process--and this book is a one of the best I've found on this subject. Instead of a singular point of view, you'll find hundreds! There are thoughtful, personal accounts from people of all backgrounds. I am convinced that every woman asking, "Should I be a stay-at-home mom?" will find her answer in this book.

mother with a new baby who is ambivalent about going back to work. With the rising cost of mediocre child care, it is impossible for most people to justify the expense of going to work. Being with mom is an inherent need that all babies have, and it is just as important to meet this need as it is to feed them. This book is wonderful, and I highly recommend it.

R>L>W.

This book is a must read for 2 types of people. The first is all the moms like me who knew in their hearts that staying home with their children was right but never had anything to say when people challenged the decision. The second is all of those people who dare to challenge and criticize the decision. Shortly after I read the book, the same old discussion came up with a full time career type mom who had the nerve to disguise "You are so talented. Why do you waste it at home?" as a compliment. I was ready with hundreds of arguments, quotes from women just like me, and numerical facts. For once, I had more than "because I want to." This book was the affirmation I have needed from someone other than my husband and my mother, who have both been supportive all along. Those who judge stay at home moms can benefit from this book in the same way; insight and education. In this modern day when we are taught to respect a woman's right to choose work or home, our choice to be home raising our families should be appreciated and applauded. Not only should we be appreciated for making a seemingly controversial choice, but we should be appreciated for the hard, never-ending work that goes into being home 24-7. I only have one baby and a fetus so far, and this is a much more difficult job than any paying job I have ever done, and I have to do a lot more learning and research than I did for any of my degrees. A sincere THANK YOU goes to the authors of this book.

This book it a bit outdated statistics-wise, but the true message and all the essays from moms accross the country can really lift up your spirit and make you feel supported in your decision to stay home:) There is even a whole section on how many moms manage to bring in an income working from home a few hours a week, or a few days a year. I really loved reading this. It made me feel a little more validated in my decision to stay home, take care of my family (because husbands are part of it too,) and volunteer. The book is not really an arguement for why you should stay home, or an attack on those who don't, but more of a supportive collection of thoughts and essays celebrating the decision to stay home.