Looking for something a little more substantial than flowers to offer the women in your life this Mother’s Day? The following books will provide guidance and new ideas for moms both in and out of the workforce.
"Parenting Without Borders" by Christine Gross-Loh (Penguin Group, 2013, $26; also available as an e-book). A lot has been written about American parenting practices and how we might have become too protective for our children's good. While some sociologists theorize about the impact on today's millennials and their struggles for career independence, others note the toll such hyper-vigilance takes on parents, particularly as they battle their own career issues in the wake of the recession.
Although men and women frequently share parenting duties in America, statistics tell us that women are more likely to be single-parenting than are men, and that two-parent families still apportion more of the child-rearing duties to women, whether by choice or accident. Given the enormous time commitment parenting represents for women and the price they pay in their careers, it’s worthwhile to examine cultural assumptions about how much parenting is actually needed.
Gross-Loh unintentionally launched an examination of international parenting styles when she and her husband moved with two preschoolers to Japan, where they lived for five years and brought two more children into the family. As a Korean-American who was raised by first-generation immigrants, Gross-Loh was startled to discover how much of her parenting style was based on culture rather than science. She also learned that good outcomes are possible even when very different methods are used.
In writing her book, Gross-Loh visited five countries and interviewed parents from seven more.
"The Work/Life Balance Planner" by Ann Kepler (Huron Street Press, 2013, $18.95). I really enjoyed reviewing this practical guide to creating a life plan that incorporates both personal and professional goals. While not directed specifically to women, most of the chapters have special relevance for the caretakers in a family, including sections on multigenerational households and the impact of career and job changes on one's family.
Information about relocating, finding a place to live and weighing the decision to retrain offers more context than most “balance” books, which lean too heavily on time-management strategies for my taste.
If the mom on your list has been considering new work, or a return to work after raising children, she will appreciate the helpful tone and practical exercises in this guide.
"Women Lead: Career Perspectives from Workplace Leaders" by Tracey Wilen-Daugenti, Courtney L. Vien and Caroline Molina-Ray (editors) (Peter Lang Education, 2013, $36.95). While academics can provide tremendous insight into women's experience in the work world, their information is often inaccessible or just plain unreadable.
The editors of “Women Lead” have broken that barrier by combining survey and study results with anecdotal information gleaned from 200 interviews with women leaders. The resulting 11 chapters provide compelling ideas on topics ranging from networking to education to self-employment, always with a focus on success strategies for women.
"Personality Power" by Shoya Zichy (AMACOM, 2013, $16.95; also available in audio and e-book formats). There are more personality typing systems than you can shake a stick at. And yet, we never tire of asking: Who am I? For mothers in the workforce, the question can be overwhelming, filtered through the multiple lenses of their roles as parent, spouse, team worker and boss.
In “Personality Power,” Zichy offers a 10-minute self-assessment to define one’s profile and ways to leverage personal strengths in various settings. If the mom on your list likes to explore her personality (and the personalities of those around her), she’ll enjoy this book. But look out: She may use the assessment to “type” you as well.
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