Laura Lowell - 42 Rules for Working Moms. Practical, Funny Advice for Achieving Work-Life Balance

Practical, Funny Advice for Achieving Work-Life Balance

Edited by Laura Lowell

Copyright 2008, 2012 by Laura Lowell

All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher.

Published by Super Star Press, a Happy About imprint 20660 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 210, Cupertino, CA 95014
http://42rules.com

2nd Edition: November 2012
1st Edition: June 2008
Paperback ISBN (2nd Edition): 1-60773-104-5 (978-1-60773-104-7)
Paperback ISBN (1st Edition): 0-9799428-4-5 (978-0-9799428-4-6)
eBook ISBN: 0-9799428-5-3 (978-0-9799428-5-3)
Place of Publication: Silicon Valley, California, USA
Library of Congress Number: 2008928151

Trademarks

All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Happy About, nor any of its imprints, can attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.

Warning and Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible. The information provided is on an "as is" basis. The author(s), publisher, and its agents assume no responsibility for errors or omissions nor assume liability or responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the use of information contained herein.

Mitchell Levy
http://happyabout.info/

Laura Lowell
http://superstarpress.com/

Cate Calson
http://calsongraphics.com/

Teclarity
http://teclarity.com/

Dedication

To my mom Sharon, my Auntie Pam and my other mother Berta: You taught me how to be a great working mom without even knowing it. It is because of you, I am who I am. Thank you.

I want to personally and publicly thank all the wonderful moms who found a few extra hours in their already ridiculously busy lives to contribute to this book. Your involvement has proven that moms, working or not, are always ready and willing to give their hearts, minds, and souls to something they believe in.

I also want to acknowledge the over-the-top contributions of a few moms without whom this book wouldnt have happened.

Kelli Glass for being my editor (again) and fixing the same mistakes (again).

Pamela Castellanos for being the best friend, sister, mother, and wife Ive ever known.

Amy Keroes for taking the time to help me see the true potential in this book and my vision for the rest.

Anita Lobo is a working mom with two kids (ages six and three) who advises multinational companies about the India opportunity. She became the CEO of a boutique public relations agency when she was expecting her first child.

Women, be proud of who you are
A woman, a mom, a corporate warrior
You have tried. You have made your mark
On the worlds future.

I know it was tough
Proving yourself in the beginning,
But being a working mom,
Has brought life a new meaning.

Strive on, dear mom,
The world awaits your song.
Sing loud and clear,
Tell more women, they wont go wrong.

Its possible to successfully be
A great working mom
In this giant parody.

My fears have always revealed themselves to me through dreams. I am terrified of heightsso I have dreams of free-falling off the Golden Gate Bridge. I am afraid of being unpreparedso, when I was in school, I had recurring nightmares about having to take a final exam in a class I never attended. Now that I am a working mother of two, the dreams reveal my fears of parental inadequacy. You dont need a degree or even a passing grade to raise a child, so every parent at times feels utterly unqualified for the daunting responsibility of protecting and shaping the lives of their children. Working mothers have the additional fear that their time away will irreparably harm their children.

In this age of helicopter parenting, are we short-changing our children because other mothers are by their childrens sides, coaching them to be better people during the hours we are, by choice or necessity, working? That was my fear for the first few years as a working parent. I did my best to be a productive professional and a present parent. I worried, I cried, I felt very, very guilty.

When my son was around three, I joined him for lunch at his day care. Most of the kids in his class were children of working parents. On that particular day, when it was time to leave, I told my son that I had to go back to work. One by one, from behind their sippy cups, each kid announced excitedly that their mommies had offices, too. Some said their mommies had computers; some said their moms had spinny chairs; some said their moms had pictures they had drawn on their desks. Whether they knew it or not, this unbridled enthusiasm was actually pride in their mothers professional lives. For me that pride also gave me permissionpermission to transform my fear of parental failure into something far more positive. Since that day, my working-mom fears have been converted into a courageous conviction that while I may very well mess up my kidsit will not be simply because I have a job.

Sadly, this epiphany did not alleviate the overwhelming challenges of my dual life. As founder and CEO of a Web site dedicated to informing and entertaining working moms, and as the working mother of two, I am keenly aware of our collective need for a rulebook to guide us as we attempt to tackle the daily tug-of-war between work and home.

42 Rules for Working Moms is the instruction manual we have all been waiting for. Finally, we have a resource capturing the best tips, tricks of the trade, and survival strategies from smart, savvy, supportive working moms. Consider this your map for making workwork. If you heed the creative and constructive advice set forth in this very inspired book, you will be well on your way to conquering the chaos of working motherhood.

Amy Keroes is Founder and President of http://mommytrackd.com , a popular online magazine offering busy stay-at-work moms something they desperately needa fresh, funny and helpful resource to help them manage the chaos of working motherhood. Amy is also the author of Moms Ultimate Family Organizer: A One Stop Planner for Busy Moms. Before starting Mommy Trackd, Amy was Senior Corporate Counsel for Gap Inc. She lives in Mill Valley, California, with her husband and two children.

When I had my first daughter and returned to work six months later, I was very optimistic about my ability to do it all. Today, after eight years as a working mom, Im still optimistic, but Im much more pragmatic about the whole thing. I can do it all, just not all at the same time.