Attention Working Moms: Mastering the Mommy Track


Mastering the Mommy TrackFor The Woman Who Doesn’t Know How She Does It

Earlier this year there was a movie out with Sarah Jessica Parker called “I Don’t Know How She Does It.”  I had read the book a few years ago with my book club and can I just say – it pissed me off!

Here’s the short skippy on the book plot (I think the movie is slightly different). The main character is a powerful business woman.  She is one of the top investment bankers in a London firm and loves what she does.  She’s got a wonderful husband and a couple of kids to complete the picture.  The only problem is that she’s never really happy doing anything.

When she’s doing powerful investment deals, she’s feeling guilty about not being with her kids and having to purchase pre-made cakes for the bake sale.  When she’s doing the mommy thing, she’s feeling wistful about not being the powerful executive that she is.  Throughout the book hilarity ensues as you follow her inner conflict.

If you’re a working mom – this might resonate with you.  I am a working mom and I just didn’t get it.  I mean, no one stuck a gun to her head and forced her into either choice.  She chose her career, she chose her family – but she honestly didn’t have a clue about how to manage her choices.  And this is what ultimately softened me up to her plight.

I think she should have had a copy of Mastering the Mommy Track: Juggling Career and Kids in Uncertain Times by Erin Flynn Jay(@ErinFJay).  I received a review copy of the book and read through it fairly quickly – it’s under 200 pages and just right for busy moms.

These Days “Working Mom” Isn’t Always A Choice

My favorite thing about this book is Flynn Jay’s acknowledgement and focus on the fact that being a working mom isn’t always a choice.  When the economy took a tumble and the traditional male head of household turned into a stay-at-home head of household, many women found themselves going into the workforce somewhat forcibly.

While women quickly adapted to the challenge, family routines have been much slower to change;  women were still primarily responsible for housework, organizing children’s activities and a variety of other soft, hidden but powerful responsibilities.

Mastering the Mommy Track is just what the doctor ordered for any working mom who is looking to bring some sense of balance and normalcy to the chaos that is often her life.

Mastering the Mommy Track Covers It All

Erin Flynn Jay covers just about anything and everything that impacts a working mom’s life.  There are four main categories to the book:

  1. Home:  I think this section will get a lot of stressed-out moms crying or at least sniffing as they read through it.  Working moms who are feeling the stress of over scheduling, finances and not enough time to spend with their partners will find helpful tips and advice that they can implement as they see fit.
  2. Health:  This is a relatively short section dedicated mostly to sleep deprivation and nutrition.  I like that she honed in on the biggest issues and didn’t add more to the already overflowing health concerns so many women have.
  3. Parenting: In this section, Flynn Jay offers lots of tips from experts on day care as well as other child care options.
  4. Work-Life Issues:  And the book ends with the idea of balance between home and work.  The primary topic in this section is time-management.  No surprises there, but lots of fantastic advice from several experts.

What You Will Love About Mastering the Mommy Track

Maybe you’ll laugh and I’m sure that Erin Flynn Jay will blush at this.  But this is a sort of Dr. Spock book for working moms.  The biggest difference is that while Dr. Spock’s books were extremely comprehensive, Mastering the Mommy Track is an easily digestible compilation of just the 20% of the most critical elements of successfully getting through life as a working mom.

Another wonderful feature of this short, but useful, book is that the author has crammed about as many experts in this book as any page or paragraph can hold.  So, even though the book is compact, it’s chock full of expert advice.

Hmmm, maybe it’s like some of those new laundry detergents on the marketing that have more detergent and less water and come in a smaller container.

What Makes Erin Flynn Jay An Expert?

Erin Flynn Jay is a lot like the working moms she’s writing for and about.  Since 2001, Erin has been promoting authors of new books and small businesses in all industries. She has expertise in successfully obtaining print, online and broadcast media placements for experts and authors.  She’s also a wife and the mother of two young daughters.  So she speaks from experience.

You’ll love her writing style and the way she collects and combines the stories of real people along with the advice of experts.  Erin is proof positive that you don’t need a long list of degrees or celebrity to build credibility.  What you need is a strong commitment to providing what your audience is hungry for.

Mastering the Mommy Track is a book that every working mom should read.

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Ivana Taylor Ivana Taylor is the Book Editor for Small Business Trends. She is responsible for directing the site’s book review program and manages the team of professional book reviewers. She also spearheads the annual Small Business Book Awards. Ivana publishes DIYMarketers, where she shares daily do-it-yourself marketing tips, and is co-author of "Excel for Marketing Managers."

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