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Professor Mommy: Finding Work-Family Balance in Academia
Professor Mommy is a guide for women who want to combine the life of the mind with the joys of motherhood. The book provides practical suggestions gleaned from the experiences of the authors, together with those of other women who have successfully combined parenting with professorships. Professor Mommy addresses key questions—when to have children and how many to have; what kinds of academic institutions are the most family friendly; how true or not true are the beliefs that many people hold about academic life, and so on—for women throughout all stages of their academic careers, from graduate school through full professor. The authors follow the demands of motherhood all the way from infancy to the teenage years. At each stage, the authors offer invaluable advice and tested strategies for juggling the demands and achieving the rewards of an academic career and motherhood.
Written in clear, jargon-free prose, the book is accessible to women in all disciplines, with concise chapters for the time-constrained academic. The book's conversational tone is supplemented with a review of the most current scholarship on work/family balance and a survey of emerging family-friendly practices at U.S. colleges and universities. Professor Mommy asserts that the faculty mother has become and will remain a permanent fixture on the landscape of the American academy.
The paperback edition features a new preface that brings the book into conversation with Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In and Anne-Marie Slaughter’s “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All,” as well as a new afterword providing specific suggestions for institutional change.
Written in clear, jargon-free prose, the book is accessible to women in all disciplines, with concise chapters for the time-constrained academic. The book's conversational tone is supplemented with a review of the most current scholarship on work/family balance and a survey of emerging family-friendly practices at U.S. colleges and universities. Professor Mommy asserts that the faculty mother has become and will remain a permanent fixture on the landscape of the American academy.
The paperback edition features a new preface that brings the book into conversation with Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In and Anne-Marie Slaughter’s “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All,” as well as a new afterword providing specific suggestions for institutional change.
232 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2011
17 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
November 28, 2011
I'd recommend this to anyone considering graduate school, period. While it's geared towards mothers, the information and descriptions offer a very accurate and realistic portrait of graduate school and early professional life as a faculty member. I wish it'd been around when I was starting out. I found the sections about time management and comparing the different kinds of schools you can work at (R1, R2/3, etc) extremely helpful and interesting. I gleaned so much about how to run the research end of my grad school life from this book and will put it into practice as I move towards my diss.
The only drawback I can think of is that I believe they underestimate how powerful the desire to be with your children can be, especially early on. They champion childcare and do a lot of work to de-guilt-trip mothers who use childcare a lot, but I feel like that gives short shrift to women who may, like me, be overwhelmed by the desire to be with their babies. They don't even mention the possibility of taking off a semester to be with your baby, or strategies to maximize the time you get to spend with your children.
These are small quibbles. No book can capture the total complexity of options and experiences while maintaining a positive, goal-oriented perspective. Overall, I really liked and appreciated this book and I am sure I'll return to it many times in the next few years.
The only drawback I can think of is that I believe they underestimate how powerful the desire to be with your children can be, especially early on. They champion childcare and do a lot of work to de-guilt-trip mothers who use childcare a lot, but I feel like that gives short shrift to women who may, like me, be overwhelmed by the desire to be with their babies. They don't even mention the possibility of taking off a semester to be with your baby, or strategies to maximize the time you get to spend with your children.
These are small quibbles. No book can capture the total complexity of options and experiences while maintaining a positive, goal-oriented perspective. Overall, I really liked and appreciated this book and I am sure I'll return to it many times in the next few years.
October 9, 2017
I read this book at my partner's request because it explains the process of deciding, planning, and executing all the steps of becoming a tenured professor while simultaneously becoming a mother. I did not expect to get much out of it beyond familiarity with the process but it deftly described the challenges of being a woman with children striving for tenure, tips on navigating these challenges, and questions to ask yourself along the way. I would highly recommend this book to any upcoming professors and their partners!
June 17, 2015
Definitely one of the best academic career advice books I've read. And not just for the "mommy" stuff--although that's great--really it has all-over advice on publishing, on getting tenured, on how to approach colleagues for certain things. I highlighted the hell out of this book on my kindle and would recommend it to any grad student/young prof who has kids on the horizon.
April 20, 2022
I got lucky, and I guess this is medium useful for other lucky people (irrespective of childcare status - could be helpful for other caregiving relationships). Childcare gets mentioned and emphasized as good and important, but this is treated generically.
I guess what I'm saying is: you can tell one of the authors is an economist.
I guess what I'm saying is: you can tell one of the authors is an economist.
August 6, 2013
A good read for anyone on the tenure track, thinking of starting a PhD or right in the thick of it and also planning or already has a family. Their advice is often bleak while also encouraging, which is not surprising given the stress and demands of both jobs, mom and prof. They are certainly geared towards the R1 universities while still addressing the teaching college and community colleges and also geared towards those that have more expendable income than I do so the mothers can get extra help with cleaning and child care, but alas, we're a one income home at a small liberal arts college in the boonies of VA so I'm not going to be making a lot of money! My favorite piece of advice, however, was, "never iron anything"! Check!
July 13, 2016
I appreciated the advice in here and candid points. I found the suggestion of leaving family pics out of the campus office to be unnecessary and a borderline patriarchy perpetuation but that's a minor critique overall. Also, the flippant mention in an early chapter about how raising 4 kids on the tenure track was made possible in large part thanks to a stay at home dad --this was a quick half sentence mention at the chapters end! It's pretty huge. Childcare is extremely expensive and if you're like most academics who move for a job, meaning you don't have a village of family to help with this cost, then you are facing very real practical limitations. I have recommended this book to fellow scholars thinking about these things or anticipating them soon.
May 8, 2012
realistic but depressing... didn't tell me anything i wasn't already aware of as a junior faculty member struggling w/ work-life balance and the decision of whether to stay in "academy", but a recommended read for any considering PhD and/or the choice between academia vs. industry
January 5, 2020
As someone applying to PhD programs who has also expressed interest in having a family, this book was recommended to me as an exploration of the intersection of being a mother and pursuing a career in academia. That is exactly what it was. You will be hard-pressed to find another book out there like it. It reads like your mentor (who has children) trying her best to impart all of her wisdom on you. The book is not afraid to answer the questions you would ask your friend and get into the nitty-gritty - exactly what time of year should you get pregnant, if you can plan? What are the physical effects of pregnancy on your body and how does it intersect with various academic activities like writing or teaching? Exactly what policies should you look for at universities to determine if they are family friendly? What activities should you say no to - the committee you have been asked to serve on, the paper you were supposed to review, your research?
I actually recommend this book to any women interested in pursuing a career in academia. While the emphasis on mothering is there, the book also offers valuable advice to anyone who hasn't been coached in the secret politics of academia - for example, always use a .edu email address for the job market. It also discusses some of the biases women are subjected to in academia in particular. In addition, mothering isn't the only reason to be concerned with some of the axes discussed - others may be interested in understanding how to achieve work-life balance and navigating geographical constraints due to elderly parents or a partner
It outlines all the different types of universities to become a professor at, including pros and cons of each one. Since I had only ever really envisioned life as a professor at an R1 university, this was eye-opening to me and made me excited about the other options - liberal arts colleges, regional comprehensives and community colleges.
I wish the book had spent more time on technical fields. The majority of the people (~80%) interviewed were in humanities and social sciences. Though some lip service was paid to differences in life sciences, they were obvious - post doc positions are required and thus the track to tenure is longer and lab work limits your ability to work from home. None of this was revolutionary.
They did a reasonable job of covering cases other than the typical women who has biological baby via a male partner, including single motherhood, adopting, and same-sex couples. One of the authors is a single mother. More could have been covered on adoption.
The book also tends to take a fatalistic tone at times - ie your tenure-track years will be hell and you need to suck it up and forego self-care. This is in line with the delivery of the book (a mentor giving you advice), and is a reminder that readers should not take this book as the end-all be-all - this is two people's opinions. Additionally, the authors also advise hiding your children from faculty before you are tenured - don't bring them to campus, don't put up photos etc. Perhaps this is good advice for getting promoted in the current system (I certainly don't know!), but it is terrifying to read and I hope there is alternative advice which includes bing honest about yourself and your family without losing tenure.
I recommend reading if you are a young women intent on pursuing a career in academia.
I actually recommend this book to any women interested in pursuing a career in academia. While the emphasis on mothering is there, the book also offers valuable advice to anyone who hasn't been coached in the secret politics of academia - for example, always use a .edu email address for the job market. It also discusses some of the biases women are subjected to in academia in particular. In addition, mothering isn't the only reason to be concerned with some of the axes discussed - others may be interested in understanding how to achieve work-life balance and navigating geographical constraints due to elderly parents or a partner
It outlines all the different types of universities to become a professor at, including pros and cons of each one. Since I had only ever really envisioned life as a professor at an R1 university, this was eye-opening to me and made me excited about the other options - liberal arts colleges, regional comprehensives and community colleges.
I wish the book had spent more time on technical fields. The majority of the people (~80%) interviewed were in humanities and social sciences. Though some lip service was paid to differences in life sciences, they were obvious - post doc positions are required and thus the track to tenure is longer and lab work limits your ability to work from home. None of this was revolutionary.
They did a reasonable job of covering cases other than the typical women who has biological baby via a male partner, including single motherhood, adopting, and same-sex couples. One of the authors is a single mother. More could have been covered on adoption.
The book also tends to take a fatalistic tone at times - ie your tenure-track years will be hell and you need to suck it up and forego self-care. This is in line with the delivery of the book (a mentor giving you advice), and is a reminder that readers should not take this book as the end-all be-all - this is two people's opinions. Additionally, the authors also advise hiding your children from faculty before you are tenured - don't bring them to campus, don't put up photos etc. Perhaps this is good advice for getting promoted in the current system (I certainly don't know!), but it is terrifying to read and I hope there is alternative advice which includes bing honest about yourself and your family without losing tenure.
I recommend reading if you are a young women intent on pursuing a career in academia.
December 22, 2022
I was totally on board with this book until they suggested limiting the number of pictures of my kid in my office so my colleagues think of me as a scholar. It’s this type of rhetoric that perpetuates a toxic environment within academia for women/people with children.
April 11, 2024
I was hoping for more advice on the Mom side of things on balancing parenting and academia. Only three stars because I’ve read a lot of similar advice previously and this didn’t add much.
December 15, 2021
Informative, sincere. Not enough details about research productivity though.
July 27, 2012
This book is a good guide for women who work in an academic job or are interested in working in an academic community. It provides a great deal of insight on the types of questions one should ask themselves when they are weighing the possibility of pursuing a faculty job, how family and professional obligations compete for time and attention, and how to navigate the panoply of choices and options women in academic careers have when they consider a professional trajectory and the possibility of becoming a parent.
The strength of this book is in its pragmatic approach to very emotional, and potentially difficult issues. It was an optimistic read because the book contends that it is possible to be a good scholar and an engaged parent. It is also a useful piece of work because it does not advocate any single approach--rather it's a critical look at several possible approaches and weights the merits and discontents associated with each.
The book felt more like a frank discussion with some entirely non-judgmental female colleagues than it did a how-to. Lots to weigh and consider, nothing too pushy. Well done!
The strength of this book is in its pragmatic approach to very emotional, and potentially difficult issues. It was an optimistic read because the book contends that it is possible to be a good scholar and an engaged parent. It is also a useful piece of work because it does not advocate any single approach--rather it's a critical look at several possible approaches and weights the merits and discontents associated with each.
The book felt more like a frank discussion with some entirely non-judgmental female colleagues than it did a how-to. Lots to weigh and consider, nothing too pushy. Well done!
May 15, 2015
Partially in response to Mama, PhD, Rachel Connelly and Kristen Ghodsee, both professors at Bowdoin, wrote Professor Mommy: Finding Work-Family Balance in Academia. While Mama, PhD left me feeling ambivalent about academia, Professor Mommy turned me off almost completely, but in a helpful way.
Unlike Mama, PhD, Professor Mommy is not a book of essays exploring the impact of motherhood on an academic career, but rather a book that aims to disabuse readers about myths of motherhood/academia while also laying out ideas for how to navigate the two if you decide to combine them. While at times I thought the attitude of the authors took toward women who leave academia after becoming mothers was condescending, I think the book serves a useful purpose by illuminating issues involved in an academic career and by inviting readers to thoughtfully consider the reasons why they might or might not want to pursue the profession in addition to motherhood.
{Read my full review here, including how this book helped me decide to turn down a PhD program, at least for now}
Unlike Mama, PhD, Professor Mommy is not a book of essays exploring the impact of motherhood on an academic career, but rather a book that aims to disabuse readers about myths of motherhood/academia while also laying out ideas for how to navigate the two if you decide to combine them. While at times I thought the attitude of the authors took toward women who leave academia after becoming mothers was condescending, I think the book serves a useful purpose by illuminating issues involved in an academic career and by inviting readers to thoughtfully consider the reasons why they might or might not want to pursue the profession in addition to motherhood.
{Read my full review here, including how this book helped me decide to turn down a PhD program, at least for now}
August 19, 2012
A good book and definitely worth a read if one is thinking of, or already in, academia. However, it is incomplete for lab scientists. There are so many more issues, particularly with regards to the mentoring of students, that social scientists and humanists do not encounter. Also, the authors stress making informed choices throughout in choosing positions. With the current job market, one often cannot make such choices.
December 13, 2011
Realistic yet encouraging overview of the challenges involved in combining scholarship and kids. Chapters are broken down chronologically, by where you are on the tenure track (in grad school, on the job hunt, etc.).
April 10, 2012
Recommended reading for anybody (especially ladies) who are interested in pursuing both the tenure track and motherhood. This book provides a realistic yet positive picture of being successful in both worlds.
July 31, 2012
Read this for a discussion group that will be meeting in the fall. Brutally honest, which is good. Lots of really good general professional advice, too. Found myself invigorated and ready to get shit done after reading it. Wish I'd been able to read it during grad school.
November 22, 2011
Frank, encouraging, detailed.
October 2, 2012
I think the authors sacrificed depth in favor of breadth here. In doing so, they limited its helpfulness for everyone.
March 10, 2012
Really great graduate school and academic career advice regardless if you are female or male, mother or not. I wish I had read some of this stuff years ago.
May 15, 2012
Great book for young women if they are thinking about entering into the academy and looking for tenure. Wish I had read it a decade ago...
July 31, 2012
Great book, with useful advice for those without children too.
July 12, 2013
Not for me but I can tell it is very useful for who needs it from topic selecting and accurate citations of statistic results.
August 6, 2013
Some good insights and advice, and encouraging to hear about people who make it work...but kind of specific to the humanities and to the authors' particular situations.
August 28, 2015
Intimidating, but empowering. Packed with useful, brutally honest information about being a professor and a mother.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews