What Happy Working Mothers Know: How New Findings in Positive Psychology Can Lead to a Healthy and Happy Work/Life Balance

by Cathy L. Greenberg, Barrett S. Avigdor

A fact-based and proven approach to help working mothers rediscover happiness as they balance their duties at home and work
Science and sociology have made great strides in understanding what makes us happy and how we achieve it. For working mothers who face endless demands on their time and attention, What Happy Working Mothers Know provides scientifically proven and practical ways to find the right balance and replace stress with happiness. Written by a behavioral scientist and global leadership guru, and an international lawyer and career coach, this mom-friendly guide offers practical tactics that truly work.

The demands of juggling work and home lead many women to try to do everything and be everything to everyone. In the effort to be Superwoman, many women lose sight of what makes them happy and they fail to realize how important their happiness is to being a good worker and a good mother. The key to being your best at everything you do is to take care of your happiness the way you take care of your health, through conscious choices every day. You'll learn to overcome obstacles, apply lessons learned at work to your motherhood skills, and learn lessons from your children that you can apply at work.

Includes interactive activities that illustrate important lessons in the book Shows you how to use positive psychology to shift from a scarcity mentality to an abundance mentality for workplace success Helps you tap into your own sense of joy every day for your own happiness and the happiness of those around you Science-based and packed with real case studies of real working moms Written by authors with impeccable qualifications and real-world experience Many moms raise great kids and achieve the professional success they desire and deserve, but if they aren't happy, what's the point? This book doesn't show you how to have it all, but how to have all the things that really matter.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 31, 2009

Reviews

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems like a “no win” situation. As mothers, if we choose to stay at home, we feel guilty for not being able to provide financially for our family. If we go to work, we feel guilty for not being there for our kids.

What Happy Working Mothers Know reminds us that staying home with our kids or working outside the home is a personal choice. There is no right answer that fits us all. The most important thing is to make sure that we are happy with ourselves and our decisions. Life can get pretty dismal if we feel we are sacrificing without getting anything in return. Unfortunately, then, we only manage to make those around us miserable too.

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Crap

[Shana]

Meh. Outdated

[Maria Busoi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mostly boring.

[Lenore Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well we have all heard the saying "If momma ain't happy then no one is happy!" and that is so true.
How do we stay happy? Especially when so many mothers have to juggle so many responsibilities what do we do. Have you lost sight of what makes you happy? Do you make conscious choices every day to take care of your happiness the way you take care of your health?

"What Happy Working Mothers Know" is a new book that guides us in positive psychology to leading a healthy and happy balance in our work and home life. Written by a behavioral scientist and global leadership guru, and an international lawyer and career coach, this mom-friendly guide offers practical tactics that truly work. Cathy L. Greenberg, Ph.D. and Barrett S. Avigdor J.D. wrote this book as a way to help energize and inspire women. They help remind us of that saying above. And no one can make us happy so we have to do it ourselves too!

So how do we stay happy?
Well we can look at the word happy and apply it as an acronym.
Healthy
Adaptive
Proud of Family
Proud of Work
Young at Heart

Do you try and fulfill these and if so how do you do that?

In "What Happy Working Mothers Know" you will discover the following.

• Includes interactive activities that illustrate important lessons in the book
• Shows you how to use positive psychology to shift from a scarcity mentality to an abundance mentality for workplace success
• Helps you tap into your own sense of joy every day for your own happiness and the happiness of those around you
• Science-based and packed with real case studies of real working moms

I know that with all the different 'hats' I have been wearing it is harder to focus on myself and not on my responsibilities. Super woman I am not, but as so many of us do, I try to be. Thinking that I can do it all. Care for family, home, jobs and still be out there offering more. Do you do that? Well, here is a guide to help me find my balance. Making sure I remember that
Momma is happy and healthy in order to care for her family.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I agreed to read and review What Happing Working Mothers Know by Cathy L. Greenberg and Barrett S. Avigdor I was a happily employed mother. By the time I was reading the book I had lost my job of 5 1/2 years due to the contracting economy. Although I'm still unemployed and I'm frustrated by the added stress of making ends meet I'm still happy.

Except for the cheerfully colored circles on the cover, I didn't see much happiness from mothers profiled in the book. I think the authors were trying to show the transformation from stressed out super-mother drone to happy, well adjusted less than perfect mother but none of the lengthy excerpts I read struck me as very happy.

As it's a self help book, the assumption made throughout that the reader is an unhappy, overworked woman who is suffering from low self esteem. The title though implies that the book is full of uplifting insights from happy working mothers. Instead, the book was a downer to read. After a while the book just got boring. In other words, it was like reading Erma Bombeck with all the jokes removed.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found parts of this book to be very poignant and uplifting; however, about halfway through it began to feel a little redundant. Great reminders of things to think about when trying to evaluate staying at home vs. working. I wrote down several quotes that I wanted to keep in mind. All in all, nothing overly groundbreaking but a good read if you need some tips on making life work as a working mom.

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I've read too many of these books but I found this one really boring. I didn't find that the authors had any new information for working moms and I was really annoyed that they continuously quoted themselves. Mommy Guilt is still the best book I've read on this subject.

[Angela Cov · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get past the first couple chapters because I felt like the authors took too long making their points. If they really knew what happy working mothers know, they would realize that they need to write a more succinct, informative book.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't have any Aha moments with this one and am not sure what the new findings really were. I did find that while reading, I was more mindful which is helpful when pursuing any practice (i.e., yoga, work/life balance, etc).

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I skimmed sections of this but took away some good practical advice. It was the last in the short stack of books that made up my first foray into the self help genre.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of this was psycho-babble and some of this assumed that every woman wants to work, but there were also some good tips about attitude and beating mommy guilt.

[Sudawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy mothers keep a balanced life and sanity.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I was looking for more of a how-to time management sort of book. A few useful tips, but very wordy.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very insightful

[Charlene]

I read several sections that pertained to my needs, wants, and lifestyle. It was helpful and written as if for a friend.