The Mother of All Jobs: How to Have Children and a Career and Stay Sane(ish)

by Christine Armstrong

Overview

The Mother of All Jobs is about the battle to make modern working parenting actually work. If not for our own sanity, then perhaps for our children's.

Have you ever looked at the lengthy school holiday dates and silently screamed in desperation? Have you gone part time yet are still doing a full-time workload? Have you ever been too afraid to ask about maternity benefits or flexible working? Do you constantly feel guilty about missing school events and secretly envious of other mums at the school gates who seem to be doing it all better than you?

If any (or all) of the above rings true for you, you are NOT alone.

While the demands of work are increasing with longer working hours and more pressure to remain 'switched on' to our phones and computers, the needs of our children and the world of school and childcare have stayed the same. Something has got to change before we all reach breaking point.

The Mother of All Jobs brings together the wisdom of women who opened up about their experiences into a manifesto to help working parents thrive.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472956231
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	09/06/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Christine Armstrong is a writer, speaker and adviser to business leaders on the future of work. She is a contributing editor of Management Today, has three daughters and is, against her own advice, an active member of the PTA. christinearmstrong.com

Table of Contents

Introduction: The parent crunch – why I've written this book

1 My story
2 I love my job but is it time I settled down and thought about kids?
3 Wow, I feel like I've totally lost control and don't know who I am any more
4 Right, I need to get back to work
5 I've always been able to cope with everything, so why do my kids make me so crazy?
6 How come I feel lonely even though I'm surrounded by people all the time?
7 Help, I think I've done a crap job of raising my child
8 Alpha/beta, the pros and cons of dads as lead parents
9 The alpha/alpha couples
10 Solo
11 Why does dealing with school turn me into a child?
12 Help, my teenager is causing problems
13 What do the dads think?
14 The questions people ask me
15 Conclusions

References
Thank you
Index

Editorial Reviews

"A guided missile of a book, unflinching, practical and very funny. If you're a mother with a career (or ever want to be) and are beginning to get the feeling you've been conned, welcome to your manifesto." - Justine Roberts, Mumsnet CEO

"a wonderfully reassuring, inspiring and practical guide to the reality of making it work" - The Pool

"Everything you ever wanted to know about working motherhood — and a whole load of stuff you really didn’t want to know (but ought to)." - Viv Groskop

"A must-read for those juggling a career with the school run." - Good Housekeeping

"A great mix of common sense and ‘best friend’s guide’ to work and motherhood. The truth is that the workforce has changed…and the workplace is trying to catch up. Sometimes individuals think that there is something wrong with them….this book helps put paid to that and is a good one to have by the bed alongside the parenting manuals!" - Karen Mattison MBE, Joint CEO, Timewise

"Bloody good, I recommend it to all my clients." - Couples and sex therapist Karen Doherty

"Christine Armstrong's book on the big little lies successful women tell which make everything harder for the working mothers coming up in their wake is a long-overdue breath of fresh air and call to action. It became a social me'dia sensation when we published it in the Sunday Times Magazine and is essential reading for any woman trying to balance work with family life." - Eleanor Mills, Sunday Times

"Reassuringly honest, wise and compassionate - a book for any working parents who feel alone in their struggles." - Natasha Lunn, Red

"Christine Armstrong can help you get through with your sanity intact." - Daily Telegraph

"This empowering read is a manifesto to get you through." - Mother & Baby

"Speaks truth...[a] hard-headed but warm-hearted guide to how not to screw up the transition from work to the reality of life with small children." - Mslexia

"Insightful...ideal for those mums-to-be who are taking a leap from their established careers into the world of blood tests and check-ups, labour wards and nappies, for the first time." - Gurglethe

"Brings together wisdom from all walks of life...this book shows parents how to cope." - B Baby magazine

"Being a working mum is an assault course of responsibility juggling - yet we still feel we have to sugar-coat the truth...Christine Armstrong lays it bare." - Grazia

"A funny, realistic take on combining a job with small children...This book is all about sharing the tips and tricks to allow mothers to thrive." - Happiful

"This book is absolutely f***ing incredible." - Hannah Gale

"Says it all." - Erika Davies

"Incredibly refreshing – and reassuring." - Grazia

"Tells it as it really is." - Evening Standard

From the Publisher