Mothers today feel like they are going absolutely crazy. They are exhausted, underpaid and under-appreciated. They feel like slaves to their kids, homes, husbands and careers – just like our mothers did. So what went wrong? Did the suffragists and feminists fail mothers?
Most people blame mothers for this state of affairs. We tell women that motherhood is blissful and it’s up to them to find work-life balance. We remind them that they chose to have children and can decide if they wish to have a career or not. But how free are their choices?
This book gets to the heart of the reasons why mothers are unhappy today and what’s really holding them back. It shifts the blame from mothers, to hundreds of pressures that make it extraordinarily difficult for mothers to flourish. This so-called system of motherhood or “sticky floor,” is not only invisible but is rooted in out-dated beliefs. Mothers struggle not because they are not working hard enough, but rather because we as a society laden them with impossible expectations and provide little support.
This book is an easy-to-read summary of the extensive academic research on motherhood. It not only describes the 15 main barriers that women face but also provides 15 practical strategies, including:
- stop asking mothers to choose career or family
- never expect mothers to be martyrs to kids
- make childcare available, affordable and acceptable
- question the 24/7 work culture and the mommy penalty
- adopt a partnership model of the family
Unlike other books that urge women to be super-moms, this book focuses on the whole institution of motherhood consisting of our traditional family model, our traditions and out-dated beliefs. If we really want mothers to be happy and reach their full potential we must unburden them and start tackling the very real pressures that are keeping them down.
Although motherhood may be madness, it need not be. This book provides a manifesto for the millions of mothers, fathers, bosses and regular folks who want mothers to be happy and free.
