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c.2009, Jossey-Bass | $22.95 / $27.95 Canada | 262 pages, includes index
All day long, you deal with children.
In the morning, you rush through breakfast, pack lunches, find lost shoes, and retrieve forgotten homework. After you’ve gotten your kids off safely and you’re at work, you deal with “children” there (not really, but it feels like it sometimes).
Once you get home, you’re maybe tired and a little cranky but you have to deal with your kids who are definitely tired and a lot cranky. And a few hours later, you fall into bed so you can do it all again the next day.
Isn’t there an easier way?
Author Jamie Woolf says there is. In her book Mom-in-Chief, learn how your business skills can make home life smoother.
As a leadership consultant and coach, Jamie Woolf says she first noticed when her daughters were small that her work skills could benefit her home life. Over the years and through her business, she’s identified five “skill sets” that Moms-in-Chief need to cultivate: the abilities to motivate, focus on the big picture, empower, connect, and set an example.
You do it at work. Why not at home?
The first thing to do, Woolf says, is to set “big-picture goals”. What is your ultimate goal as a parent? Knowing this will help you keep your priorities straight, and will help keep you accountable.
Next, identify your “Mom Mode”: are you an Achiever, a Connector, or a Liberator? Woolf says that knowing and respecting your Mom Mode will help you be an effective and satisfied parent. It may come as no surprise that your Mom Mode spills out in your work life, too.
Especially in the early years of your child’s life, never forget your own passions. Nurture yourself and remember your “non-Mom” life. Try to avoid micromanaging your kids or being the martyr. Give kids room to make decisions and mistakes. Let them learn from their actions, both good and bad. Treat your children with the same respect you give your co-workers.
And if all else fails, be patient and start again. As everyone knows, if Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.
I had mixed feelings with this book.
While there’s certainly lots of sound advice in Mom-in-Chief, and while author Jamie Woolf surely gives parents plenty of footing for achieving a peaceful home, I had a couple of issues.
I thought there were times when Woolf took the “corporate culture” scenario a little too far. Having weekly family meetings is a great idea. “Developing family core values” and “creating a parenting mission statement” seemed like work/family overkill to me.
I also thought this book presumed a lot; mainly, that children would get on-board this program, too, and without complaint. Woolf gives great advice - especially for parents of teens - but to start a program when the kids are older or in mid-teendom may be a tough sell.
With this, as with most parenting books, you’ll need to pick and choose what works for you and your family. If you’re looking for a few new ideas, though, Mom-in-Chief works.
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