Mommy Goes to Work

Book excerpt: More than 70 percent of women with children under the age of 18 work. And that's why I found it so astounding that when I searched for a book that explained to my toddler what I was doing all day after he was peeled from me, crying, at daycare, I couldn't find a thing.There was plenty out there about separation anxiety or going to school, but so little about what mommy did when she disappeared for the day. I had grown up without a role model for a working mother myself. Raised by a wonderful stay-at-home mom, I worried that I wouldn't know how to reconcile my career ambitions with my love for my family. Like many moms dissatisfied with what is available to them, I decided to make my own, and that's when I created Mommy Goes to Work. My goal is twofold: to facilitate the conversation between mother and child about what we moms are doing all day long in a relatable way, and to help employers signal to their employees that their workplace is family-friendly by giving them a copy of this book.I envision Mommy Goes to Work as a building block in your relationship with your child and with your colleagues and tribes. I hope it provides a conversation starting point where you can share with your little one the important things that you do all day when you're not with them--a foundation to be an incredible working mom role model. And I hope that it allows you to find your tribe of fellow working moms who will welcome you with open arms.