The Mother of All Jobs

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.

Christine Armstrong

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