Sharon Meers and Joanna Strober are professionals, wives, and mothers. They understand the challenges and rewards of two-career households. They also know that families thrive not in spite of working mothers but because of them. You can have a great career, a great marriage, and be a great mother. The key is tapping into your best resource and most powerful ally—the man you married.

After interviewing hundreds of parents and employers, surveying more than a thousand working mothers, and combing through the latest government and social science research, the authors have discovered that kids, husbands, and wives all reap huge benefits when couples commit to share equally as breadwinners and caregivers. Mothers work without guilt, fathers bond with their kids, and children blossom with the attention of two involved parents.

From “baby boot camp” for new dads to exactly what to say when negotiating a leave with the boss, this savvy book offers fresh ideas to today’s families offering encouragement, hope, and confidence to any woman who has ever questioned her choices regarding work and family.

Winner of the Independent Publisher Award Gold Medal in Parenting

Introduction — Imagine a Full Life — There's No Need to Choose

Part One — The Good News About Work: Why Two Careers Are Better Than One
1. Mom and Dada: How Kids Can Get More from Two Working Parents
2. What Your Husband Wins from a Working Wife
3. What Women Gain from Working Motherhood

Part Two — Three Truths to Bust the Myths About Work, Women, and Men
4. Women Don't Quit Because They Want To
5. Success Does Not Require 24/7
6. It's Not a Fair Game — but You Can Improve Your Odds

Part Three — The 50/50 Solution and How to Make It Yours
7. The Great Alliance: How Your Husband Solves the Work/Life Riddle
8. The Pre-Baby Road Trip: Mapping Out a Leave You Can Return From
9. The Post-Baby Uphill: Test-Driving 50/50 and Getting Back Up to Speed
10. Getting to 50/50: At Home, at Work, for Life

Resources

Notes

Acknowledgments

Index

About the Authors