Maxed Out

Too often friends will say "Do you have more hours in the day than the rest of us? How do you do everything you do?" Nope, I do not have more hours than anyone else. And I have no idea how I do what I do. Most day, I feel like I am falling with style like Buzzlight Year from Toy Story. I am over-tired, behind on my kids photo books, I rarely see good movies or have date night, my home office looks like an episode of Hoarders (sans dead animals or rotting food) and I have about eight different books that I am half way through. Fake it till you make it. Laugh off the stress. A mother in motion stays in motion.

I recently finished one book, in under a week! Maxed Out : American Moms on the Brink (thus the title of this post). Originally I had attempted to place a request at my local library but the wait list for the book was nearly 100+. HELLO, red flag pending mothers! I decided not to wait and ordered the book immediately. (Rachel if you are reading this, I am bringing you this book tomorrow).

I also recently read Lean In. Both of these books hit on the struggles that mothers and women face in the workplace and at home. The fact that I finished both of these books says something. I have had it. Something needs to change in a big way. I know I cannot keep on the pace for another 12 years (that's when my youngest will graduate). There has to be a better way.

So if you are treading in my realm, just order this book and read up.

"Katrina Alcorn was a 37-year-old mother with a happy marriage and a thriving career when one day, on the way to Target to buy diapers, she had a breakdown. Her carefully built career shuddered to a halt, and her journey through depression, anxiety, and insomnia—followed by medication, meditation, and therapy—began.

Alcorn wondered how a woman like herself, with a loving husband, a supportive boss, three healthy kids, and a good income, was unable to manage the demands of having a career and a family. Over time, she realized that she wasn’t alone. As she questioned other working moms, she realized that many women were struggling to do it all, crashing, and feeling as if they were somehow failing as a result.

Mothers are the breadwinners in two-thirds of American families, yet the American workplace is uniquely hostile to the needs of parents. Weaving in surprising research about the dysfunction between the careers and home lives of working mothers, as well as the consequences to women’s health, Alcorn tells a deeply personal story about “having it all,” failing miserably, and what comes after. Ultimately, she offers readers a vision for a healthier, happier, and more productive way to live and work."