Hi there! I’m Christina, a mom of two littles, a licensed mental health therapist, and a soon-to-be children’s book author! Thanks for checking out my site. Look around! I’m sure there’s something here for you! Read on to learn more about Dr. Whitney Casares and how she keeps making mom life easier with her newest book The Working Mom Blueprint – Winning at Parenting Without Losing Yourself.
Back in October 2020, I did a review post on Dr. Whitney’s book The New Baby Blueprint. You know how it is often said that kids don’t come with a manual? Well, The New Baby Blueprint is it!
And folks, she’s done it again. Dr. Whitney is releasing her next blueprint — this time for working moms!
Preorder your copy of The Working Mom Blueprint here!
As I often write about, when you become a mom, your world and your priorities shift. For me, they shifted enough that I decided to stay home for a few years beyond my maternity leave, and even now, I am a work-from-home mom and a stay-at-home mom.
Even though I have been working again for two years, reading The Working Mom Blueprint hit home with me and is relevant even now.
Dr. Whitney skillfully shares valuable expert advice while speaking to the reader in an incredibly relatable way. She gets what the challenges are and how emotionally taxing it can be to go back to work after having kids because she has done it — twice!
And her two experiences of going back to work were both different. So she has varied perspective from within her own life. Additionally, she has helped hundreds of families through the same transition.
How The Working Mom Blueprint is Structured
Dr. Whitney is very thorough, and as such this book is not quick read — in a good way. You will feel emotionally invested the whole way through as you connect with Dr. Whitney’s passion on each page.
Because there is just so much to cover, she does split the text into twelve palatable chapters, making it is easy to find what you need to read depending on your circumstances and situation.
She also offers self-care guides and resources!
The Beginning
When you start the book, you will feel validated immediately.
In the Preface, Acknowledgements and Introduction, Dr Whitney shares a personal story about struggling, specifically with working and parenting during the pandemic, and gosh you will feel seen.
She examines the seemingly impossible juggling act of balancing motherhood, work, and life, and then she offers you solutions with the encouragement and affirmation you need.
The Middle
In the heart of The Working Mom Blueprint, Dr. Whitney examines the cultural, generational, and gender norms that have contributed to the out-of-date and out-of-touch expectations that weigh on us moms. She breaks down what has worked for her and for moms she sees in her practice.
In the first couple chapters, Dr. Whitney looks at how moms have often approached working motherhood, she identifies what needs to shift, and she shares how to make the most of our motherhood and professional experiences.
I love her take on balance and particularly her stance against the martyr mom:
“If having it all means missing out on what matters, I’m out. If leaning in means sacrificing joy and contentment, I quit. If working so hard to achieve perfect balance means I never make it to my top priorities, I just can’t abide.
I’m tired of performing.”
Dr. Whitney places a lot of emphasis on self-care. But she also acknowledges how it will be different for different people, and depending on the season in which you are in.
After setting up the foundation, she launches into the nitty gritty of preparing to return to work, finding childcare options that work for you, and managing the emotions of it all.
And she doesn’t leave a stone unturned. In The Working Mom Blueprint, Dr. Whitney even shares relationship guidance and helps you explore how you and your partner communicate and split duties.
It’s such a relief to hear that it should not all be on you.
The End
Dr. Whitney wraps it all up with a Self-Care Guide and lots of resources, including a childcare and nanny questionnaire to make sure you are 100% comfortable with your child’s safety and wellbeing when you go back to work!
Besides feeling grateful to her for this wonderful book, I appreciated the reflections that I had and the shift in thinking I will continue to have going forward.
Takeaways from The Working Mom Blueprint
Stated ever so clearly by Dr. Whitney herself, here is what you’ll learn from The Working Mom Blueprint:
“How to approach motherhood with perspective and intention, how to make room for the most important things in your life—the things that make you you, for the things that give you joy, and how to balance it all.
You’ll find real stories from real moms—moms who are flawed but not failing, whose tips and tricks for keeping it all together will work 99% of the time but who also recognize that some days are total lost causes.”
Dr. Whitney helps us mamas to take care of ourselves, to recognize when we are in a season, to maximize the quality time we do have with our family, and to go back to work with as few bumps in the road as possible!
