The topic of working, career-driven women deciding to have children has become a divisive one in the past several decades; often, women face extra scrutiny for their choices. They can be pitted against one another, urged to take sides in the “working mother” versus “stay-at-home-mom” debate.
More millennial women are in today’s workforce than ever before, and while this may lead one to believe that young, professional females have blinders on when it comes to their careers, that is not exclusively the case: according to the Pew Research Center, 42% of Generation X polled reported that being a good parent was one of the most important things in their lives, while 52% of millennials say it is–a remarkable and quantifiable benchmark that shows how important a healthy work-life balance is to many young professionals.
The idea that women can successfully balance a career and a family is an important paradigm shift introduced in a new BenBella book, Work Pause Thrive by Lisen Stromberg. Stromberg’s argument in the book is that women can in fact “have it all”–just not all at once. She assures women that the path to success is not always direct, nor must it follow a prescribed plan; she encourages them to can “pause” their careers without worrying about damaging their professional trajectories.
Work Pause Thrive will be published in January 2017. It turns a previously divisive issue into a solution that is inclusive and empowering for women and families, and can revolutionize how our society views women’s various roles. It proves that “professional ambition” and “nurturing parent” aren’t mutually exclusive concepts. Lisen Stromberg expertly navigates the ins and outs of this important topic at a time that has never been more relevant.