Professionalizing Motherhood: Encouraging, Educating, and Equipping Mothers at Home

I stumbled upon this book in the library 2 years ago, after the birth of my first child. I was drowning in my tears, frustrated because I had left my teaching position to be a "stay-at-home-mom" and didn't have a clue about how to do it. The title caught my eye and I began to read the introduction. I was HOOKED! A quick glance at the table of contents only added to my eagerness to begin reading. The chapters "So what did you do today?" and "Where are my coworkers" really hit home with my recent "career shift". With the recent birth of my second child, I have continued to turn to this book and the "Hearts-at-Home" website for encouragement.

& #65279;PROFESSIONALIZING MOTHERHOODWhere was Jill Savage and her fabulous book, Professionalizing Motherhood, when at forty, Ileft my career to raise my daughter? Having been in the work-force as a professional fortwenty years and not knowing beans about children, I was at a real loss. Thankfully mydaughter is just ten and I'm a quick study. Thank you, Jill Savage, for arriving in the nick oftime with tons of encouragement, education, and enabling. I have never read a "mothering"book before which recognizes motherhood as a vital and viable profession. Savage understands"profession" in its purest, original meaning: an occupation requiring considerable training andspecialized study; an act of faith or belief in something important, as in professing somethingwe espouse with all our hearts. In the truest sense, a profession has nothing to do with earningmoney. And Savage helps us realize that no price tag could be put on motherhood anyway; ourcontribution is invaluable! She helps mothers understand their worth in Christ and theworthiness of their role. She encourages us to take our jobs seriously as any professionalwould by employing goals, mission statements, organizational skills, planning strategies,networking, etc. Wow! What a refreshing way to mentor mothers-with a little business-savvyfor the most important business in which they will ever engage! Yes, she also mentions diapersand dishpans, but with the underlying knowledge that even seeming "drudgery" takes on greatmeaning when done with great purpose-to make our families secure. Savage has written asparkling gem that lights a mother's heart-that makes this mother glad she took her hearthome to stay!-Lynn D. Morrissey, author & speaker

This book has helped me understand the importance of what I do. I AM shaping the next generation and influencing gnenerations to come! I AM the first bible for my children. I AM the one that knows my children best and can give them the tools necessary to help them deal with what the world throws at them. I AM the one to do this, but I am not doing it alone, as Jill points out. That knowledge alone has encouraged and energized me to be the best wife and mother that I can be. Thanks Jill! Thanks for stepping out and sharing your message!

Those of us who've chosen to stay at home to nurture our families have a friend in Jill Savage, and this book is her hug of affirmation to persevere even when the floor is muddy, the laundry is piled, and you're a walking dingbat from three nights of sick kids. She brings us to the basics about simple trust (enjoy her story about praying for a dishwasher), keeping the channels clear with God, and being a husband's cheerleader while doing--well--all the roles of mothering. She's lived through the challenges and gives us hope.

Here is the book mothers have been waiting for, whether we knew it or not! Living, as we do, in a culture that values income, status, and education over relationships, Jill admonishes us to give motherhood the best of our energy. Why? Because we only get to do it once. Additionally, don't we want to look back on our season of motherhood with satisfaction rather than regret? Jill communicates with warmth and sincerity. There is no condescension. Rather, she talks honestly of her own struggle with the political incorrectness of making motherhood her top priority and of how she came to modify her own career goals so as to elevate motherhood above all others! Professionalizing Motherhood is an intensely practical book. For those of us whose mothers were, for one reason or another, unavailable to us in our own childhoods, Jill unlocks the mystery of the art and discipline of mothering. As a mother who's experienced the joys and frustrations of her profession, she draws alongside us to encourage, educate, and equip us. At the end of each chapter she takes us "A step further" with thought-provoking questions helping us to re-evaluate our values and to define our mission and goals in motherhood. Building on this foundation, she communicates pearls of wisdom gleaned from her own journey and that of others making this book a vertitable treasure trove for all mothers. Wisdom has been defined as "skill in living" or "knowledge applied". This aptly describes what Jill imparts from her heart to ours. So zealous is she to bring these jewels into our homes that she has published this first edition of her book in paperback! Not only does that make it affordable for one's own library, but also as the proverbial gift that keeps on giving! Another positive attribute of the book is that it is easy to read -- an important consideration for busy mothers! And the chapter questions also make it a great tool for support groups. When all is said and done, Jill reminds us that other professions can be modified or put "on hold", but once we cradle our newborn child in our arms we must also embrace, for its season, the profession of motherhood. For the sake of the generation to follow, if not for the more egocentric reason of personal job satisfaction, we should take Jill's exhortation seriously. Read and be challenged!