Rating: 
Summary: A must for all mothers
Review: Sanders and Bullen show readers what it takes to ``have it all but not all at once,'' including making the transition, letting go of outmoded ``happy housewife'' stereotypes and coping with the reactions of family, friends, co-workers and, of course, spouses. The authors write with realism, presenting the negative aspects of staying at home as well as its advantages. They provide a wealth of information on finding support groups, influencing public policy, and earning money while remaining at home. The book includes listings and short descriptions of relevant organizations, plus in-depth interviews with women who have successfully made the transition. A must for all mothers who are (or want to be) at home with their children.
Rating:
Summary: A must for all mothers
Review: Sanders and Bullen show readers what it takes to ``have it all but not all at once,'' including making the transition, letting go of outmoded ``happy housewife'' stereotypes and coping with the reactions of family, friends, co-workers and, of course, spouses. The authors write with realism, presenting the negative aspects of staying at home as well as its advantages. They provide a wealth of information on finding support groups, influencing public policy, and earning money while remaining at home. The book includes listings and short descriptions of relevant organizations, plus in-depth interviews with women who have successfully made the transition. A must for all mothers who are (or want to be) at home with their children.
Rating:
Summary: Friendly guidebook for transitioning from office to home
Review: Staying Home authors Darcie Sanders and Martha M. Bullen have synthesized the words, feelings, and concerns shared by this growing segment of the population into a friendly guidebook for transitioning from the office to home. Moms today often give up satisfying careers-along with money, co-workers, structure, and recognition-to forge new territory as at-home mothers. The book covers common ground with topics like creating a new self-image, putting your marriage on new footing, and developing support structures. Staying Home helps mothers navigate through their new circumstances and find creative strategies for making their at-home career work for them.
Rating:
Summary: A great book for anyone considering motherhood
Review: Staying Home authors Darcie Sanders and Martha M. Bullen have taken a wealth of surveys, statistics, anecdotal evidence, and plain old common sense to put together a guide that every woman considering motherhood should read cover to cover.
What can a professional woman expect her life to be like after she's ditched the 9-to-5 world and become a stay-at-home mother? The transition will effect every aspect of her life, from relationships with husband, family and friends, to her own self-image and loss of professional identity. Other women may question the stay-at-home mother's choice and offer little support for her decision. But it isn't a bleak picture the authors have painted - on the contrary, the choice to become a full-time parent can be a liberating one. There are plenty of support groups and chances for mothers to network. This book goes the extra mile in giving women vital information to make intelligent and meaningful decisions in regard to themselves and their children's best interests. I wish I could have read this book about fifteen years ago, before I became a mom!
Rating:
Summary: A terrific resource for women considering at-home mothering.
Review: Staying Home is a phenomenal resource for women considering at-home mothering. It addresses issues of living on one income, relationships between friends, relatives, and the 'outside world,' and how to reaffirm your decision and be happy with yourself. The authors have great insight into women and their feelings in adjusting to the at-home world. This book also has a great reference list of organizations that can help you create a network of friends during your years at home. I would definitely give this book five stars.
Rating:
Summary: A terrific book for mothers
Review: Staying Home is an excellent guide for any mother grappling with this decision and transition whether it's immediately after delivery or years later. Throughout the book, the authors have included sidebars with charts or lists that provide additional information, quotes from other moms, and questions to help you explore your feelings. Recognizing how difficult it can be to make the transition from a full time professional to full-time mother at home, the authors discuss ground rules for life as an at-home mother followed by how to apply them in your every day life. This book includes a chapter called Putting Your Marriage on a New Footing which is so important since the transition from full time employee to full time at-home mother affects the entire family. Strategies for delegating household chores, dealing with feelings of dependency, managing on a reduced income, and changing financial expectations are also discussed. Staying Home concludes with networking ideas, extensive support group lists, work options and the survey used to write the book.
Rating:
Summary: Packed with useful information for moms
Review: Staying Home is packed with useful information for moms deciding on this transition.
Rating:
Summary: Required reading for moms
Review: Staying Home should be required reading for all who leave their jobs to be with their kids!
Rating: 
Summary: Needs more treatment of political/economical ramifications
Review: The parts of this book that are most useful are the
early chapters that hold your hand through the all the
agonizing over whether or not to leave a job for home.
However a major shortcoming of this
book -and pretty much all books that treat the
"coming home" issue - is that the economical/political
implications and risks of staying home are not sufficently
dealt with. I'm not talking about the grand scheme of things,
but the politics within the marriage itself. This book,
and the others, gloss over this very loaded issue much
too lightly, probably because almost nobody in their
right mind would quit work and stay home if they knew
the risks involved, especially for women. A truly useful
guide for staying at home would spend less time belaboring
the obvious (i. e.,that Mom will be more devoted to and
emotionally vested in a kid than a minimum-wage daycare
center employee), and devote a lot more attention to
securing tangible economic/political parity at home.
For some intelligent and useful discussions on these
matters, I highly recommend Rhona Maloney's "Kidding
Ourselves: Babies, Breadwinning and Bargaining Power",
and Anne Crittendens' "The Price of Motherhood".
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book for professionals considering staying at home
Review: This book was incredible. I am an attorney, with a two year old daughter and I am due with our second child in a few months. I have been working full-time since my daughter was born and have found it difficult to juggle my career and family life. When I found out I was pregnant with our second child, I was happy, but terrified as to how this would further impact my ability to continue with my career. I have been an attorney for five years, but I worked full-time and went to law school at night before I became an attorney. I have worked very hard to attain my professional goals and would not have thought of giving up my career when I had kids, until recently. I thought that women could have it all, kids and career, but I have found that, at least for me personally, I didn't feel like I was able to give 100% to either. This book really helped me to do some soul searching. It is based on a study of professional women who have chosen to stay home for a few years or indefinitely. It helped me to realize that while I love my job (and the income), it is okay (and, yes even normal) that my priorities have changed since becoming a mother. It was reassuring to know that I am not alone, and that other professional women have faced the same issues. Since reading this book, which I have now read twice in the last few weeks - the second time highlighting insightful sections/ideas - I have resigned from my firm and my last day will be shortly before my second child is born. This was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. This book was invaluable in helping me to work though the psychological issues about staying home - such as loss of identity, loss of self worth and independence - which scared me even more than the financial implications. The book inspired me to make the decision to stay home, offered helpful suggestions on how to validate myself once I am home and emphasized the importance of discussing key issues with my husband BEFOREHAND to ensure that he and I are on the same page and that I have his full support. This book helped me to cope with the feeling that I was "giving up" my career and all that I have worked for. I know that it will be a difficult adjustment to be a stay at home mom, but I feel quite sure that I have made the best choice for myself and for my family. This book also helped me to realize that, as a professional, I can always go back to my career later, but that I can never get these years back with my daughter or my future child(ren). The book offers an unbiased approach to helping women focus on whether or not staying home is the right thing for them and their families. I liked the fact that this book provides the pros and cons to making the decision to stay home instead of preaching one way or another. I would recommend this book to anyone who values her career, income, etc. but who, since having kids, has had a shift in priorities and may need some support in making the decision to stay home.
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