Work, Parent, Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection (When Everything Feels Like Too Much)

For a busy mom who doesn’t have much time to read, this book was worth every minute! The author offers a lot of practical solutions and science to back it up while also adding humor, vulnerability and relatability. I never thought a book with so much science behind it would be so enjoyable! Highly recommend for any busy parent juggling multiple priorities.

As a Pediatrician and mom of 3 who recently had a baby and is due to go back to work in 3 weeks, I cannot emphasize how incredible this book has been for me; in fact, I am no longer experiencing that dread as the weeks get closer to returning to work."Hacks" and tips/tricks can maybe shave off a couple of minutes in your morning routine, but it doesn't change the fact that working parenthood is hard!After reading "Work Parent Thrive," I've learned that embracing a growth and enrichment mindset makes all the difference while balancing these roles. Each role can help take the stress off of the other "a hug on a tough workday and a place to feel competent on a tough parenting day." Finding how parenting and working can enrich and strengthen each other helps you find the MOST JOY out of working parenthood, and instead of feeling like we are drowning, we can finally feel that we are THRIVING.

This book is worth the purchase. I'm not a huge fan of "self-help" books, though I've bought a handful in the last couple of years. They always leave me disappointed and are kind of struggle to get through. This book is different. It is rooted in evidence-based practices, is 100% relatable and I can't put it down. What I really struggle with as a working parent is that I love to work; my work gives me meaning outside of my other roles and I don't want to give that up. But it's a damn hard juggling act with kids (whom I love and couldn't live without). This book is helping me tease out that push-pull in way that I think will have lastly effects on my overall life happiness. I haven't finished it yet, but somehow, even though I have zero time as a working mom, I make time to read a few pages each night which is probably a really good strategy because it allows me to digest what I've read slowly and really implement as I go. Highly recommend!

I had the pleasure of talking with the author Yael Schonbrun on my podcast, The Family Brain, and I made sure to set time with her quickly because I have a feeling this book is going to strike a cord with lots of people. Yael's work is for you if you feel pulled by the many roles you play in your life and like you are not great at any of them. She weaves together scientific research and stories in a way that make the strategies she suggests feel accessible. The one concept that struck me the most is how she talks about how there are so many factors outside of us that may make our roles difficult but that our power lies in our mindset about those roles. She offers concrete steps to take to help get your mindset in a place that will help you not be so pissed off. (my words not hers). Buy the book- its a game changer.

This book grabbed my attention right away when the author sets the scene of waking up early to get her work done and is then promptly interrupted by her small child waking up too early. She describes both loving her child's sweet voice, and the quick rage that sets in when work and parenting roles are colliding and things are not working out as you planned. She's incredibly knowledgable and uses science to back up her strategies, but in a super approachable way. It's like you're reading the book with her, not just being told what to do. It's not about becoming a "perfect parent" or finding the "right balance," it's about managing the crazy ride a bit more smoothly.

As a mother of three balancing two careers and a hectic family life, I loved this book! As a psychologist myself, the combination of the author’s personal experiences with philosophy and science was rich and compelling. She not only brilliantly ties together ancient wisdom and real life, she does it with warmth and humor. What I loved most was how she delivered strategies in a realistic way, and that these strategies truly work. My favorites are how to change our mindset from work-life conflict to work-life enrichment and how to find rest as a busy parent! I am very picky about how I use my precious free time, and reading this book was worth every minute.

This book offers a refreshing take on working-while-parenting: In this chaotic season of life, it's natural to feel conflicted and pulled. There may not be a life hack that resolves all the inevitable dilemmas. Rather than trying to fix things by getting up earlier or hiring more help will finally fix it, Schonbrun argues that accepting the yin and yang of career and family life can help us through the hard (or just busy) times. Although part of me yearns for someone to just tell me what to DO, deep down I know that she's probably right.

Dr. Schonbrun has done an excellent job curating a set of practical strategies from evidence based psychological principles that will appeal to even the most beleaguered working parent. She weaves together an approach that is sure to give the reader a new perspective on small meaningful acts that can make a big difference in their daily lives. And thankfully she doesn't rely on any toxic positivity or lemon/lemonades cheerleading to make her case.