And What Do You Do?: When Women Choose to Stay Home

by Mary Quigley and Loretta Kaufman

And What Do You Do? reveals the trend among married women who choose to put their husbands' careers first (some for a few years, others for decades) while carving out their own lives on the home front... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1885171404
• ISBN13: 9781885171405
• Release Date: June 2003
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Courageous women

This book provides a platform for women behind the scenes and do not get the fame they deserve. Motherhood is the toughest job anyone will ever have and the women in this book are selfless enough to put their families first instead of a career. To comment on what one reader called lazy women is to say that person didn't truly read what these women do. One who works for her husband's liver transplant patients and their families to make sure they are provided for during difficult times. One who is a navy pilot's wife whose husband is away for six months at a time and for 9-10 months total out of the year and who has to be both a mom and dad. These women are anything but lazy. They are working 24 hours a day seven days a week to raise responsible little people and who are true partners in their marriage. I commend the authors of this book, the woman in the book as well as the women who struggle with this decision everyday. These women are all courageous!Thanks for such an amazing read!

I chose to stay at home.

I think this is an excellent book. It profiles lots of different women who have chosen to stay home and take care of their families. I can assure you that none of the women profiled is "lazy" as one cusromer reviewer put it. As one of the women interviewed for this book, I would like to say that I am certainly not. I work very hard. In fact, I work harder now than I did when I had a full time job outside of the home. I think the book is well written and has helped me reconfirm my belief that I made the decision to stay at home full time for now to be home with my young children.

The most worthwhile of jobs - Motherhood

After having worked and prospered in my career for 10 years, I found that I was hitting a ceiling. No, it wasn't the famous glass "salary" ceiling. It was the satisfaction ceiling. I could not seem to squeeze anymore joy or satisfaction out of my job no matter where I was, who I worked for (even myself), or how much I was paid. Motherhood is a whole new ballgame and I have found NO ceiling of satisfaction here. Even though the hours are long (24x7), I know that raising one member of the next generation is one of the most important jobs I can possibly do. This book sheds a new light on a new way of doing business - that being the business of raising our children. If you are considering - even for a minute - staying at home for a while to raise your young children, spend some time with this well-researched book.

A Fascinating and Compelling Book

This book really connected with me. A must read for every woman, no matter what her age, education or background. What really amazed me was that my husband found this book to be as interesting and compelling as I did. Enjoy!

A Mom Who Chose To Stay Home

"And What Do You Do? When Women Choose to Stay Home by Loretta Kaufman and Mary Quigley really encompasses what many women who have chosen to put off their "careers" to stay home feel today. A sense of under-appreciation and misunderstanding of what it takes to make this decision and still feel self-worth. So many of us, myself included, made a decision to stay home to help our husbands and families flourish. Not knowing the challenges that faced us not only with the adjustment of being home, but what "people think" of stay-at-home-moms. Well this book is a story of many women, along with the authors, who have made this choice and have reaped the benefits ten-fold. Please if you are considering staying home or have made that choice, this book will truly inspire you. Thank you ladies for sending me such a great read!