Staying Home and Staying You ~ A Mom's Guide #giveaway

Being a stay-at-home mom has got to be one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs out there. But while you may have chosen to quit your job and be the stay-at-home mom, that decision can come with confusion about where that leaves you as the woman who is not just a mom but also a wife and career woman.

The book Staying Home and Staying You ~ A Mom’s Guide (written by Cynthia van Romondt-Mason) takes a look at the typical stay-at-home mom role and introduces insight into this very important job. She is determined to change the traditional housewife/homemaker expectations.

More than ever, the decision to stay home with our children is a tough one for any woman to make. Even after we’ve made this choice, we can be faced with quite a dilemma. The mother in us may recognize staying home as the most wonderful decision we’ve ever made, but the woman in us may worry about its effect on our sense of self-worth, personal identity, finances and career. The pressure of this very dilemma can drive even the most passionate of stay-at-home moms back to the workforce prematurely.

If you’ve chosen to stay home for awhile but sometimes feel you’ve over-compromised your self-worth, personal identity, finances and career, join me on a journey of personalized self-reflection, lifestyle tweaking and slight shift in perception to rid yourself of those mixed feelings for good! Nothing’s worth giving up a decision you know in your heart is best for yourself and your family.

Also…

Get ready to be inspired by a brand new concept called H.O.M.E Parenting! It’s the biggest stay-at-home mom makeover ever! It’s time to update, re-define and emphasize the stay-at-home mom role as a parenting choice, not a home-making one. And best of all, it’s time to change what we’re called…time for a new non-gender biased job title! Goodbye “Stay-at-Home Mom,” hello H.O.M.E. Parent!

If you’re ready to see yourself and your role in a whole new light…grab yourself a hot cozy beverage and let’s get started!

Cynthia touches on many different topics in her book that include exercises so that you (and even your husband) can pinpoint areas that you are happy with and some areas that may need some work.

Part 1 deals with defining roles in your marriage, home management and parenting. My husband and I do not have a “typical” marriage in terms of role definement. He helps out with the dishes, laundry, cleaning, kids and bath-time, while I help out with yard work. While it works for us, I know that it will not work for every family situation and Cynthia helps you figure out what works for you!

Part 2 talks about honoring your personal identity. She talks about how important self-care is and figuring out a way to make YOU an important person on your priority list. Cynthia gives great tips on how to set boundaries and figure out what your goals are and how to make them happen.

Part 3 talks about the financial situation that accompanies having one parent stay home. This can be a huge stress for some families. Cynthia talks about finding the good in your financial situation.

Part 4 deals with the time in our life as a stay-at-home mom when we are ready to venture out into the world again, either for a job or volunteer position. I don’t know about the rest of you stay-at-home moms but the thought of having to venture into the “real” world after being at home for almost 10 years will be scary to me!

In her book, Cynthia also talks about a new parenting concept called H.O.M.E Parenting. This stands for Hands On Meaningful Engaged Parenting.

I really liked the Our Marriage chapter in Part 1. I loved the fact that there was an exercise to do with your husband that allowed you to see if you were on the same page and if there were areas where you need to discuss or negotiate the way things were being done.

Staying Home and Staying You ~ A Mom’s Guide is a great book for any stay-at-home mom (Dads too!) to read. I often found myself thinking “Aha!” or “interesting, that’s how I feel too”.

You can purchase Staying Home and Staying You at: http://www.homeparenting.ca/

GIVEAWAY MOMENT:

1 Mommy Moment reader will WIN a copy of Cynthia’s book Staying Home and Staying You ~ A Mom’s Guide!

**Open to Canadian & US residents**

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