As the time comes near for our eldest daughter to enter the ranks of being a mother (late August or early September)I’ve become interested in what books are out there for a new mother and grandmother. Times sure have changed; just go to one of those huge stores devoted only to the “needs” for a baby. I’m not sure how we did it before those gigantic stores! I found this book to have some sound advice and suggestions and look forward to sharing it with my daughter once the baby arrives.

Being a mother is an opportunity that comes without a requirement of a specialized degree or training. Too often mothers feel overwhelmed at the choice they made to become a parent. The late nights, early mornings and laundry, loads and loads of laundry can make them lose themselves, who they are. The book, "Mothers Need Time-Outs, Too" by Susan Callahan, Anne Nolen and Katrin Schumann is ideal for a mother who is feeling like they are lost in the needs of her children and household. Actually, it is ideal for most any mother to read, even a more seasoned one.

There is a good balance between real life mom experiences, advice and reference material from professionals on various topics which impact mothers and, my favorite feature, “From Problem to Solution”. Mothers share how they have solved difficult problems. Some solutions appear simple others are quite creative.

It is clear the authors have a passion for the subject of motherhood and the need to allow mothers time for themselves. The book starts with an must read introduction dealing with the fears of never being a good-enough mother and finding a way to be happy with doing the best each individual mother can. There is a powerful chapter early on (Chapter 2) which addresses how it is so easy to lose oneself to motherhood and how to deal with the changes motherhood makes in a person. The authors discuss ways to learn to blend motherhood with who they were and hope to be in the future. This book reminds mothers that being a mother does not mean the end of a person’s dreams.

As a mother of many years and a soon to be grandmother, I found Chapter 3 to be the most powerful for me. Too many times when I was in the trenches of motherhood I got lost in what I needed to do and forgot to celebrate the moments my daughters came to me with questions and/or just wanted to chat. Chapter 3, “The Importance of the Here and Now” is about that exact thing.

Other chapters share with mothers the need to keep the loving link with their partner, how to reach out and not become isolated, how important self-care is, how a mother should always allow herself downtime, how sometimes less is more and the final chapter reminds mothers that motherhood is supposed to be fun! Each chapter provides examples about the topic from mothers, information about studies relating to the topic and specialist’s words of wisdom and of course my favorite, “From Problem to Solution”.

The only thing I didn’t like about the book was the layout. Too often the flow of the reading was broken up sometimes mid-sentence by the “From Problem to Solution” feature and real life examples from parents. The quotes (which were great) were not a problem.

Overall, I would strongly recommend this book for new parents, grandparents, friends, aunts and uncles of mothers to read. It addresses the realities of motherhood with excellent positive solutions and resources.

Authors Susan Callahan, Anne Nolen and Katrin Schumann bring to this book over thirty-five years of raising children and between them ten children. Their experiences with regards to motherhood are varied and include being a stay-at-home mom to one who works full-time. Callahan works a fast-paced job; Nolen is a mother of twins and a boy and finds achieving balance a challenge; Schumann is a mother, writer, and artist. More information about the book and the authors can be found at www.momstimeouts.com

The authors are generously donating a portion of their profits form each book to help support the United Nations Development Fund for Women: www.unifem.org.

Mothers Need Time-Outs, Too
By Susan Callahan, Anne Nolen, and Katrin Schumann
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
ISBN 978-0-07-150807-0
Pages: 270
USA $16.95