In a time of economic anxiety, fear of terrorism, and marital uncertainty, insecurity has become a big part of life for many American mothers. With bases of security far from guaranteed, mothers are often seeking something they can count on. In this beautifully written and accessible book, Ana Villalobos shows how mothers frequently rely on the one thing that seems sure to them: the mother-child relationship. Based on over one hundred interviews with and observations of mothers—single or married, but all experiencing varying forms of insecurity in their lives—Villalobos finds that mothers overwhelmingly expect the mothering relationship to "make it all better" for themselves and their children. But there is a price to pay for loading this single relationship with such high expectations. Using detailed case studies, Villalobos shows how women's Herculean attempts to create various kinds of security through mothering often backfire, thereby exhausting mothers, deflecting their focus from other possible sources of security, and creating more stress. That stress is further exacerbated by dominant ideals about "good" mothering—ideals that are fraught with societal pressures and expectations that reach well beyond what mothers can actually do for their children. Pointing to hopeful alternatives, Villalobos shows how more realistic expectations about motherhood lead remarkably to greater security in families by prompting mothers to cast broader security nets, making conditions less stressful and—just as significantly—bringing greater joy in mothering.

There are many kinds of mothers today—birth, adoptive, grandmothers and mothers of necessity. In this collection of mothering stories, Lana Skauge retells some of her favourites. Six stories about life’s lessons using metaphors and simple truths. They are based on her interactive performance pieces, bound by a tradition of storytelling (that ancient way of remembering through spiritual heartspeak) and told here by a straight shooting prairie girl! Back copy: Reworked from her live performances, these stories are “life lessons” told through metaphor and simple truths. Meant to be read aloud they focus on the renewal brought about by Spring and Motherhood. All six stories presented are told in an ancient storyteller tradition where each vignett, through spiritual-heart-speak and motherly-instinct, tugs at the heart strings of hope, happiness and heritage. Introduction: It is a Mother’s load, one that we accept without hesitation. Whether we are—birth mothers, adoptive mothers, grandmothers or mothers of necessity our children will one day tell our stories. What a responsibility! My life lessons are best told using metaphor and simple truths. They have rewarded me with a motherlode that I never expected. Reworked from my performances, the following pieces are bound by the tradition of storytelling, that ancient way of remembering through spiritual heartspeak and instinct that, for me, comes from a straight shooter prairie girl who has always listened to her motherland. Stories: Whale Sounds – For my brother, Denny. Matta’s Wish – For Judith Mercer, who walks in grace. The Fool and the Storyteller – Part of the sky, sweet Mom, I still feel you. Motherload - For all Mothers. Grandma’s Hands - For Grandmothers When the Sky Got Bigger - For Artie and Holly.

A candid, humorous, and heartfelt guide to self-care in motherhood from a meditation expert and mother-of-five. Managing the Motherload is a practical system for sanity from a happy, ultra-productive, and sometimes tired mother of five. This five-part system will help readers create a life that they love while allowing all the items on their to-do list to flourish in their own time. In the book, meditation guide and popular YouTuber Rebekah "Bex" Borucki features her favorite healing and stress-reducing modalities, including her signature 4-minute meditations. Deeply personal, heartfelt stories of her struggles and tender moments raising five children are highlighted throughout the book. As a birth doula and meditation guide, Bex offers a wealth of personal and professional experience in managing the demands of motherhood and the need for self-care and stress management. "I want every woman who reads this book to come away with a feeling of confidence in finding her own way as a mother and a human being. Upon finishing the pages, the reader will have the know-how to create a path to happiness, freedom, and success that can be achieved not in spite of her tremendous responsibility as a mother but in total alignment with it." -- from the author

"Motherload's core arguments are that security-seeking is the driving force of intensive mothering and that high expectation of security in the mother-child relationship--i.e. the motherload--is what makes mothering so difficult today. It further argues that the motherload, carried with every good intention to produce security through this one uniquely powerful relationship, can unintentionally undermine families' security. Strategies of producing security vary fundamentally along two dimensions. First, some strategies use mother-child connection as the primary security-producing tool whereas others use independence. Second, some strategies are intended to provide security to the child while others are aimed primarily at the mother's security. So, for example, one mother may use independence to create security for her child, and another may use connection to create security for herself. Motherload explores this variety of security strategies and argues against a one-size-fits-all understanding of intensive mothering. For each of these different strategies, I include a chapter to explore the various factors that predispose women toward mothering in that particular way, the family dynamics that security strategy tends to foster, and the early 'outcomes' associated with that strategy, including how the mother-child relationship itself tends to fare when a woman uses that strategy as versus another"--Provided by publisher.

It never should have happened. That's what Wendy Adamson thought as she sat handcuffed in the back seat of a squad car. Follow the journey of a devoted wife and little league mom from falling down the rabbit hole of methamphetamine addiction and gun violence through the selfless act that would lead to saving her own life through sobriety.

Managing the Motherload is a practical system for sanity from a happy, ultra-productive and sometimes tired mother of five. This four-part system will help readers create a life that they love while allowing all the items on their to-do list to flourish in their own time. In the book, mediation guide, popular YouTuber and yoga instructor Rebekah "Bex" Borucki features her favourite healing and stress-reducing modalities, including her signature 4-minute meditations. As a birth doula and meditation and yoga guide, Bex offers a wealth of personal and professional experience in managing the demands of motherhood and the need for self-care and stress management. 'I want every woman who reads this book to come away with a feeling of confidence in finding her own way as a mother and a human being.' - from the author

An earthquake didn’t break them. Old demons only tested and deepened their commitment. Even a four-year-old couldn’t tear them apart. Now Anna and Lily Kaklis embrace a new adventure: adding to their family. As usual, the timing couldn’t be better. Lily’s only involved in the most important case of her career, and Anna’s struggling to keep her auto empire above water in the sinking economy. It’ll be easy to fit in trips to the fertility clinic, right? What Anna knows is she’s no longer afraid of parenting and their adopted son Andy deserves siblings…whether he thinks so or not. But when Lily’s pregnancy faces complications, it’s a tumultuous journey as they test their understanding of love in brand new ways.