How Shades of Gray Came To Be

The Research

Sometime during my transition from work to home, I decided to write this book. I wanted all women to know they are not alone in their respective journeys. I interviewed more than 200 women: some fully employed; some employed part-time; others who telecommute, are self-employed, or are home full-time with their children. All had at least one child at home. I asked mothers all sorts of questions about their choices regarding employment and parenthood, their level of satisfaction with their choices, their sense of balance, and their awareness of work-family-related change on the horizon.

In addition, I spoke with psychiatrists, industrial psychologists, and others in the work- family arena. I asked mental health professionals about the process of change, re-evaluation, and re-ordering. I talked to them about where we are as women and mothers and what they see as the key issues for women at the dawn of this millennium. We have so much to learn from each other. So much to learn—and so much acceptance to offer.

From my interviews, seven universal issues emerged--–issues that I believe all women as mothers experience a number of times in their lives whether or not they recognize them at the time:

v      Changes in your personal identity

v      Evolution of your relationship with your partner

v      Others' expectations of you

v      The need for reasonable work/life balance

v      Long-term career implications of work/life choices

v      Your need for financial dependence

v      Maintaining a sense of personal wholeness

Using these universal issues, Shades of Gray guides the reader through her individual circumstances using others’ stories she will identify with.