Despite advances in gender equity, women do a significantly larger share of unpaid labor in the home—an inequity only exacerbated by the pandemic. It’s no wonder, then, that mothers remain the primary readership for parenting books.
In The Working Mom Blueprint, which American Academy of Pediatrics will publish in May, Whitney Casares provides tips on balancing parenting and paid labor outside the home. Barrett Winston, senior manager of publishing acquisitions and business development at AAP, explains that the book is atypical for the publisher in that it centers on the care of the parent, rather than the child, and stresses self-compassion. “[Casares] says there are ways to be kind to yourself and be generous,” Winston says. “Women do take on most of the emotional life of the family. There are strategies you can take to balance it. The advice and mantras in the book are evergreen, but needed more than ever right now.”
Forthcoming titles use a variety of approaches, including humor, science, illustration, and commiseration, to provide gender-specific advice to women struggling under this weight.
Modern Mom Probs
Clark’s book, named for her @ModernMomProbs Instagram handle (more than 560K followers), offers advice on quotidian parenting matters, such as limiting children’s screen time and forming and maintaining friendships with other mothers. She uses personal experience, as well as graphs, checklists, and advice from medical professionals, to help women navigate contemporary middle-class parenting.
Mom Brain
Aimed at mothers with children under age five, this guide suggests anxiety-busting strategies that are supported by scientific research. DiMarco, a clinical psychologist, distills strategies from cognitive behavioral therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy, and includes personal stories as well as case studies from her private practice.
Mom Genes
Smithsonian correspondent Tucker explicates the hard science behind motherhood, weaving personal narrative with the research. She shares lesser-known trivia about mammal brains, such as the evolution of maternal aggression or postpartum brain fog, in accessible chapters rooted in psychology and biology.
Mommy Cusses
This novelty title for new mothers uses snark, NSFW language, and Vickers’s cartoonlike illustrations in service of meme-ready quotes, lists, and anecdotes. Divided into short chapters—“Welcome to Life as Someone’s Nap Slut” and “How to Calm Your Tits,” to name two—the book is an extension of Dorman’s Instagram account (@MommyCusses, 190K followers).
Moms Don’t Have Time To
In spring 2020, Owens launched We Found Time, an online magazine that showcased essays on pandemic parenting written by previous guests of her podcast, Moms Don’t Have Time to Read. The anthology collects those works, by Sonali Dev, Maya Shanbhag Lang, Evangeline Lilly, Reema Zaman, and others, dividing them into sections that complete the title: ...eat, breathe, have sex, and more. All proceeds from the book will be donated to the Susan Felice Owens Program for COVID-19 Vaccine Research at Mount Sinai Health System.
Overcoming the Mom-Life Crisis
The founder of MomAgenda, a line of day planners, home organizers, journals, notepads, and other accessories marketed toward female caregivers, lays out a step-by-step self-care plan. Part entrepreneurial success story and part self-help book, the guide urges mothers to prioritize their emotional health.
The Working Mom Blueprint
Pediatrician and mother of two Casares follows 2020’s The New Baby Blueprint with a title focused on maternal well-being that covers finding childcare, establishing an equal parenting partnership, and self-care.
You Got This, Mama!
This gift title collects pastel-colored, social media–friendly illustrations featuring inspirational quotes and lighthearted infographics. Swenson, an illustrator and high school teacher, positions the book as a survival guide for new mothers, addressing the physical nature of early motherhood—think breast milk, poop, and postpartum sex.
You Look Tired
True is the alter ego of advice columnist Jenny Pritchett, who contributes to millennial parenting site Romper. In this humor title for expectant and new mothers, she dispenses counsel on birthing (“Birth Hurts”), postpartum sex (“You Want to Have Sex with This?”), and identity crises (“Who Am I Anymore?”).
