You Don't Have to Carry It All

Ditch the Mom Guilt and Find a Better Way Forward

By: Paula Faris

Narrated by: Paula Faris

Award-winning journalist and mom-of-three Paula Faris gives insightful and practical steps for better working, momming, and living to millions of overwhelmed working moms.

Being a working mom should work. Instead, it is a thankless, incredibly difficult job, marked by impossible contradictions and unreachable expectations.

American moms are more burned out now than at any other time in history. We believed we could have it all— fulfilling work, and a healthy and happy family. We pick up responsibilities wherever we go— on the job, at home, in our communities. We try to carry it all—and we can. Because moms are superheroes with superpowers! But at some point, our shoulders grow tired tired from carrying around the expectations and the mental load, tired from juggling the constant conflict between working and momming, tired of how our work— whether at home or at the office—isn’t valued equally, and tired of workplaces that treat us like risks instead of assets.

Paula Faris offers a declaration of hope to all working moms— things are going to get better! There is another way forward that frees us from the barbaric conflict of mom-guilt and the bone-weary exhaustion of carrying it all and feeling like we’re failing everywhere. Through the lens of her personal experience and interviews with working women, men, leaders, and experts across the country, Faris dismantles the cultural expectations and toxic traps that American moms experience. She also gathers insightful and actionable steps toward a better way of working, momming, and living. The problems we have as a country and culture are not insurmountable. Besides, we’ve got working moms on this job. And there are literally no hands more capable than ours!

For Moms Everywhere!

My kids are adults now. How I wished I would have had such insight, wisdom and permission to give to myself.

For my daughter and daughter in love, yours is the bigger, louder, stronger and more respected voice in the room. I believe in you!

I have read this book and shared with my husband many chapters, this book is for them as well.

Paula, another beautiful, brilliant and motivating collection of real life stories, short comings and best of all, acceptance of who we really are, imperfect human beings and it is okay!

I love, love, love this book!

Incredible & a must-read!!

Paula captures exactly what I’ve been thinking & feeling for years as a working mother. Thank you, Paula, for putting this mental load into words & for helping provide one more tool in my belt to help me “carry it all!”

Yes, indeed

listened to this 3-4x times as it was just that good and a reality check. recommend

Bias and very specific

Too specific for her life and not applicable to all. Bias and a clear stance on how she views the world and allows very little perspective inside.

Wasn’t what I thought it was

I really thought this would give advice for being a working mom but it was just a bunch of facts that suited her thoughts. Was not well organized.