Judith Warner

Judith Warner is a good writer. The problem with this book is its lack of ideas. She writes about middle- and upper-middle-class mothers and their unhappiness, but she doesn't offer any real solutions. What she does offer (government programs for mothers including childcare standards and maybe even a government tax credit for working mothers) won't be viable until they're economically necessary for population (and, hence, economic) growth, as in France and Sweden, where the governments implement such programs in order to encourage women to have children.… (mere)

According to Warner, mothers in modern (Western) society are more stressed than ever before. Women are expected to have children, work, grocery shop, clean, prepare dinners, and coordinate stellar birthday parties and award-winning science projects. Perfectionism emerges in all the above scenarios. Women should not just have children, they should have smart, athletic, good-looking, well-rounded children. Women should not just work, they should do something meaningful and important with their careers. Women should not just take care of the house, they should prepare homemade, organic baby food and such.
Warner says we've allowed ourselves to be pushed into these roles, and we're bearing the consequences of sleepless nights, corroding marriages, and irritable tempers. She recommends, basically, that the government step in to help.

Unsurprisingly, Warner is from France, where there is a 35 hour work week for both men and women, government-subsidized and regulated daycare is available to all, and laws provide extensive maternity/paternity leave. Women should lead the way in finishing the womens' liberation movement.

Let's just say I have my doubts as to whether government is really the answer here, but Warner gives an interesting chronology of the expectations of motherhood through the 20th century and certainly hits on the fact that mothers these days are expected (by others and themselves) to do a lot, and maybe we should all take a good look at how motherhood, fatherhood, and work environments could be altered to make everyone's lives a little better.… (mere)

Judith Warner set out to write a book about the over-diagnoses and over-medication of children in society, and came away writing a book about the struggles of parents and their children who suffer from mental health issues. This is an unbiased, fair look at the real struggles many face in dealing with ADHD, autism, depression and anxiety, and bi-polar disorder. Warner is compassionate and forthright as she presents her research findings. She also makes realistic suggestions about ways to improve the diagnoses and treatment of those with mental health issues. The book was thought-provoking and view shifting.… (mere)