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The Smart Woman's Guide to Staying at Home tackles the practical issues surrounding the volatile question of whether mums should stay home with their children. Melissa Hill recognises this is a complicated issue, and one would expect her book to be firmly on the side of stay-at-home mums. However, Hill doesn't seem quite as confident of her position as her title suggests. As a mother who chose to leave her job to raise her son, Hill attempts to show, both financially and practically, how women currently working outside the home can successfully leave their jobs to be at home with their children. She begins with discussing her personal experiences moving from equities analyst to mum, and briefly addresses fears like being a good mum and finding social stimulation while at home, all the while gently reminding readers that they can always change their minds if they want to. She then focuses on how to actually leave your job, understanding family structure, structuring housework, psychological aspects of running a home and family, and brief bits on meal planning and nutrition. Hill also discusses, curiously, how to eventually find meaningful work outside the home and how to nurture yourself and find creativity outside your family. While her focus on the spiritual aspects of being a mum are refreshing, Hill seems sometimes apologetic about suggesting women might want to actually raise their own children full time. However, the tone of uncertainty pervading the book may be helpful to women who find themselves on the fence about this important life change.--Marisa Lencioni
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