Welcome to Going Back to Work. This is the launch of our website for stay-at-home moms who are thinking about going back to work or who have recently re-entered the work world after staying at home for at least three years to raise their children. Behind the headlines touting the record number of women in the labor force, there's another, less frequently reported story about the 13 million married mothers with children under the age of 18 who either don't work or work part-time. And you are one of those women who made the politically incorrect choice to put your career on hold and stay home to raise your children. Smart, savvy, and armed with college degrees and impressive resumes, you are often called a stay-at-home mom. We prefer to call you the "family CEO." But make no mistake. While you are enjoying your "career timeout," you don't expect them to stay home forever. During those years of diapers, playgroups and PTA committees, you see a future of both work and family. But the crystal ball is clouded by unanswered questions about type of work and timing. While at home, many moms rethink their priorities, which are now very different than BC (before children). The goals that propelled you down one career path in your twenties no longer ignite you in your thirties or forties. Needs are different. Interests have changed. Bankers want to be more creative; nurses don't want to work in medicine; teachers don't want to go back to the classroom Even moms returning to their former careers find that after an extended absence getting that old job back isn't as simple as e-mailing their previous employers. How do you explain that the big, black hole in your resume? Former business contacts have been replaced by women from "mommy and me" classes. Out-moded computer skills, rapidly changing industries, and even diminished self-esteem, often are stumbling blocks. Going back to work is further complicated by the uncertainty of timing. Some moms plan to return when the youngest goes off to first grade; others wait until the nest is almost empty. While there is no-one-size-fits-all pattern, what we know for certain is that there are ways to make that re-entry into the work world a soft landing. How can the thirty-to-forty-something woman who faces multiple challenges at home and at the office and her own self-doubts take this giant step? We are writing a book called Going Back to Work: A Mom's Survival Guide that will published by St. Martin's Press in September 2004. This guide for home and field will help women cope with the emotional, economic and career challenges of returning to work. The book will cover topics from deciding on your new career path, to re-training a family that's used to mom doing everything, to adjusting to a workforce where "casual" is the mindset as well as the dress code. WE NEED YOUR HELP! We want to make sure that we include your thoughts and opinions in the book. Please take a few minutes to fill out our survey. If you want to be interviewed or included in our e-mail list please let us know. Many, many thanks. Loretta Kaufman and Mary W. Quigley Co-authors And What Do You Do? When Women Choose to Stay Home (Wildcat Canyon Press, 2000)