Yesterday was a very difficult day. I got some bad news about one of my children, and I sat in the office of her school and cried like a ten year old.

I couldn’t help thinking about the irony of publishing this book for moms — about how important it is for us to take our own needs seriously — and then be faced with a crisis that will require years and years of research and advocacy for my littlest. We all face hurdles, some big and some small, in this journey through parenthood. So what do the bigger hurdles teach us?

When our children struggle, they need our attention and our energy more than ever. Where do we find the time and will to put in all this “extra” work when our days are already absolutley crammed full?

How do we do it? It’s not magic: we just do it. We make it happen. We fit it in. Something else gives, but we make it work. And of course, this is where it REALLY helps if — as individuals, as women not moms – we feel strong. I know that the incredible happiness I get from my work and my art, and the small time-outs I take for myself as often as I can, will help me face this challenge with positivity and energy.

Our book has printed–it was a very long but easy labor, and we now have a gorgeous baby book in our hands (actually, thousands and thousands of them… talk about multiple births!). No learning to walk for this little beast, though, she’s off to a running start.

Now that we have a beautiful new website (thanks Jen, Cruz and Jim, geniuses, all) we’ll be pounding the proverbial pavement again. Or, in plain English, the internet. So, stay tuned.

We couldn’t believe our ears and eyes when we saw Elizabeth Gilbert on Oprah recently.  She was talking about her mega-bestseller, Eat Pray Love. It’s about a year she spent trying to find herself. It takes the readers on her terrifying (and at times funny) journey from devastating depression and self doubt, to serenity and love.

Lots of people loved the book, but many find her selfish. Who wouldn’t want to take a whole year traveling the world so they can get back on track? Busy moms certainly don’t have a year. They barely have five minutes.

What we found so thrilling, though, was that ultimately she was exploring the same ideas we explore in Mothers Need Time-Outs, Too: how we can live full and complex lives that also feel authentic and balanced. Sure, her particular situation was different than that of most moms we talked to when doing our research, but the core of her findings was the same: not taking our needs seriously can be destructive.

First, busy moms like us need to give up on being perfectionists, and second, we need to take the time to do the hard work and find out what makes us tick.

We argue that the best way to find real happiness for you and your family is by first focusing on your own needs. Take time-outs for yourself, you’re worth it!