Your Two Choices

The first option is to get a job. Returning to the workforce will provide you with a community and daily adult conversation; goals and challenges will be provided for you; one hundred percent of the day-to-day care of your children won't rest on your shoulders; you'll have more money; and the structure of the workforce won't require you to exert the energy to be a leader and take charge of your life every single day. This option works well for a lot of women.

And then there's the second option. If you feel stifled staying at home but are not interested in getting a job, it's time to adopt a "Suburban CEO" mentality and take the challenging but rewarding path of replacing the Five Missing Pieces on your own. This route is fun, but it's not easy. You'll build your own community, set your own goals, create a support system, make tough decisions about money, and keep yourself motivated to lead in all areas of your life. It's difficult to do these things for yourself -- for basically all of human history these Five Pieces have been a natural part of everyday life -- but you will find that the rewards are well worth it.

Continue on to the Replacing the Five Missing Pieces section to get an idea of what it takes to become a Suburban CEO.