The Mother of All Dilemmas: Dreams of Motherhood and the Internship That Changed Everything

“You really should have kids.” Hurtling toward 40—and still single and longing for children of her own—Kathleen doesn’t need to be reminded that time is running out for her to turn her dreams for a family into reality. So she starts to consider a Plan B: becoming a single parent. But can she do it all on her own? And does she really want to? If only I could try it out, she thinks. For wouldn’t an internship as a single mommy help her make major life decisions? And then….

In an open, thoughtful, and sometimes hilarious memoir, Kathleen shares what she learns while caring for her 15-month-old nephew, Jake, while his parents travel. With Jake, she experiences the realities of single parenthood, including a taste of the loving affection she craves, fierce tantrums that test her best aunting skills, moments of bliss amidst exploding poopy diapers and ongoing sleep deprivation, and ah-hahs that have her questioning whether she has wasted her life.

And that’s just the start of her journey. Back at home, she unpacks and examines the societal baggage that led her to believe a woman’s only true value is as a mother. Empowered by her experience, research, and introspection, she learns to embrace the different paths women choose, including the one she ultimately chooses for herself.

Order on Amazon here.

“This book…offers information and solace to a great many single, childless women struggling to move forward either with pursuing the hope of solo parenthood or making peace with not doing so. This is the first time I’ve seen the dilemma of whether to have a baby, or not, as a single woman so well-articulated, and Guthrie Woods has done future generations of women facing this difficult choice a great service with her painstaking honesty and emotional generosity.”      —Jody Day, psychotherapist, author of “Living the Life Unexpected: 12 Weeks to Your Plan B for a Meaningful and Fulfilling Future Without Children,” and founder of Gateway Women

“Kathleen Guthrie Woods takes readers on a journey of hope, determination, and resilience, ultimately to discover what matters most. If you’ve ever heard the phrase ‘You should have a baby,’ you should definitely read this book.”      —Melanie Notkin, founder, SAVVY AUNTIE®, and author of “Otherhood: Modern Women Finding a New Kind of Happiness”

Early reviews on Goodreads:

“Guthrie Woods gifts the world with her personal journey, one that will touch the hearts and minds of many, and, for some, be the voice in the wilderness they’d been searching for. “

“Funny and introspective, thoughtful and courageous.”

“The true beauty of the book is that she adeptly weaves in her compassion and empathy for women in ALL circumstances, with AND without children. She bravely looks at all sides of this multi-faceted issue of “to be or not to be” a mother with humor, candor, and deep insight.”

About the Author

Kathleen Guthrie Woods is a San Francisco–based freelance writer whose columns “It Got Me Thinking…” and “Our Stories” appeared weekly on Life Without Baby. In her day job she writes feature articles and advertising/marketing materials for a wide range of clients. Her essays and articles have been published in Full Grown People, San Francisco Attorney, Westways, Diablo, and 805 Living.

With Lisa Manterfield, she co-authored Life Without Baby: Holiday Companion, a compilation of humorous, healing, and thought-provoking posts designed to help other childless women get through the holidays. Childless-by-circumstance, Kathleen is also the author of The Mother of All Dilemmas: Dreams of Motherhood and the Internship that Changed Everything, a memoir with a message that chronicles her journey to making peace with and embracing life without children of her own.

Kathleen shares her world with her handsome husband, delightfully rambunctious dogs, and a much-loved family of choice that includes nieces, nephews, and godsons.

Check out her blog, 52Nudges, for which she takes weekly “risks” to push her out of her sometimes-too-comfortable nest, and find out about her latest creative endeavors at www.facebook.com/KathleenInk.

Other Book Recommendations

Here is a selection of books that other Life Without Baby readers have found helpful during their journeys. If you have a book you’d like to add, please let me know.*

*Life Without Baby is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This small revenue stream helps to off-set the expenses of maintaining this site ad-free. If you prefer not to go through the links provided, simply go directly to Amazon.com or your preferred book retailer.

Other Book Recommendations

Here is a selection of books that other Life Without Baby readers have found helpful during their journeys. If you have a book you’d like to add, please let me know.*

*Life Without Baby is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This small revenue stream helps to off-set the expenses of maintaining this site ad-free. If you prefer not to go through the links provided, simply go directly to Amazon.com or your preferred book retailer.

The Mother of All Dilemmas: Dreams of Motherhood and the Internship That Changed Everything

“You really should have kids.” Hurtling toward 40—and still single and longing for children of her own—Kathleen doesn’t need to be reminded that time is running out for her to turn her dreams for a family into reality. So she starts to consider a Plan B: becoming a single parent. But can she do it all on her own? And does she really want to? If only I could try it out, she thinks. For wouldn’t an internship as a single mommy help her make major life decisions? And then….

In an open, thoughtful, and sometimes hilarious memoir, Kathleen shares what she learns while caring for her 15-month-old nephew, Jake, while his parents travel. With Jake, she experiences the realities of single parenthood, including a taste of the loving affection she craves, fierce tantrums that test her best aunting skills, moments of bliss amidst exploding poopy diapers and ongoing sleep deprivation, and ah-hahs that have her questioning whether she has wasted her life.

And that’s just the start of her journey. Back at home, she unpacks and examines the societal baggage that led her to believe a woman’s only true value is as a mother. Empowered by her experience, research, and introspection, she learns to embrace the different paths women choose, including the one she ultimately chooses for herself.

Order on Amazon here.

“This book…offers information and solace to a great many single, childless women struggling to move forward either with pursuing the hope of solo parenthood or making peace with not doing so. This is the first time I’ve seen the dilemma of whether to have a baby, or not, as a single woman so well-articulated, and Guthrie Woods has done future generations of women facing this difficult choice a great service with her painstaking honesty and emotional generosity.”      —Jody Day, psychotherapist, author of “Living the Life Unexpected: 12 Weeks to Your Plan B for a Meaningful and Fulfilling Future Without Children,” and founder of Gateway Women

“Kathleen Guthrie Woods takes readers on a journey of hope, determination, and resilience, ultimately to discover what matters most. If you’ve ever heard the phrase ‘You should have a baby,’ you should definitely read this book.”      —Melanie Notkin, founder, SAVVY AUNTIE®, and author of “Otherhood: Modern Women Finding a New Kind of Happiness”

Early reviews on Goodreads:

“Guthrie Woods gifts the world with her personal journey, one that will touch the hearts and minds of many, and, for some, be the voice in the wilderness they’d been searching for. “

“Funny and introspective, thoughtful and courageous.”

“The true beauty of the book is that she adeptly weaves in her compassion and empathy for women in ALL circumstances, with AND without children. She bravely looks at all sides of this multi-faceted issue of “to be or not to be” a mother with humor, candor, and deep insight.”

About the Author

Kathleen Guthrie Woods is a San Francisco-based freelance copywriter and editor. For eight years she wrote a weekly column for LifeWithoutBaby.com, a website and blog dedicated to giving a voice to women who are childfree by chance, choice, or circumstance. She currently runs her own blog, 52Nudges, in which she takes weekly “risks” to push her out of her sometimes-too-comfortable nest.

With Lisa Manterfield, she co-authored Life Without Baby: Holiday Companion, a compilation of humorous, healing, and thought-provoking posts designed to help other childless women get through the holidays and get closer to making peace with being childfree. The Mother of All Dilemmas is her second book.

Kathleen’s family of choice includes her husband and their dog, siblings and their spouses, nieces and nephews, godsons, and a wide circle of friends of all ages. She leads a full and interesting life, one that is anything but child-less. Find out about her latest creative endeavors at www.facebook.com/KathleenInk.

The Mother of All Dilemmas: Dreams of Motherhood and the Internship That Changed Everything

“You really should have kids.” Hurtling toward 40—and still single and longing for children of her own—Kathleen doesn’t need to be reminded that time is running out for her to turn her dreams for a family into reality. So she starts to consider a Plan B: becoming a single parent. But can she do it all on her own? And does she really want to? If only I could try it out, she thinks. For wouldn’t an internship as a single mommy help her make major life decisions? And then….

In an open, thoughtful, and sometimes hilarious memoir, Kathleen shares what she learns while caring for her 15-month-old nephew, Jake, while his parents travel. With Jake, she experiences the realities of single parenthood, including a taste of the loving affection she craves, fierce tantrums that test her best aunting skills, moments of bliss amidst exploding poopy diapers and ongoing sleep deprivation, and ah-hahs that have her questioning whether she has wasted her life.

And that’s just the start of her journey. Back at home, she unpacks and examines the societal baggage that led her to believe a woman’s only true value is as a mother. Empowered by her experience, research, and introspection, she learns to embrace the different paths women choose, including the one she ultimately chooses for herself.

Order on Amazon here.

“This book…offers information and solace to a great many single, childless women struggling to move forward either with pursuing the hope of solo parenthood or making peace with not doing so. This is the first time I’ve seen the dilemma of whether to have a baby, or not, as a single woman so well-articulated, and Guthrie Woods has done future generations of women facing this difficult choice a great service with her painstaking honesty and emotional generosity.”      —Jody Day, psychotherapist, author of “Living the Life Unexpected: 12 Weeks to Your Plan B for a Meaningful and Fulfilling Future Without Children,” and founder of Gateway Women

“Kathleen Guthrie Woods takes readers on a journey of hope, determination, and resilience, ultimately to discover what matters most. If you’ve ever heard the phrase ‘You should have a baby,’ you should definitely read this book.”      —Melanie Notkin, founder, SAVVY AUNTIE®, and author of “Otherhood: Modern Women Finding a New Kind of Happiness”

Early reviews on Goodreads:

“Guthrie Woods gifts the world with her personal journey, one that will touch the hearts and minds of many, and, for some, be the voice in the wilderness they’d been searching for. “

“Funny and introspective, thoughtful and courageous.”

“The true beauty of the book is that she adeptly weaves in her compassion and empathy for women in ALL circumstances, with AND without children. She bravely looks at all sides of this multi-faceted issue of “to be or not to be” a mother with humor, candor, and deep insight.”

About the Author

Kathleen Guthrie Woods is a San Francisco-based freelance copywriter and editor. For eight years she wrote a weekly column for LifeWithoutBaby.com, a website and blog dedicated to giving a voice to women who are childfree by chance, choice, or circumstance. She currently runs her own blog, 52Nudges, in which she takes weekly “risks” to push her out of her sometimes-too-comfortable nest.

With Lisa Manterfield, she co-authored Life Without Baby: Holiday Companion, a compilation of humorous, healing, and thought-provoking posts designed to help other childless women get through the holidays and get closer to making peace with being childfree. The Mother of All Dilemmas is her second book.

Kathleen’s family of choice includes her husband and their dog, siblings and their spouses, nieces and nephews, godsons, and a wide circle of friends of all ages. She leads a full and interesting life, one that is anything but child-less. Find out about her latest creative endeavors at www.facebook.com/KathleenInk.

The Mother of All Dilemmas: Dreams of Motherhood and the Internship That Changed Everything

“You really should have kids.” Hurtling toward 40—and still single and longing for children of her own—Kathleen doesn’t need to be reminded that time is running out for her to turn her dreams for a family into reality. So she starts to consider a Plan B: becoming a single parent. But can she do it all on her own? And does she really want to? If only I could try it out, she thinks. For wouldn’t an internship as a single mommy help her make major life decisions? And then….

In an open, thoughtful, and sometimes hilarious memoir, Kathleen shares what she learns while caring for her 15-month-old nephew, Jake, while his parents travel. With Jake, she experiences the realities of single parenthood, including a taste of the loving affection she craves, fierce tantrums that test her best aunting skills, moments of bliss amidst exploding poopy diapers and ongoing sleep deprivation, and ah-hahs that have her questioning whether she has wasted her life.

And that’s just the start of her journey. Back at home, she unpacks and examines the societal baggage that led her to believe a woman’s only true value is as a mother. Empowered by her experience, research, and introspection, she learns to embrace the different paths women choose, including the one she ultimately chooses for herself.

Order on Amazon here.

“This book…offers information and solace to a great many single, childless women struggling to move forward either with pursuing the hope of solo parenthood or making peace with not doing so. This is the first time I’ve seen the dilemma of whether to have a baby, or not, as a single woman so well-articulated, and Guthrie Woods has done future generations of women facing this difficult choice a great service with her painstaking honesty and emotional generosity.”      —Jody Day, psychotherapist, author of “Living the Life Unexpected: 12 Weeks to Your Plan B for a Meaningful and Fulfilling Future Without Children,” and founder of Gateway Women

“Kathleen Guthrie Woods takes readers on a journey of hope, determination, and resilience, ultimately to discover what matters most. If you’ve ever heard the phrase ‘You should have a baby,’ you should definitely read this book.”      —Melanie Notkin, founder, SAVVY AUNTIE®, and author of “Otherhood: Modern Women Finding a New Kind of Happiness”

Early reviews on Goodreads:

“Guthrie Woods gifts the world with her personal journey, one that will touch the hearts and minds of many, and, for some, be the voice in the wilderness they’d been searching for. “

“Funny and introspective, thoughtful and courageous.”

“The true beauty of the book is that she adeptly weaves in her compassion and empathy for women in ALL circumstances, with AND without children. She bravely looks at all sides of this multi-faceted issue of “to be or not to be” a mother with humor, candor, and deep insight.”

About the Author

Kathleen Guthrie Woods is a San Francisco-based freelance copywriter and editor. For eight years she wrote a weekly column for LifeWithoutBaby.com, a website and blog dedicated to giving a voice to women who are childfree by chance, choice, or circumstance. She currently runs her own blog, 52Nudges, in which she takes weekly “risks” to push her out of her sometimes-too-comfortable nest.

With Lisa Manterfield, she co-authored Life Without Baby: Holiday Companion, a compilation of humorous, healing, and thought-provoking posts designed to help other childless women get through the holidays and get closer to making peace with being childfree. The Mother of All Dilemmas is her second book.

Kathleen’s family of choice includes her husband and their dog, siblings and their spouses, nieces and nephews, godsons, and a wide circle of friends of all ages. She leads a full and interesting life, one that is anything but child-less. Find out about her latest creative endeavors at www.facebook.com/KathleenInk.

Life Without Baby: Holiday Companion

When you’re a childless woman, the bombardment of family-focused activities during the holiday season can be enough to make you want to hibernate until January. Lisa Manterfield and Kathleen Guthrie Woods know exactly how that feels, and they have written something that can help.

Holiday Companion is a compilation of humorous, healing, and thought-provoking posts drawn from the archives of Life Without Baby, the international online community for women who are childfree by choice, chance, or circumstance. By sharing their own experiences, survival tips, and insights from their readers, Manterfield and Woods offer encouragement and compassion to help you get through the holidays and get closer to making peace with being childfree.

Purchase

Preview

What People Are Saying

“This holiday collection of posts and thought-provoking questions is comforting to people who are grieving the loss of children.”
♥ Theresa Gapp, reader

“Reading this collection allowed me a window into what must be a large audience of men and women adjusting to what a childless life has given them. I am for expanding knowledge and understanding of all communities and this approach to the holidays does just that. It shows us all that our opinions matter plus it has some great tips and perspectives for surviving the holidays.”
♥ Shannon Calder, reader

“I would encourage anyone who has had to go to “Plan B, C or D” in their life to give this book a read. It gives you permission to embrace other choices, to find real peace with whatever personal challenges you are facing. Grieve, if you must, that Plan A didn’t work out, but know there are others out there like you, looking at “B, C or D” and having a wonderful life, especially during the holidays. This book provides you with terrific tips and a holiday survival plan to bring happiness to YOUR world, especially during this “kid-centric” time, whether you are childfree by choice or circumstances. Unwrap this book and find a fierce holiday spirit that squarely offers up alternative, childfree holiday plans. This book will give you the comfort and joy to make new holiday traditions that begin with you. Christmas morning does not have to be Christmas mourning.”
♥ Anne Etue, reader

“In the best of times the holiday season can amplify emotions and test our patience. For those childless by circumstance or chance the holidays deliver a different sort of challenge. Harmony and understanding can be hard to find. When the good intentions of others go wrong, we can find ourselves on the receiving end of an alienating comment or one-dimensional party plan. This heartfelt companion guide is like a good friend. It provides welcome perspective, wisdom and balance.”
♥ P. M. Tsigdinos, reader

“Life without Baby Holiday Companion gives the reader light and levity, as well as valuable time for introspection, answering the thinking questions at end end of each vignette. Valuable and Empowering, Life Without Baby hits the mark and then some!!”
♥ Diana Daniele, reader

“You really should have kids.” Hurtling toward 40—and still single and longing for children of her own—Kathleen doesn’t need to be reminded that time is running out for her to turn her dreams for a family into reality. So she starts to consider a Plan B: becoming a single parent. But can she do it all on her own? And does she really want to? If only I could try it out, she thinks. For wouldn’t an internship as a single mommy help her make major life decisions? And then….

In an open, thoughtful, and sometimes hilarious memoir, Kathleen shares what she learns while caring for her 15-month-old nephew, Jake, while his parents travel. With Jake, she experiences the realities of single parenthood, including a taste of the loving affection she craves, fierce tantrums that test her best aunting skills, moments of bliss amidst exploding poopy diapers and ongoing sleep deprivation, and ah-hahs that have her questioning whether she has wasted her life.

And that’s just the start of her journey. Back at home, she unpacks and examines the societal baggage that led her to believe a woman’s only true value is as a mother. Empowered by her experience, research, and introspection, she learns to embrace the different paths women choose, including the one she ultimately chooses for herself.

Order on Amazon here.

“This book…offers information and solace to a great many single, childless women struggling to move forward either with pursuing the hope of solo parenthood or making peace with not doing so. This is the first time I’ve seen the dilemma of whether to have a baby, or not, as a single woman so well-articulated, and Guthrie Woods has done future generations of women facing this difficult choice a great service with her painstaking honesty and emotional generosity.”      —Jody Day, psychotherapist, author of “Living the Life Unexpected: 12 Weeks to Your Plan B for a Meaningful and Fulfilling Future Without Children,” and founder of Gateway Women

“Kathleen Guthrie Woods takes readers on a journey of hope, determination, and resilience, ultimately to discover what matters most. If you’ve ever heard the phrase ‘You should have a baby,’ you should definitely read this book.”      —Melanie Notkin, founder, SAVVY AUNTIE®, and author of “Otherhood: Modern Women Finding a New Kind of Happiness”

Early reviews on Goodreads:

“Guthrie Woods gifts the world with her personal journey, one that will touch the hearts and minds of many, and, for some, be the voice in the wilderness they’d been searching for. “

“Funny and introspective, thoughtful and courageous.”

“The true beauty of the book is that she adeptly weaves in her compassion and empathy for women in ALL circumstances, with AND without children. She bravely looks at all sides of this multi-faceted issue of “to be or not to be” a mother with humor, candor, and deep insight.”

About the Author

Kathleen Guthrie Woods is a San Francisco-based freelance copywriter and editor. For eight years she wrote a weekly column for LifeWithoutBaby.com, a website and blog dedicated to giving a voice to women who are childfree by chance, choice, or circumstance. She currently runs her own blog, 52Nudges, in which she takes weekly “risks” to push her out of her sometimes-too-comfortable nest.

With Lisa Manterfield, she co-authored Life Without Baby: Holiday Companion, a compilation of humorous, healing, and thought-provoking posts designed to help other childless women get through the holidays and get closer to making peace with being childfree. The Mother of All Dilemmas is her second book.

Kathleen’s family of choice includes her husband and their dog, siblings and their spouses, nieces and nephews, godsons, and a wide circle of friends of all ages. She leads a full and interesting life, one that is anything but child-less. Find out about her latest creative endeavors at www.facebook.com/KathleenInk.