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“The Power Pause: How to Plan a Career Break After Kids – And Come Back Stronger Than Ever”

By Neha Ruch
c.2025, Putnam $27
303 pages

Hold on a sec.

Hit the double-lines on the remote. You need to leave the room a minute, take a phone call, take care of business, grab snacks, let the dog out, you’ll be right back. Halt things, put them on “snooze” and resume when you’re done. As in the new book “The Power Pause” by Neha Ruch, you have important things to do first.

A decade or so ago, Neha Ruch was a rising business star, a consultant for a high-level brand, and a marketing expert. She “had no intention” to be a stay-at-home mother (SAHM), but after she was married and her son, Bodie, was born, she decided that resigning from her job was best for her and her family.

The decision wasn’t without angst, though. Ruch worried about the effect such a move would have on her career. She “didn’t see why pausing it” would change anything later, or why it should affect her employability. She looked at statistics and history, at the women who worked on the Homefront during World War II, and at SAHMs who kept side-gigs.

She learned that even the label, “stay-at-home mom,” is going out of favor in many circles.

If a “pause” in your career is what’s right for your family, Ruch says that deciding so may cause a little bit of grief but remember: “Most careers aren’t linear.” You’ll work again, if you want, so focus on “’right now’.”

Get your finances in order with your spouse; on that, Ruch addresses what to do if your spouse is not on-board, or you’re not sure you can trust them. Be aware that this process may indicate that “a career break isn’t feasible.”

Be strategic and don’t burn bridges. Stay professional when you resign your job. Forget all the mythology of SAHMs. And when the kids are older, think hard about your next move.

“… whether your kids are going to school for the first time or graduating,” says Ruch,” none of it means you need to reenter the workforce.”

The second after you saw that little baby face in the delivery room, you knew that returning to your 9-to-5 would be a hard-sell. But you have a lot of concerns, and “The Power Pause” helps answer them and soothe your mind.

As a mother, entrepreneur, and founder of Mother Untitled, author Neha Ruch knows what it’s like to undergo this process because she’s done it herself. Her shared personal experiences are valuable, and guidance from others who’ve briefly suspended their Rat Race adds clarification and eliminates befuddlement and inaction. There are lots of cautions for readers here, and Ruch includes things that you might not have considered; there’s also good news and advice to roar back when it’s time, whether in the same career or something much better.

“The Power Pause” is information to have before you get pregnant, so you can snooze your worklife right. It’s not just for women; men need to read it, too, making it a book to hold on to.

* Editor’s Note: News is my Business earns a small commission if you click the link in this post and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Author Neha Ruch (Credit: Yumi Matsuo)

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