We’ve reached a turning point. Up until this point in the book, we’ve focused on what every working mother and father needs to do and know—on the inevitabilities and “have tos” of working parenthood. Through your own hard work you’ve built skills and confidence for meeting them.

In this section, we shift gears and focus in on the realities and challenges you’re most likely to face while workparenting in the context of your particular family structure. Maybe you’re part of a high-octane two-career couple and have a detailed family calendar, but are finding that too many of the commitments on it collide and it’s creating confusion and tension between you. Or you’re a main breadwinner who works longs hours but still wants to be a loving, connected, present parent. Or you’re parenting solo, or as part of an LGBTQIA+ family, or both. Whatever the case, you may feel as if there’s a little gap between all-purpose workparenting approaches and your unique life and experiences at home.

In part 5, we’ll try to close it: we’ll address just what workparenting in the context of your particular family means. With those insights, and the actionable techniques provided, you’ll be better able to bring your career and parenting life together more easily, more seamlessly. Less surprise, less strain.

For simplicity’s sake, the four chapters that follow (22 through 25) are sliced demographically, covering two-career couples, sole earners, single parents, and LGBTQIA+ workparents, respectively. It’s very possible that more than one of these slices applies to you—and that you could therefore benefit by looking over each of the chapters relevant to your family situation. If you’re a working dad whose husband is on a year-long career sabbatical to take care of your new baby, for example, you’ll want to scan the chapters on two-career couplehood, sole earners, and LGBTQIA+ workparenting (22, 23, and 25). If you work full-time and your partner is away on a military deployment, it’s a good idea to read up on two-career couplehood and single parenthood (22 and 24)—and so on. Browse around to find the right mix. If your personal situation is evolving, or if you’re thinking about making changes—like taking a career break, starting a family, or creating a new, blended one—use this part of the book as a preview and to help you make good forward plans.

As you read, be certain to remind yourself of how much hard work you’ve already done. Even if you only scanned a few short segments earlier in the book, you’ve already opened yourself up to the rigors of the coaching process, challenged your own thinking, tried out new habits and approaches, and peered through a wider-angle lens on how to handle one of the biggest, hairiest challenges of your adult life. That’s a lot to take on—and if you’re feeling a little tired, don’t worry. Think of the following chapters as little vials of energy and insight to drink from while you do all that other hard work. With each drop you take in, you’ll feel better able to stay the workparent course. Big impact, little sips: that’s what this section of the book is, and it’s how you’ll become even better able to bring together your career and your life with the people you love.