Parenting Bloggers, Please Join Our Blog Carnival!
If you blog about parenting -- or know somebody who does -- please consider joining the All About Parenting Blog Carnival for August. Our host is Jennifer Wolf, the About.com Guide to Single Parents, and the theme is "Cheap Fun".
In a blog carnival, a number of different bloggers give their own take on a specific topic. If you're not a blogger, please check back here on Monday, Aug. 3, when Jennifer will put together all the best submissions to help you finish out the summer with some good old-fashioned, cheap fun!
In the meantime, feel free to read past blog carnivals about topics such as saving money, friendship, mid-summer madness and do-it-yourself summer camp.
More:
Memo to the Obamas on a Family-Friendly White House
Barack and Michelle Obama have said work-life balance is a priority for their administration. But a New York Times article this weekend exposed the reality of life for top White House staffers who are also working parents: missed bedtimes, delayed school visits and strained marriages.
I'm sympathetic to the difficulty the White House or any employer faces in providing flexible work hours to senior managers who have high-powered, demanding careers. And the Obama administration is reportedly taking many admirable steps for its workforce, such as inviting children to the White House and allowing flexible schedules and telecommuting.
But when you're leading the country, it's important to lead by example -- to practice what you preach. The Obama administration could become a model of flexibility in a 24-7 world, by taking these steps:
- Allow job sharing. This innovation has the greatest potential for filling high-intensity jobs -- one half of the job-share team can always be on call without burning out workers.
- Let work teams sort out their own schedules. Research shows this is the most effective way to ensure responsibilities are covered while empowering employees -- productivity and job satisfaction will both increase.
- Enforce down time. One of the biggest problems in the upper ranks of the U.S. workforce is the inability to take a true vacation from work. This impairs workers' health, limits innovation and keeps employers' benches very thin.
- Set healthy boundaries between work and home. It's great that senior staff can take time to chaperone their kids' field trips, but contacting them should be off limits unless it's a true emergency. In this world of Blackberries and iPhones, it's all too easy to call someone for a "quick question" and frivolously interrupt their needed family time.
- Encourage reduced-hour work weeks. The job of running the country is a big one. The American people deserve to have important decisions made by government officials who are rested and in harmony with their happy homes -- not stressed-out staffers who are working 60 and 70 hour work weeks.
I'm not saying it would be easy to follow these suggestions. But employers in so many arenas -- from corporate America to scientific research facilities and law firms -- claim to be incapable of flexibility because of the unique demands of their field. The White House could prove them wrong by introducing true work-life balance in the country's top jobs, and thereby challenge every workplace to follow suit.
Photo credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
More:
Why Did Sarah Palin Quit?
Sarah Palin shocked the world yesterday when she announced plans to step down as Alaska governor by the end of the month. Reportedly, even her brother and fellow Alaska Republicans were caught by surprise. This unexpected news comes on the heels of a blistering article in Vanity Fair that cited anonymous Republican aides questioning her mental state.
I'm not sure what to make of the news, but I'm confident of one thing: we haven't seen the last of Sarah Palin, one of the most polarizing and prominent working moms around. Whether she's quitting to further her reputation as a maverick or to leave the media spotlight in advance of a possible scandal, I'm betting she'll take center stage again before long.
What do you think?
SOTW: The White House Project
For all the strides women have made toward equality, the percentage of women in Congress and chief executive positions of companies is pathetically low -- in the teens. One group trying to increase the number of women leaders is the White House Project, the About Working Moms Site of the Week.
As the name might suggest, the White House Project works -- on a nonpartisan basis -- to help women running for political office, with a goal of eventually having a female U.S. president. While women win elections just as often as men, we are far less likely to volunteer to run for office -- we tend to wait to be asked. The nonprofit also pushes for women to climb the ladder in corporate America and to appear more often as expert sources in the news media.
You can follow the work of the White House Project on their blog and there are many opportunities to get involved on the Web site. As a journalist, I'm glad to have people tracking the (slow) progress of women in a variety of arenas. After all, if you don't measure something, you'll never be able to change it.
More:
On Vanity Fair, Sarah Palin and Gender Politics
There's a new article on Sarah Palin in Vanity Fair magazine that calls the Alaska governor the "sexiest and riskiest brand" in the Republican party. Writer Todd Purdum cites "top aides" on the 2008 presidential campaign questioning her mental state and whether her behavior might indicate she's suffering from post-partum depression.
I'm not going to attempt to address who Palin truly is, what motivated the article's author and editor and whether there's a Republican family feud being played out in the media.
Instead, I'll ask the question I often ask in cases like this: would they say that about a man?
Would they call a man the sexiest brand in any arena? Would they describe aggressive behavior as potentially unhinged? Would they endlessly describe clothes and what color shoes accessorized an outfit?
I think you can guess my take on it. What's yours?
Update: on July 3, Palin announced she would step down as governor by month end. Vote in the poll about her motivation for quitting.
Photo credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images
More:
Thrifty Thursday: The High Cost of Parenting
If your wallet's been lighter since you became a mom, it's no coincidence. On average, raising one child costs $12,658 a year, for a grand total of $227,862 from birth to age 18, according to IBISworld.com. (Note, that doesn't include paying for college tuition.)
Children are most expensive in the western U.S. (8.1 percent above average) and in the eastern regions (4.9 percent more.) Breaking down the cost of raising a child, IBISworld.com says we spend:
- 35 percent on housing
- 17 percent on food
- 14 percent on transportation
- 11 percent on child care and education
- 7 percent on health care
- 5 percent on clothing
If you focus on cutting your spending for the top items on the list, you'll have the biggest impact on your household budget. Think about refinancing your mortgage or moving to a cheaper home. Buy groceries in bulk, if you're one of the few families not doing this yet. And what about teaching your kids to carpool or using public transportation more?
More Thrifty Thursday ideas:
How Working Moms Make More Money
Work-life balance isn't rocket science. If you work long hours, you don't have as many left for your family or yourself. If you spend less, you can work less. Or if you make more per hour, you can afford to work fewer hours. (Mommy track dangers notwithstanding.)
That's why I'm always interested in news like a recent Forbes report about Labor Department data that concludes that the best-paying jobs for women are pharmacist, chief executive and lawyer.
Now, I'm not about to go out and enroll in pharmacy school. But looking at the full list of best jobs for women, I can't help but notice some common themes. The jobs that pay well involve managerial and analytical abilities. So those are skills I'm going to try to strengthen. You notice that "writer" doesn't appear anywhere on the list.
What about you? Did you think about pay when you chose your career? A little strategy can go a long way -- and it's never too late to adjust.
More:
SOTW: Women Impacting Public Policy
There's a lot brewing in Washington D.C. this summer. Health care reform. An overhaul of financial rules. Working moms should be paying attention to legislative and regulatory changes that will affect us and our families.
A good place to start is Women Impacting Public Policy, the About Working Moms Site of the Week. The bi-partisan group advocates for female business owners and takes public policy stances. You can educate yourself about hot issues and follow the in-depth blog postings.
More:
Working Mom Farrah Fawcett Dies at 62
It's tragic and a bit eerie that Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, superstars of my childhood, died on the same day. Reportedly, Fawcett succumbed to anal cancer this morning and Jackson died of apparent heart attack later in the day.
I was so sad to hear that Fawcett's son with Ryan O'Neal, Redmond O'Neal, wasn't able to visit her in the hospital on her deathbed because he was incarcerated on drug-related charges. I can't imagine how hard it would be for both mom and son to be apart at that time -- they last met in person in April.
Over dinner tonight, I tried to explain to my five-year old that even though Jackson was gone, we could still honor his memory by enjoying his music. I can't tell you how many nights we've put on ABC or Thriller and danced our hearts out in the kitchen. You can believe we're going to continue that tradition.
How will you remember these two Hollywood icons?
Photo Credit: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
More:
It's Official: Jon and Kate Gosselin Separate
Last night was the big Jon and Kate announcement episode. I couldn't help but watch. For one, I've always identified with the racial mix of the Gosselin family, who are the focus of the TLC reality show "Jon & Kate Plus 8." If you look at my childhood pictures, I could've been one of the Gosselin kids.
Besides, it's the most basic human drama -- the always-complicated relationship between a man and a woman. I'm as curious as the next wife and mother to see what happens as a family breaks apart. It's not an easy thing to build a life and household together, and parents of multiples are especially vulnerable to stress. Any one of us who thinks she's immune to marital problems is kidding herself.
As expected, Jon and Kate announced they are going to separate and end their 10-year marriage -- in separate on-camera interviews. They'll continue to appear on the show. Interestingly, the eight children will remain in the family home while the parents alternate living there, an arrangement recommended by many family therapists to ensure stability for children when their parents divorce.
Earlier this month, I asked whether critics are hard on Kate because she's pursued a career, first as a reality television star and then as the author of books about mothering multiples. Readers agreed with my assessment that she's a working mom, despite the way the show was initially cast as a way for her to afford staying home with the kids.
She addressed that question last night, saying it's "not a chapter that's been brought on by our show, not a chapter that's been caused by our career choices at all." But Jon did raise the possibility of finding a job, and spoke with eagerness about taking a new direction in his life.
I found it unbearably poignant that as the Gosselin home is crumbling, Jon and Kate brought in four playhouses for the children. Those poor kids. As Kate said, they'll always look back and say "my parents split up when I was fill-in-the-blank age." They'll also be able to dissect what went wrong since everything was captured on video. (I'm pretty sure that's not a good thing for anyone involved.)
Did you watch last night? What do you think about the latest development? And do you agree with those critics who say TLC should cancel the show and let the family move forward off-camera?
Photo copyright TLC
More:
- My Jon and Kate Divorce Question
- Jon and Kate Gosselin File for Divorce
- Advice for Jon and Kate's Marriage
- Jon and Kate Gosselin's Marriage Is Over
- The Fate of Jon and Kate
- A Story for Little Kids About Divorce
- What Advice Do You Have as Jon and Kate Attempt Joint Custody
- Jon, Kate, a Lack of Privacy and the Internet