Motherhood is in the details
Posted on May 1, 2012 by FoBaM-Jamie
Motherhood is a big job. We get that. The responsibility is huge – the overall task sometimes pretty damn overwhelming. But, when you get right down to it, motherhood is in the details. It’s in those fleeting moments that sneak up on us when we least expect them. It’s in the time we manage to carve out to be fully tuned into our families, without any distractions. It’s in the small gestures and quiet emotions that are the underlying bedrock of any relationship.
We all love to do Big Things for our children – the amazing trip to Disney World, that extra special birthday present, a tree house, a new puppy. Those are all wonderful gifts to be able to give and they create special memories, but they are not the things that make motherhood magical. They are not what give mom her mystique. It’s all the little things we do that – combined – make us the moms we are.
And our children respond most deeply to those small things.
I’ve done my share of Big Things with my daughter, but I don’t think they’ll ever add up to match the legacy of little things we’ve done for each other and with each other. Our trip to Disney World was amazing, but it can’t hold a candle to eight plus years of nightly bedtime stories and snuggles. The tree house my beau and I built her is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, but it won’t ever be as important as the time we share at breakfast each morning. The fancy earrings I bought her were a big hit, but not as big a hit as the fact that I know the names of her Club Penguin puffles.
It doesn’t matter as much what we give our children, as how we make them feel. The notes I put in my daughter’s camp lunch box, the time I take to go on walks with her, the way I listen to what she has to say, the fact that I tell her the truth … these are the things that make her feel loved, cherished, valued, respected. These are the things that matter most.
And she returns those feelings to me, and I to her, and around and around it goes.
She picks me a backyard bouquet and I place it with care in a vase on the kitchen windowsill. I make her a handmade Valentine, and she makes me a piece of art signed “For mom. I love you. You are cool.” She tells me her dreams and I tell her mine. I teach her how to keep a journal and she teaches me how to rap. Back and forth these exchanges of small gifts from the heart go – making our bond stronger and deeper than any trip to Disney World ever could. It’s because of these small kindnesses and expressions of trust and affection that we are the kind of mother and daughter who sing duets at bath time, have tickle fests on Sunday mornings, and still – though she is eight-and-a-half and verging on “grown up” – hold hands on our walks and snuggle under a single blanket on movie nights. Those special moments are both a benefit of and an element of the attention we pay to each other’s details – the little things we know make the other person feel happy and loved.
Motherhood truly is in the details. What small things do you do to let your children know they are special and cherished?
Eco-friendly tees by the Green Egg
Posted on April 14, 2012 by FoBaM-Jamie
At FOBAM, we’re fans of creative “mom-trepreneurs” who not only have great products, but also manage to to make a positive impact by giving back. Tracey Davidow, a mom of two in Hamilton, MA is doing just that.
GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment below (by midnight EST Tuesday, 4/17/12) to enter to win one of these adorable gift bags courtesy of the Green Egg.
The Green Egg represents a simple, creative, and thoughtful approach to life that is shared through a stylish yet fun line of hand-stitched tees for children.
Our products are made by hand so no two shirts are exactly the same. We have an always-growing collection of cute and clever designs to choose from and each tee is 100% cotton and made in the USA. Our felt appliqués are environmentally responsible – made from 100% post-consumer plastic.
We are very proud to be partnered with the Haiti Projects. This fair trade, non-profit sewing and knitting cooperative does amazing work to empower women in rural Haiti so they can lift themselves – and their families – out of poverty. It’s our goal at The Green Egg to provide as much work as we can to these women artisans. We also provide financial support: $1 for each tee that is stitched in the USA goes to the Haiti Projects.
We like to say that each tee is made with a hug and a stitch with the hopes that you can feel good about your purchase and that the children wearing them will find joy in our creations.
What was your inspiration for The Green Egg?
After I had my son, Charlie, I became frustrated that I couldn’t find any good boys clothes. Soon after, I found myself on forced bed rest during the last few months of my second pregnancy with my daughter Penny. Having a background in retail (I had just sold my children’s shop Mulberry Road in Boston), and a love for all that is creative, I was on the lookout for a new project to keep me occupied. A friend and I started stitching fun, stylish tees for our boys. It was a few years later when my husband and I decided to go back into retail. The Green Egg shop was “hatched” in Manchester-by-the-Sea where we opened our first eco-friendly store full of wonderful products for baby and home. We offered a great selection of unique gifts and fun stylish children’s clothing and soon added my own line of hand-stitched tees to the mix. I was delighted when the tees that ended up being the biggest seller, basically carrying the store! 
Soon, I saw my tees on kids all around town. Sharing an eco-friendly mission with my customers had always been important to me, and I suddenly realized that the tees had become the symbol of that mission. I made the tees my focus, moving from the store and basing my business out of a studio close to my home in Hamilton. I started traveling to gift and retail shows across the country to present the tees to a wider audience…. and to my great relief they like them and the orders started coming in!
What is the Haiti Projects?
The Haiti Projects is a fair trade, non profit, sewing and knitting cooperative located in Fond des Blans, Haiti – a poor mountainous area 75 miles southwest of Port au Prince. Most of the residents of Fond desBlancs live with their impoverished children on less than one dollar day. The Haiti Projects was founded in 1995 and registered in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Their mission is to provide work and a stable income for women so they can lift themselves – and their families – out of poverty.
How did you connect with the Haiti Project?
I first started supporting the Haiti Projects in my store by selling their products. Later, I packaged their hand-knit baby hats in The Green Egg gift baskets. I have believed in the cooperative’s mission from day one. After the devastating earthquake in Haiti in January 2010, I attended an event to bring greater awareness about Haiti Projects’ rapid expansion in response to the desperate needs of the country. I realized then that I wanted to do more than just write a check – I wanted to help give these women their livelihood back so they could rebuild their lives and communities. A few weeks later, The Green Egg received a serendipitous order from a new retailer. The order was much larger than we had ever produced ourselves, so I turned to the Haiti Project to see if we could work together. A month later The Green Egg sent a sample run to Haiti and the rest is history. The process continues to evolve and become more efficient and we’re thrilled to be sending more and more work to the women of Haiti.
Right now, The Green Egg is preparing over 6,000 children’s tee shirts to be shipped out April 20th the Haiti Projects. My home in Hamilton, Massachusetts is the current base for this operation. Our assembly line of tee shirts and colorful cut-out animals and trucks dominates our dining room. There are boxes piled high everywhere between the kids’ toys in the living room. I have to admit – I never thought, when I started this little hand stitched line of eco-friendly tees in 2008, that I would be enlisting the help of women 1,800 miles away, but now I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Why is the partnership with the Haitian women so important to you?
I am in a position, not only to make a life for my family doing something I love but also to give the same opportunity to these other mothers. The work that we provide to these women – 1,800 miles away – dramatically improves the quality of their lives and communities.
It is The Green Egg’s goal to provide as much work as possible, bringing an income to the women artisans. The more tees we sell, the more the Haitian women are able to earn. To us, each tee sold represents another bit of good that we are doing in the world. I am committed to doing as much as I can to help these women help themselves.
How do you balance work and family?
I am not sure if a true work–family balance exists. I strive to find it but being a mother of two children – Charlie, 7 years old, and Penny who is six – and in the middle of such an intensive start-up … it can be difficult. But, I must admit I am fortunate in that The Green Egg is a family effort. My husband Steve is my partner so we are able to share many of the daily responsibilities. The main mantra we live by is “always make time for the kids and their needs.” They come first no matter what. We work hard on The Green Egg when the kids are in school, but once they get home at least one of us gives the kids full attention. When they go to sleep, we go back to work. So basically, I guess I find balance by sacrificing sleep. There’s no question this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but if we can make this work long-term, it will all be worth it.
Where can people find your product?
Green Egg tees can be found in over 150 select children’s stores including Giggle stores nationwide, ABC Home and Carpet in New York City and also online at www.thegreeneggshop.com
What else are you involved with outside of work?
Beyond The Green Egg, I am also very committed to my children’s local elementary school where I serve on the Cultural Enrichment Programming Committee. We work hard to bring the school wonderfully engaging programs that help support the learning that is going on in the classroom. I also love to do anything outdoors as a family, especially in the winter months. From ice -skating to building snow forts or the occasional day skiing with the kids – that is heaven to me! Art is clearly a big part of my life, too. Art books fill my home and serve as inspirations for new ideas. I am always looking for ways to share this passion with my children – by visiting museums, drawing together, or helping them create masterpieces out of scraps of fabric from my studio. If it is creative and crafty – I’m a fan!
Tracey and her kids, Charlie and Penny
Mom Moment: On the swings with my daughter
Posted on March 13, 2012 by FoBaM-Jamie
It was the first really warm day of spring. My daughter emerged from school wearing denim shorts that had seemed ill advised in the morning, but now were completely appropriate as the sun warmed her bare legs and competed with her beaming smile. Her fleece jacket stuffed into her school bag, she bounced into the car and immediately begged to go to the playground. We hadn’t been since last summer, and even then her enthusiasm for that particular destination had seemed on the wane (she was, after all, a big kid now), but this early taste of the playground season had infected her with a desire for monkey bars and jungle gyms.
We can walk to the playground from our house. We fairly skipped the whole way. Though it was late afternoon, the capricious breezes made us feel like we were playing hooky. Everyone we passed seemed to be smiling. It felt like the day after some momentous celebration, and the good vibes and well wishes were still thick in the air, passing from stranger to stranger without needing words. We arrived at the playground, and my daughter sprinted ahead, over the spongy field and through a few puddles.
I watched her climbing. She’s as agile as a wild animal, moving with surety, trusting the strength and ability of her limbs and balance. She bounded from one apparatus to the next, delighting in each challenge like a reunion with an old friend. Right to the top she scurried, surveying the world from a high perch, the wind in her hair and a grin on her face. I snapped a few photos with my phone, wanting to capture that sense of joy and confidence. She was a supergirl – afraid of nothing and no one and ready to take on the world.
“Come swing with me, mom!” she called, racing towards the grown-up swings with their black, rubber seats and long chains. She hopped aboard one swing and indicated I should take the one to her left. I dropped her jacket (worn under duress and abandoned shortly after our arrival) on the ground and slid onto the swing next to her. Our legs pumping in unison, we climbed a slow, smooth arc towards the sky. Our rhythms drew us in and out of sync. For a few strokes, we flew in tandem, tracing the same path through the air. And then, by some unforeseen influence of physics, one of us was pushed or pulled onto a slightly different track, and our moments of in-air connection became brief.
“Higher!” she called – half a dare and half a plea. I extended my legs and, though slightly dizzy from the motion, pulled myself higher and higher. She squealed and pumped harder to keep up. Side-by-side we swung, close, but never touching. We were travelers together, but apart. Just like we are in life.
Our trajectories aligned once more. “We’re married!” she called over the short distance between our swings, and giggled. Married, I thought. No, not married, but certainly joined forever in a bond at least as sacred – mother and daughter, swinging through life, riding the push and pull of our flight – the ups and downs, the exhilaration of soaring and the fear of falling – together through everything and anything. Always.
Image Credit: Mandy Frediani
I am mom, I am …
Posted on December 6, 2011 by FoBaM-Jamie
I am mom, hear me roar.
I am the matriarch, the task master, and the manager.
I am the protector – mama bear in all her fierceness and courage.
I am the healer of boo-boos, sickness, and hurt feelings.
I am the one who answers the question “why” … even when I have to make it up.
I am head of inventory, making sure we never run out of bread or milk or toilet paper.
I am a tutor, trying to keep pace with my student.
I am the voice of the law, making and enforcing house rules.
I am a cradle, rocking my child to sleep, soothing with stories and lullabies.
I am a master chef, trained in appeasing the finicky appetites of toddlers and preschoolers.
I am a chauffeur, on a tight schedule, making my way from stop to stop and back again.
I am an ally and a friend.
I’m the straight man.
I am invisible when I’m supposed to be, careful not to infringe on my child’s independence.
I am a singer of duets, a dance partner, and an artistic collaborator.
I am a cheerleader.
I am a safe haven, an always-open door, the light in the window that never goes out.
I am a conscience, wielding guilt with grace and good intentions.
I am a guru, imparting what wisdom I hold so that my child may grow wiser than me.
I am a student, learning at my child’s knee – discovering how much I don’t know.
I am the luckiest person in the world to walk through this life in this role, with my child at my side.
Image Credit: Photo of John Henry Twatchman’s painting by David Flam
TORN – responses to working mommy Q&A
Posted on June 28, 2011 by FoBaM-Jamie
I want to thank the Fans of Being a Mom community for taking the time to post so many insightful comments and questions about the work-life challenges addressed in my book, TORN. I picked six key themes that reverberated throughout many of your posts and have done my best to respond to them below. One of the key messages in TORN is that there IS no right or wrong way to “do” motherhood. We are all doing the best we can, solving our problems in ways that best accommodate the needs of our families, children and ourselves. The voices in TORN speak loudly for many of us who are in the trenches of the work-life juggle and let us know that we are not alone in the struggles we face each and every day as mothers, workers and women. Happy Reading!
Samantha Parent Walravens
Editor of TORN, True Stories of Kids, Careers, and the Conflicts of Modern Motherhood
What is the Long Term Impact of Daycare on Kids?
Marcia Baker asked: Are there any studies that examine the wellbeing of children who were cared for by daycare vs. a SAHM? I have so much guilt over working, but honestly, I don’t know that I’m cut out to be a full time SAHM. Plus I like the financial security it provides and the stress it takes off of my husband to not be the sole breadwinner. Some information on the long term impact to children would help me clarify my priorities.
The great daycare debate has raged ever since women entered the workforce. Today, 89% of children under age 5 with employed mothers are in a regular childcare arrangement other than with their mother or father.
A 2010 study by the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) followed 958 kids followed from birth through age 15 to gauge the effects of early childcare experiences on adolescent behavior and achievement. More specifically, the study asked if non-relative childcare during the first 4 1⁄2 years of life predicts academic achievement and behavioral adjustment at age 15.
In summary, the study shows that higher quality childcare was related to higher cognitive/academic performance (even higher than for those kids at home with mom), whereas more hours of childcare (especially by non-relatives) was related to more problem behavior at 15. More experience in day care center-type care was related to better cognitive skills, but also more problem behavior.
As child development researcher Ellen Galinsky says of the study, “The good news is that children who were in moderate to excellent quality care (defined as any kind of non-maternal care) up until they were 4 1/2 are more likely to have higher cognitive academic achievement at 15. Higher quality care is also linked to less misbehavior or what the researchers call ‘externalizing behavior.’ This study confirms what early childhood educators have been saying for ages: quality matters.”
So, first step, find good care for your kids.
Galinsky mentions what to look for in a good childcare setting: “The most important aspect of childcare is the relationship between the child and the childcare provider. Does the provider really know this child—get down to greet him or her in the morning, know something about what the child might have done at home, and is warm, and caring? Watch the provider interacting with your child.”
“Does the provider listen to the child and build on and extend what the child does? Does the care provider engage with your child about his or her interests, ask the child “wh”—(what, where, why) questions, and respond to your child’s cues”?
How Do I Talk to My Boss and Co-workers about Work-Life Balance?
Pam asked: I am trying right now how to figure out how to spend more time with my son. My employer offers a variety of different work week options, telecommuting, compressed work week, shortened work week, but it all hinges on my direct manager, who is somewhat old fashioned and doesn’t “believe” in these options. On top of that, she was a single parent and instead of having empathy has a chip on her shoulder. I am really at a loss right now. I can’t quit because we need the money!!
Setting expectations at work is difficult, especially in today’s economy when those of us who are lucky enough to have a job don’t want to lose it. What do you do when your co-workers schedule a conference call at 6:30 p.m., and your child’s daycare closes at 6 p.m.?
Maintaining clear expectations – with your boss and co-workers – about your work-life schedule is an ongoing process of clarifying and fine-tuning, working and talking, getting on the same page and staying on the same page. You have a right to make a request for flexibility in your work arrangement. This can be a request for a change of hours, time of work, or location (e.g. working from home).
However, it is important to come up with a proposal that works for both you and your boss and to ‘sell’ it so that it works for everyone involved. If you just walk in the office one day and say “the daycare center closes at 6 p.m. every day and I can’t work Mondays or Fridays,” then you are not giving anyone a good reason to work with you on this. If you go in with, “I have looked at our department and the peak hours of customer demand are (x to y, day to day) and I can be available for all those hours but I would like to be off at 6 p.m. every day when there are normally more than enough staff to cope “ – then that is a different proposition.
If you can, speak to other people in the department that manage flexible working successfully, take them for a coffee and get the real picture for your company – ups and downs and how they manage things. It is logistics not emotions that count, and if you agree to something you can’t fulfill further down the line, then everyone suffers. Also talk to your Human Resources department and ask them about your company’s work-life policies and programs. They may offer more benefits and flex time than you realize.
How Do I Fit My Marriage—and Myself—into the Work-life Juggle?
Kimberly B. asked: I am a WAHM, and I can never seem to fit it into the daily schedule without feeling like I am taking away something from my husband and daughter. And myself. It’s great to have the extra little bit of income now, but since my daughter is only 3 years old and still craves my attention A LOT, how do I fit work into my day without feeling like I am neglecting her? Or do it all after she goes to bed and not neglect my husband?
Juggling marriage, family and career can be a downright challenging task. When we talk about “work-life balance,” it’s important to remember that work and children aren’t the only things you are juggling. There are two other balls in the air—your marriage/partnership and YOU.
First – when it comes to work-life balance, marriage matters. Working full-time and raising kids puts a strain on most marriages, and it’s important for couples to spend quality time together—alone. Small budgets need not be a deterrent to spending time together—watch a movie together, go for a walk, hang out at a café or bookstore. These are all ways to bond as a couple. A happy marriage makes happy kids.
Second – As they say upon take-off, it’s important to “put your oxygen mask on first.” Moms, that means you need to take care of yourself before you can take care of others—including your kids, your husband, your aging parents. Take time out for YOU. It’s not selfish; it’s necessary. Exercise, meditate, read, hang with friends. Schedule one night a week to do something you enjoy – not something you think will be good for you or that your children or partner enjoys. This is for you. Whatever it is – having a meal with someone, reading a novel in the bath, or lolling on the sofa with a glass of wine, watching TV – make it non-negotiable. Turn off your mobile, don’t check your emails, and screen incoming calls. Stick to it and don’t put it off.
How Do I Overcome “Mommy Guilt”?
Devon DeTrapani asked: I am so glad to see there is a book out that I can read to hopefully help me through my daily struggles with balancing work and home life. I have a 2 year old and 7 month old. Everyday when my alarm goes off at 6am I get a huge lump in my throat and a sinking feeling in my stomach. How can I go to work and send these 2 wonderful kids to daycare? They need their mommy. The guilt I feel is so overwhelming sometimes that I still cry at drop off. I know the kids are well cared for but I feel as their mother I should be doing it but we need my income to provide for their wellbeing so I move on with my day. How do you overcome the “mommy guilt”?
Ah, Mommy Guilt. I’ve heard it said that as mothers, we see-saw between two emotions: guilt when we are away from our kids, and stress when we are with them. This isn’t all the time, of course. But Mommy Guilt is so common that the phrase has become part of our vocabulary. I often wonder if Daddy Guilt will ever become part of the vernacular?
A couple of thoughts about how to overcome Mommy Guilt:
1.Take the “S” word—SHOULD—out of your vocabulary. When other people tell you that you SHOULD be making your own organic baby food, or that you SHOULDN’T be letting your kids watch TV (ever), or that you SHOULD breastfeed your baby for a full year, or that you SHOULD go back to work because you owe it to yourself and the Women’s Movement and it’s a safety net for the future, just let it go. Do what works for you. Don’t internalize all the SHOULDs that fill your life.
2. Choose “good enough” over “perfect.” All the pressure that women today put on themselves to be the perfect mother, the perfect worker, and the perfect wife (with the perfect physique!), takes the joy out of motherhood and saps us of energy. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just give ourselves—and others—a break? When something needs to be done, ask yourself: is it important that the job is just done, or done perfectly? 9 out of 10 times, the answer will be “just done.
3. Find your own balance. Remember, there IS no perfect balance when it comes to motherhood, career, and marriage. It’s up to you to prioritize, make adjustments and decide what you are and are not prepared to do. Don’t tell yourself “I should be able to,” or “S/he can do it, so I ought to be able to.” Pay attention to your own needs and wellbeing. If you feel you’re out of balance day in, day out, then you are! It’s time to look at what’s going on and reevaluate. Be willing to re-negotiate your work duties, as well as your parenting duties. They WILL change over time.
4. Ask for help. “I’ve got so much to do.” “I’ve got to do everything round here.” Do these sentences ring a bell? Do you feel put upon and resentful while at the same time hogging all the work? If so, you may be falling into the trap of “mommy martyrdom,” where you take on more than you can handle draining you physically and emotionally and raising your stress levels. Solution? Ask for help and let other people take the weight off your shoulders. And learn to say NO firmly and often.
How Do I Balance Single Motherhood and a Full-Time Job?
Ami asked: I’d like to know how to balance single motherhood while working a full-time job. My son asks me repeatedly why I have to go to work, and why cant I stay home with him. We try to do fun things on the weekends, but during the week – it’s the usual routine – dinner, baths, laundry, clean up, and when that’s all finished, it’s time for bed. Not a whole lot of quality time for us there.
Nearly 14 million single parents navigate work-life balance without a co-pilot. Whatever their circumstances – divorced, separated, widowed, never married, or solo by choice – parents raising children on their own are linked by many of the same challenges, trials, and rewards.
Here are a few tips for helping you to stay happy, healthy and sane as a single mother and worker:
- 1. Draw a circle of support around you. Single parents are united in their need for a loving social network. Yet many feel “out of the loop” and yearn for empathy and reinforcement. If you feel isolated, reach out to an extended family of friends, neighbors, and community organizations such as a parents group or your place of worship. Remember that people who care about you may want to play a larger role in your life but may fear they’re being intrusive. Don’t be afraid to step forward and ask for help. You do so not out of weakness, but out of love for your child. If a friend offers to lend a hand, by all means accept. You will find a way to reciprocate the kindness in your own way.
- 2. Know your back-up plan. The faucet goes on the fritz or your car spews smoke just when you’re facing a looming deadline. Your babysitter cancels, a family emergency arises in the middle of the night, or you suddenly come down with the flu. You can help defuse chaos ahead of time by compiling a list of people you can call on a moment’s notice. Program emergency information into your cell phone and keep a copy in a visible place. Give copies to your family, friends, neighbors, and your child’s caregivers.
- 3. Connect with other single parents. From informal to structured, online to in-person, faith-based to nondenominational, a variety of programs connect single-parent families. Depending on the organization, activities may include educational seminars; play and study groups; field trips; potlucks; service projects; dinner dances; and much more. Parents Without Partners, the most high-profile single-parent organization, has chapters in most states, and thousands of members throughout the U.S. and Canada.
How Does the Work-life Juggle Change as Children Become Teenagers?
Staci asked: A lot of working moms talk about guilt revolving around smaller children, my question revolves around teenagers. I’ve worked full-time since my kids were born, and most of the time, had a work scheduled that allowed me to be home to get them off the bus and put dinner on the table. Now that all my kids are teenagers, I felt I could make a career change that would mean a schedule change. Everyone said, ‘oh, your kids are old enough to take care of themselves and your husband can get dinner’. How do I deal with the guilt of not being around as much as my kids go through their very formative teenage years? Somehow, I thought it would be easier, but it’s harder with teenagers.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the 12-to-19 population is the largest it has ever been -nearly 34 million in 2010. The rise parallels the growth in households in which both parents work full time, translating into millions of teens left alone at the end of the school day and in the summer -including those on the lower end of the age scale. One in five American 14-year-olds spends some time alone during the parents’ working day.
Parents’ main concern is how to keep their kids busy and out of trouble -particularly kids age 13 to 15, who are too old for childcare and too young to be on their own all day. Parents also want to be free to attend their teens’ sports events and performances, and to meet with teachers during the workday. This isn’t always possible when you are a full-time working mother (or father).
While there are no easy answers, there are a few pieces of advice that can help parents navigate the tricky years of raising a teenager:
- 1. First, keep the communication lines open. Be available when your teenager wants to talk, no matter how tired or busy you are. He or she may not feel like talking later. Let teenagers know where you stand by setting limits and sticking to them, such as what time to be home and what the consequences will be if limits aren’t met. You can’t keep them under your wing forever, but you can keep the lines of communication open.
- 2. Second, consider supervised group activities. Once a child has reached adolescence, you don’t worry about another person providing care; your concern now is whether your teen is taking good care of himself or herself. Adolescents often benefit from organized, supervised activities they can enjoy with their friends.
- 3. Third, ask about sick-leave and flex time. Ask your workplace if their policies might enable you to attend to some of the needs of your adolescent/teenager. Many employers are cultivating their own in-house resources for parents. Talk to your Human Resources department about work-life programs and policies.
We’d like to thank author/editor Samantha Parent Walravens for visiting with us on Fans of Being a Mom and for taking the time to answer some of your questions in such detail. If you’d like to continue the conversation with Samantha and other moms who deal with the work-life balance on a daily basis, please join the discussion in our Working Moms group.
We’d also like to take a moment to congratulate our three winners: Heather, Shirley, and Chessa Knight. Watch your emails, ladies and we’ll get those copies out to you!
Thanks!
