How many of us are really engaged in the mommy wars?

Moms versus moms. So tiring. So tiring I hardly want to write about it. Not tiring for television talk show producers though. Oh no! They rub their hands together in glee anytime they think they can produce an on-air cat fight.

I wonder if anyone has ever done the research into the demographics of daytime TV talk show producers. Are they in their 20s? Do they have children? Do they harbor grudges against their own mothers? There must be some common characteristic they share that spurs them on to continue to push the “mommy wars” agenda.

Of course, it’s our own fault because we pay attention to these shows and then we talk about them. A lot. Like I’m doing right here, natch.

This week, it was working moms versus stay-at-home moms on Anderson Cooper’s show. One guest had the audacity to call another mother on the show “lazy.”  What?  It really gets my goat when someone makes a snap decision about someone else like that, without any knowledge of what that other person is really like.   Continue reading »

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Wouldn't day classes help a lot of moms pursue a Master's Degree?

I’ve been strongly considering going back to school lately. More specifically, I’m interested in studying social work or counseling. Back in college, I was this close to majoring in social work but ultimately went with my first passion: English and writing. I’m glad I did and I’ve had a rewarding career in publishing but now that my kids are getting a bit older, I’m contemplating preparing for another profession.

It’s safe to say that my career as a parenting writer and editor has pointed me in this direction even further.

Parenting is hard, really hard. Sometimes we all could use some help not to mention there are kids out there who need someone to help guide them through the murky waters of life. Who among us doesn’t need that person in their life? For most of us, it’s our husband, partner, sister, mother, or friend who are our support and we are lucky because there are so many countless others who don’t have that shoulder to lean on. I’m mulling over working in either a school or hospital.

I began my search for a Master’s Degree program in social work a few days ago, and naturally turned to the Internet to find the best program. I live in New York so the options must be limitless, right? Continue reading »

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Moms who bake are awesome, especially when they don't run down moms who don't.

Oh, come on. I’m not buying Jennifer Steinhauer’s sorrowful lament in The New York Times over the persistence of store-bought goods being laid out at bake sales and potlucks. What on the surface is supposed to make us want to be better people is actually an attempt to remind so many of us that we’re not giving enough of ourselves to institutional traditions.

We’re destroying the “potluck spirit.” Continue reading »

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Gisele Bündchen: über-model, über-mom

I didn’t consciously become a writer thinking that it would ultimately be a profession that would work well with motherhood (particularly since working at home with kids is definitely not all that it’s cracked up to be). Sure, I suppose it’s a nice little bonus (or curse) that I can write from home and be with my kids, but I wouldn’t necessarily boast that my career has advanced as a result of making babies.

There seem to be few professions that pay off for women who become moms. In most cases, it seems as if women who become moms actually advance slower (if at all) and ultimately make less money than non-moms, often due to the need to work fewer hours, among other reasons.

Well, now there’s an exception to that rule (according to Fox News): The supermodel.

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As a blogger, I’ve posted on some pretty touchy topics over the past couple of years. But no matter how provocative the subject, there’s been surprisingly little drama and comment controversy.

There is one notable exception: daycare.

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Doctors make the cut, but nurses top the list of the hottest jobs of the future.

Those of us with older children wonder what kind of jobs will be in demand when they go out into the workplace. Those of us with babies might consider switching careers to enjoy a more flexible schedule. Regardless of how we think about jobs and careers, we all think about jobs and careers keeping our ears open for what careers have healthy prospects.

One thing we all have in common is that we’d like to have a job that pays well and has a good outlook for growth in this deadened economy. Recently, Huffington Post put out a list of the hottest jobs of the future. While some make sense for moms, like the popular registered nurse which topped the list at number one, other such as physicians, are anything but family friendly.

Scroll down for the list of the hottest jobs of the future and see if you agree:

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Is working from home a dream for you?

Would you be happier working from home?

It’s a no-brainer question for most people. Some immediately say they would jump at the chance while others say they would never want that arrangement. Some moms understandingly enjoy the outside, adult interaction that the workplace provides. Having a reason to put on nice clothes and leave the house is yet another common reason cited as many people tend to think of those who work from home as sitting inside all day in their jammies all day long. (I would say the opposite is true.)

However, according to a recent survey, telecommuters are in general happier and healthier people, which in turn, means better parents.

Here are the specific ways that telecommuting helps parents, according to the study:

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