Maybe I watch too much Law & Order and I.D. but the first thing that came to mind when Miss J. put Bear in her valise like this was, “Oh, what a horrible way for Bear to die – dismembered and stuffed in a suitcase.”
Of course, J. simply thinks of it as a much more convenient way to carry him around.
It seems every woman I know who has kids has pondered the option of taking time off from the corporate world to stay home with their tots, whether their circumstances would allow it or not. Inevitably, one of the biggest factors in their decision is what taking a few years off might mean to their career.
I’m a work-at-home mom of a toddler and a newborn. This is my second “tour of duty” away from the corporate world. The first was for five years as a freelancer. I then returned to the 9-5 (really, 7:30-6!) to make sure I was still “sharp.” Thankfully, I was. I’m currently employing the same strategies I used back then to ensure I can still return to the workplace, in case I’m ready again.
A recent, widely-discussed Salon.com article revealed one woman’s regrets about the time she took off from the 9-5 life to raise her children. I don’t agree with her that “opting out” for a few years has to leave women high and dry in their careers. I believe moms who take time off can maintain their professional edge, using a few key strategies.
Create a Plan for Your Return
If you plan to return to your career, create a strategy for doing so now. Map out your next few years, be strategic about the professional relationships you nurture, plan for the job you want when you return and keep your skills and mind fresh. Even if you don’t ever think you’ll return, do yourself a favor and create a plan anyway. Circumstances can change, so never say never.
Be Realistic
If you’re a VP, and you take a few years off, your next job probably won’t be as an SVP. You will lose some traction while you’re gone so make sure you’re okay with that. But if you keep your professional self primed, your VP level position may still be appropriate and you can keep moving upwards once you’ve settled back into the workforce.
Keep Networking
Never stop working your professional network. This is the way to stay “in the know” about your industry. Have lunches. Refer business. Get other people hooked up with new jobs. Keep your network buzzing. People will remember that when you need their assistance getting a new job yourself.
Downplay the Fact You’re “At Home”
Even with professional colleagues who are also friends, keep your “at home” discussion in balance with the other things you talk about. Once it seems you’re out of the loop in business discussions, your professional credibility suffers.
Continue to Develop Your Skills
Write articles, keep a blog, start a networking group, mentor a group of students, or manage a charity event. Just do something that continues to build your expertise and authority in ways that can contribute to future opportunities. Experiences you create when you have more flexibility may be the very thing that lands you the next job.
It may seem daunting but by keeping an eye on your long-term plan, maintaining solid relationships and staying relevant, your eventual return to the workforce might be less of a challenge than you think!
Someone wanted to make sure Daddy had something to eat when he woke up from his nap.
Miss Thang loves Goldfish crackers. So much so that when we are at the grocery store, we have to distract her when we go down the Goldfish aisle, with all its bright colors and irresistible flavors.
If we are unsuccessful in getting by the display without her noticing, she demands a bag. Even if I whip out a bag of Goldfish we brought from home, she still insists on a new one. Which she then opens on the spot.
As a result, we have numerous bags of Goldfish at any given time in our pantry. In fact, the other day I discovered we had FIVE opened bags, in FIVE different flavors.
Unfortunately, Miss J. was standing right next to me when I discovered this. Once she realized the array of choices she had at her fingertips, she’s started to tote around several bags at a time instead of just one. Here we have Cheddar Explosion, Ranch and Sour Cream and Onion.
Seriously, why does there need to be 100 flavors of Goldfish crackers? What was wrong with the good old fashioned original Cheddar?
I wish they had Goldfish crackers infused with broccoli. Then I would be impressed.
We’re now on Week 2 of Miss J.’s emancipation from her crib. It’s been going pretty well.
Nap time is a disaster; she usually doesn’t end up taking one and just messes around in her room all afternoon.
Bed time is better because she eventually settles down.
The mornings have been interesting. A couple of times we’ve gone in there and she’s laying on the floor, bottom half naked, saying “I go poopie. I go poopie.” What has occurred is this: she’s taken off her poopie diaper and attempted to clean herself up with wipes. I say attempted. She’s usually still quite messy and so is the floor. But she does manage to get her dirty diaper into the garbage.
It’s hard not to laugh or die from the sheer cuteness of her attempts to take care of business herself. Obviously, now that she has some mobility, she sure as hell ain’t sitting around in a poopie diaper, no sir-eee bob.
To keep her from leaving her room and getting into trouble while we’re sleeping, we have a baby gate installed on the outside of her door so she can still open her door but can’t get out. She’s decided she does not like her door closed so, whenever possible will open it up and leave it that way.
This morning, she was apparently trying to make some sort of statement about being confined to her room and staged a protest at the baby gate. Here is how we found her when we got up – sacked out between the door and the baby gate, with all of her supporters by her side.
I’ve just learned about a wonderful contest Scholastic is sponsoring for young readers.
A few weeks ago I told you about Winter’s Tail, a book about Winter the Dolphin, an amazing little dolphin rescued from a crab trap off the coast of Florida. Poor Winter’s tail was so mangled from the trap that she lost her tail. To everyone’s amazement, a prosthetic company offered to design Winter a prosthetic tail. Now Winter has learned to swim with her new tail and is doing great!
Scholastic, the publisher of Winter’s Tail, wants to hear about an animal who is a hero to your kids! All they need to do is write an essay of 200 words or less and tell Scholastic about their animal hero.
One grand prize winner and his/her guardian will receive a trip to visit Winter at her home in Clearwater, Florida, one night’s stay at a hotel, $500 travel voucher, a Winter prize pack and a Nintendo DS Game system! Ten runners up with receive a copy of Winter’s Tail, a Winter’s Tail Nintendo DS game and a Winter plush doll!
Download the contest details here.
Send entries to:
Scholastic’s Meet Winter the Dolphin Contest
557 Broadway
New York, NY 10012
Entries must include student’s name, age, and grade; teacher’s name; and school name, address, and phone number.
All entries must be received by November 30, 2009. Winners will be announced on or around December 14th. No purchase necessary. Open to legal residences of 50 United States and D.C. ages 6-14 as of November 30th 2009. Void where prohibited. Click here for complete contest rules
I am a real mom at last! I made pancakes for my family on a Saturday morning. Is this some sort of critical rite of passage?
When my mom started learning how to email (”sending things on the ‘Net”) a couple of years ago, it was great. Suddenly we could communicate way more often and at all hours of the day or night without endless voicemails back and forth. Although, in the first six months, there were a lot of emails along the lines of: “Oh shit, I just wrote you a really long email and it didn’t save and it disappeared! Anyway, I will just call you.”
But she steadily improved, and now we email several times a week, or even daily sometimes. Now that I live in another state it’s even better. And her emails crack me up. They are cute and sweet and sometimes downright hilarious. I save all of them.
So when Mom sent me a link to a New York Times article about bloggers landing book deals (of course now that I have this blog and Romeo’s blog, she’s been making sure she keeps me abreast of all of the news of the blogosphere. She and Dad are my human media monitors!
Anyway, in the article, I learned about this awesome site, Postcards from Yo Momma. It’s a compilation of the emails readers have received from their moms. I almost peed my pants laughing and I immediately went to the “Mom and Dad” file in my email. Here are a couple of my own:
Regarding my daughter and my girls trip to NYC:
“Our girl is truly changing by the minute. It’s hard keeping one step ahead of her. Hang on. Just remember you are smarter and older than her. That helps for a moment.
Have a marvelous time with the girls in NY. And enjoy your nights of sleep! Take a good slug of wine or something before you cork off.”
When the whole family had colds:
“I didn’t know little J. was sick too! Also, you are up on things! I never knew about suctioning snot! A good idea! “
And my favorite most recent email sign off:
“This is really too long. Too late now.
Lots of love, Mom”
If I’m only half as adorable as my mom is, J. will be one lucky girl.
Share your favorite mom emails!
I never really “got it” until J. was born in August 2008. Motherhood, that is. Everyone talked about it and gushed about how your life would change but I just didn’t quite realize what they meant.
Now I do.
I didn’t know I could love a little person as much as I love Miss J. She is the most amazing little creature and I am so so, so, SO lucky to be her mom.
So when the lovely people at Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing offered to send me a couple of books on mothering to review, I accepted. Just to see if I would relate.
Of course I have a mother who I love dearly. She is very special to me and we are best friends. So I get the whole mother-daughter bond thing. But it takes on a whole new meaning when you’re the mother, doesn’t it?
All of you mothers out there are probably nodding your head in agreement and thinking, “Uh, yah. DUH.” But just let me enjoy this discovery, people!
Anyway, I received Chicken Soup for the Soul: Like Mother, Like Daughter and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Moms and Sons. And I loved them both! Even the son book had a whole new meaning now that I’m a mom. I read and passed along the Moms and Sons book to my mother-in-law who has THREE sons. She definitely appreciated it.
Each book is a collection of stories written by moms and their daughters and moms and their sons about their mutual respect for one another. They are part of a “101 Best Stories” series that Chicken Soup’s new publisher has released. All I can say is, “Thank you, new publisher!”
If you’re looking for a good, touching read these Chicken Soup books are perfect. AND for someone like me who can only read for a few minutes each night before I pass out, the short stories are ideal.
I’m more than halfway through the moms book now and I am looking forward to reading the rest!
You can get Chicken Soup for the Soul: Like Mother, Like Daughter and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Moms and Sons at any bookseller. Or you can check out the Chicken Soup Web site.
Wait. Can there be such a thing? Love ‘em or hate ‘em, one thing the original Crocs are not is cute. I bet even the Crocs people don’t think they’re cute. They were made to be boat shoes for Gad’s sake.
Despite the fact that they aren’t pleasing to the eye, thousands and thousands and thousands of people purchased them. And as much as I love comfy shoes, I couldn’t bring myself to get those Crocs.
But last summer I won the shoe lottery. I found a whole line of Crocs that ARE attractive. And pretty much the most comfortable, delicious things I have ever put on my feet. In fact, I might have purchased my favorite shoes ever.
Maybe the best shoe ever invented
I was pregnant last summer so these shoes were even more of a wunderfind. You should have seen the envious looks I got from the other pregnant chicks when I visited my OB’s office! Comfy and cute? Ooo la la.
Even though last year’s model is still in great shape, I am definitely getting another pair. I think I’ll go with the Havanas.
Crocs Havana
Crocs Cyprus
Uh oh, I’m in trouble.
