July 30th, 2008
I’ve been sick for several days, some sort of asthma or allergy attack.
It’s kept me out of work for a few days, but even more frustrating to me is that it’s kept me from doing much of anything at home.
I’m behind in both arenas, yet I can’t do much about either. I’ve been home some, but I can’t do much with the kids and I hate it.
Oddly enough, my office seems to be one of the biggest trigger spots for my symptoms, and you’d think being allergic to work would be the perfect excuse to stay home, but home isn’t proving to be much better, either.
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By elizabeth -- 0 comments
July 28th, 2008
If you have young children, it might be hard to imagine that one day they will be going to someone’s house to play, and you might not know the parents all that well.
For example, I was fortunate that my older kids’ friends were also the children of my friends, so I knew the parents well. But, when they went to daycare, they made new friends and, though I saw them in the hallway every day, I really didn’t know the parents all that well, but my kids would occasionally be invited for playdates.
Safety is important, and sometimes it can be awkward to ask people you don’t know about the rules in their house. Newsday.com has some good tips about asking other parents about rules in their homes.
Four important areas to cover: Who’s minding the kids?, Food allergies? Gun control? Age-inappropriate entertainment?
Read the rest.
Tags: Asking other parents about rules in their homes, house rules, Newsday.com
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By elizabeth -- 2 comments
July 24th, 2008
If any profession ranks up there with being difficult to achieve a work-life fit, it’s medicine.
Last week at BlogHer, I briefly spoke with a lovely lady whose site is called Mothers in Medicine.
It’s a multi-author blog with lots of different perspectives from physician-mothers.
Definitely worth your time.
Tags: Mothers in Medicine, work-life-fit
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By elizabeth -- 1 comment
July 23rd, 2008
Women leaving the workforce: it’s not just for parenting anymore.
For the first time since the beginning of the women’s movement, there are fewer women in the workforce due to the economy:
After moving into virtually every occupation, women are being afflicted on a large scale by the same troubles as men: downturns, layoffs, outsourcing, stagnant wages or the discouraging prospect of an outright pay cut. And they are responding as men have, by dropping out or disappearing for a while.
It’s interesting that the statistics have long assumes women left the workplace to stay home with kids, and the economy was a major factor after all.
I wonder if it’s due to women being more likely than men to report leaving the workforce by saying they “staying home with children”, thus giving a positive spin to having to leave a job.
Either way, the loss of a wage earner in the family can have significant consequences.
Tags: economy, layoffs, women in the workforce
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By elizabeth -- 2 comments
July 22nd, 2008
Choose your friends carefully when you are a working parent.
Nearly all my friends are either teachers or they don’t work outside the home.
They are all leaving the kids with dad and going on a fun overnight trip this week, and I can’t go because I really, really have to work.
I should probably exchange them for all new friends who can’t do stuff overnight during the work week in the summer like me, but I guess I’ll keep them around.
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By elizabeth -- 0 comments
July 22nd, 2008
I don’t work for Land’s End clothing or anything (just a fan), and I don’t get anything for it, but I thought you might enjoy the Land’s End Free Shipping Code on my personal website, Busymom.net.
It might be a good time to stock up on a few things for Back to School.
I don’t know about you, but I’m always up for online shopping, especially with a lack of time during the day and rising gas prices.
The code is good July 24-30, 2008.
Tags: Back-to-school, Busymom.net, Land's End, Land's End Free Shipping Code
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By elizabeth -- 0 comments
July 18th, 2008
The state of the economy is affecting the work lunch.
More people are brown-bagging it these days. Sure, bringing your own food has always been more economic and often healthier, but if you’re anything like me, by the time you get the kids’ lunches made and things ready for the next day, the last thing you want to do is decide what you’re going to feel like eating the next day.
OK, maybe that is just me.
But, restaurants are feeling the squeeze and lunch business is down. Lunch can be an important part of work socialization, and some companies are even subsidizing employee lunches.
I’m not one to give advice on bringing your lunch to work because I’m not very good at it, but we’re all probably going to need to economize in some way on work lunches, at least for the immediate future.
I think I’ll start by stepping up my surveillance of other departments in the building to see if they’re having free food or a party or something. If I’m diligent, I may be able to cover my lunch 1-2 times a week, but I may have to sign a lot of birthday and retirement cards.
Tags: inflation, work lunch
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By elizabeth -- 1 comment
July 17th, 2008
There’s a great post by Dr. Mary over at Work It, Mom! on The Myth of Balance, and one idea stuck with me:
Accepting that sometimes one thing has to get a bit more attention that another is yet another way that working moms can nourish and support themselves; it reduces “supermom” syndrome instantly.
We spend a great deal of time trying to reach the mythical place of “balance” where everything in life gets the same amount of attention, and it’s just not possible.
As I’ve said before, it used to be that we just called it “life” and sometimes, “life” is just busy and you do what you have to do and try to do it well.
Tags: myth of balance, Work-It-Mom
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By elizabeth -- 0 comments
July 17th, 2008
Erin of Unclutterer fame tried a novel approach to work-life balance one weekend:
On July 3, I decided that I was going to take a break from my laptop and from work for the three-day holiday weekend. Unfortunately, I had a few small tasks I needed to do over the weekend, so I knew I couldn’t go cold turkey. I decided instead to unplug my computer at the end of the workday on Thursday and not plug my computer back in until showing up for work Monday morning.
I would survive for the holiday only using my laptop’s battery power and nothing else.
My first thought when I read this was that “I couldn’t get much done because my battery is in such poor shape”, and then I realized that was the entire point: it forces you to do the important things and leave the rest.
Tags: battery only, Unclutterer, work-life-balance
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By elizabeth -- 0 comments
July 16th, 2008
My 12 year old is at camp for 3 weeks, so this got my attention: Parents get ‘kid-sick’ with children at camp.
Just like in the article, he’s having a great time, I’m not distraught by any means, but I’ll be glad when he comes home. On the other hand, I grew up going there, I love camp and I know he loves it. I don’t want to wish it away for him, but I just like it better when everyone is here.
I know they won’t always be here at home, and I’m fine with that, it’s part of the plan, but when they’re a little older.
Tags: child-sick, kids at camp
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By elizabeth -- 1 comment
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