Thursday, November 29, 2007

A 5 1/2 year old's list of thankful things.....

1. My family. Good
2. High School Musical. Ah, okay.
3. My friends. Good.
4. The Disney Channel. Ummmmmm
5. My school. I guess three out five isn't bad.

I found this "list" of thankful things among Sweet Pea's papers from school yesterday. Each item was written on the feather of a paper-made turkey. I can only imagine what the teacher must be thinking.

You know you are getting old when....

  • Your child's friend's mother, is TEN years younger than you.
  • You get heartburn and you are not even pregnant.
  • You eat dinner at 5:30.
  • You find yourself complaining to anyone who will listen about all your aches and pains...and there are many.
  • Your almost 6 year old says to you, "It's off the hook!" And you think she is talking about the phone.
  • I know there are others....but I can't seem to remember them right now.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

More on the work-life balance

I just read this article on-line in the Boston Globe. And in connection to it, the Globe is taking a poll - do you think its a good idea to bring kids to work, in place of other childcare arrangements? It is exactly these kinds of polls that fuel the fire on such topic as the "Mommy wars" and how to parent in general. You know what I think? Who cares what anyone thinks, or if anyone agrees. Child care and parenting is not, and should not, be one size fits all. Could I bring my kids to work with me - well they are too old now, but could I have? Probably not. I don't happen to think what I do, or my work environment is conducive to that. But that doesn't mean it isn't for others. I could certainly imagine other work environments where it could work.

What I do support is having options out there for people to learn about and know about. And employers who are willing to look at various options that may help their employees achieve a better work life balance. It still blows my mind when I meet people or employers who do not support family friendly options or policies. Do they not understand how making someones life more manageable could lead to better employee morale and productivity? And don't get me wrong....I'm not suggesting employees should have the ability to make the rules and set their own schedules, but why not support options that would work for them in the environment they work in and in doing the job they do? Couldn't it be a win-win for all?