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Activism While Parenting: How DO You Do It?

Yup. The famed Oregon primary came and went. Sure, I voted - always do. But my intentions were to stay up to speed, volunteer even, and generally be a part of it all. But honestly, this whole following politics & speaking up while parenting thing is no easy task. I started out strong, catching Obama in person awhile back on my Friday off (with my 2-year-old in tow!). But then, it was as if I went to the basement to do the laundry, came back upstairs, and the primary had come and gone. Just. like. that.

More than anything, this election season has left me feeling like it’s no wonder we parents can’t win, because we just can’t get there - not our bodies and not our minds. Attend a policy planning meeting at 10 AM Wednesday in the state capital - where I don’t even live? Uh, I’m working and have so little leave that I can’t use it for anything but sick kids. Write a letter to my representatives? Sure, but at midnight when my energy for it all is at a low point and my husband would prefer I give it a rest, you know?

So how are we parents supposed to keep up with this stuff? Be sure we don’t miss the golden opportunity to fight the good fight. Stand on the steps of the legislature to support paid leave? Be the squeaky wheel. How do YOU keep up? Stay involved? Feel like you’re IN there?

Help me, mamas, because sometimes it seems a whole lot easier to just leave it to the advocacy organizations and hope they’ve got it right. After all, those wonderful people are paid to fight the good fight, right? And that way, I could stick to figuring out what we’re having for dinner tomorrow night (my husband would be thrilled), when music class ends, and, oh right, my job!!! Activism while parenting, mamas, is it really possible???

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Posted in Daily, Family by Lisa F on May 23, 2008
Comments (5)


  1. Annie said:

    Sure it’s possible but it involves trade-offs and even sacrificing things. Like writing the letters at midnight when the husband prefers otherwise. Sending emails and phoning the Statehouse to get them to reschedule and then writing letters to the local papers complaining when they don’t (though I suspect they schedule things like that on purpose to keep attendance low).

    I think successful activists have a single cause that they devote the time and that probably makes it easier.

  2. Julie Pippert said:

    I do what I can when I can, and sometimes that means prioritizing to write a letter or something to work on an issue, cut back groceries to send money to a cause, etc. Compromise and sacrifice as Ann says.

    Sometimes it means letting it go and hoping someone else picks it up.

    This would work great if everyone did a little part. No one person would be overwhelmed. No one person would feel worried and guilty that it’s not getting done.

    I thin the *most* important thing is for groups to respect and understand volunteers and their limitations.

    I like supporting groups like my local political party and GHASP! (mothers for clean air) because they are understanding of my role as parent.

    I’ve walked away from groups that weren’t, and that’s too bad but it doesn’t help for leaders to act annoyed that mom needs to mom or continuously disappointed because mom isn’t doing enough.

  3. Caroline said:

    Obama came to town this week!!! ….and I missed it. I never even knew he was coming until I saw his bus - picture in picture - on TV for half a second while madly trying to put on a DVD for my kid. I had no idea. Why? Why. Well, I never watch local news because it seems to only have babies dying on it. Yeah. Not a good excuse. I don’t know why I didn’t know. And as I switched on Baby Einstein, I had visions of being downtown at the forum with my baby on my shoulders cheering shoulder to shoulder with other moms! I could say to my son that he was there! …but no. I was home putting on Baby Einstein. And had no idea he was even coming to town. Its just shameful.

    Clearly, I have no suggestions. Just a lot of sympathy and interest in follow up comments! Thanks for the post.

  4. Amy@UWM said:

    With a full time job and that mommy gig I’ve got going, email activism is what keeps me feeling like I’m contributing. I too get frustrated by not being able to help with the grassroots organizing and meeting with legislators, but if I can shoot off the emails in response to the action alerts I get from Momsrising, NOW and 9to5, I at least feel like I’m doing my part (for now).

  5. Blogversary said:

    For me after having kids, I realized I could do anything, but don’t have the time. After my first, I was going to city council meetings and trying to get involved with local gov’t. Then I got pregnant again, and I am slow to return. Thankfully, there is some we can do from the computer and in trying we are speaking volumes, I hope.



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