by Ann Bibby 

I don’t like to admit being a feminist at all. So much about the movement still seems exclusive to me.

My generation grew up between the second wave and the third. Victims of the “having it all” ideals of our elder Boomer sisters, but without the benefits of  our younger Gen X sisters who grew up in a system that on the surface seemed to have leveled out the playing field.

I don’t believe that we have “come a long way” or that the gains made benefit women who fall outside the white-collar, college educated, upper-middle class category.  I think that in some instances feminism threw the baby out with the bath water.

But I do believe there is no reason for the sexism that still exists when it comes to politics or the way career women are portrayed in the media. And I think the “mommy war” debate is counterproductive. It is past time for women to  steer clear of it. Read the rest of this entry »

 by Ann Bibby

Down in the lower 48 school started for most children a week or more ago, but here the day after Labor Day is the first day of school, a consequence of a summer that arrives late and leaves early.

For the first time since we moved to Canada - actually in my entire adult working life -  I will be the master of my time from 7:59 until late in the afternoon when the bus drops my child off at our front door again. Seven hours. Mine for the writing, the reading, the yoga-burning and running.

So why am I worried? Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s something that’s irked me for years but has just really hit home because it’s now happening to little ol’ me. As a PT working mama (yes, I made the switch a month or so ago, well timed with the sunny NW skies if I do say so myself), I no longer contribute to my social security and other retirement systems at nearly the rate I did when I was employed full-time. SAHM/Ds, none at all. Hmmmm… so where does that land us when it’s time to retire? Not well prepared for retirement, that’s where. A lovely way for Uncle Sam to thank us for hanging with the kids. Family values? Uh, help me find them, mamas, because I can’t find them in the tax code! Read the rest of this entry »

A while back we talked on about how well it works - or doesn’t work - to bring your baby to work as a way to bridge the need to work with the urge and need to be with and feed your baby. So we were pretty excited to learn about the Babies in the Workplace program, run by Carla Moquin of the Parenting in the Workplace Institute. How great is it that these resources are cropping up? Carla’s goal is to better integrate children into the workplace. In her own words:

For most of human history, mothers kept their babies with them while they worked to support their families. However, after the Industrial Revolution, having children in a work environment was no longer feasible. Society became fragmented - children separated from their parents, and parents often separated from society. It’s time for a change!

If you want to start a program at your employer, there’s a how-to guide for purchase or you can contact the founder, Carla Moquin @ (801) 897-8702. Happy baby working!

PS - Read more about this on The Huffington Post in Carla’s Bringing Humanity to the Workplace post from 2.08.

So maybe you’re not a federal employee like I was until last week. Shoot, maybe you don’t even know a federal employee (we’re nice, really). So why e-mail or call your U.S. Representative and ask that she vote for paid parental leave for federal employees? Aside from the whole helping others thing, which is pretty compelling on its own, this is important because it’s a critical first step toward paid family leave for all employees in this country.

Speak Up, Moms! The U.S. House of Representatives votes this week - Thursday, 6.19.08 - on a bill to allow four weeks of full paid parental leave for federal employees. Wow. It’s about time our government set an example in this area. There couldn’t be a better time to e-mail your U.S. Representative with one easy click (all possible with a sleeping babe on the lap!).

Better yet, pick up the phone, mamas, it’s worth the extra effort. To find your Representative’s phone number, just enter your zip code here. If you’re a little nervous to call, do it after hours and leave a message. It still counts! You could simply say: “Hi, I am your constituent and strongly urge you to vote YES on HR 5781, the Federal Employees Paid Leave Act of 2008. Thank you for supporting working families.” Read the rest of this entry »

by Ann Bibby

A blogger at the Des Moines Register recently wrote about having to give a few of the families she provides daycare for their notice. It seems she has a policy that strictly prohibits parents from using her services outside their working hours. She will not care for children on a parent’s day off, nor is she inclined to keep them while a parent runs an errand. If these things happen on a regular basis, she will terminate her contract with them.

I understood her frustration. A family who knew her policy took advantage of her by simply not telling her when they were using her as a babysitter as opposed to a daycare provider. She had every right to be upset, but does she have a right to dictate how parents choose to parent? Read the rest of this entry »