June, 2015

 

A mother's experience transitioning to summer months can vary depending on circumstances. Some mothers relish in a slower pace, others find increased stress as they deal with schedule changes or childcare adjustments, still others carryon unaffected by the change in seasons.

 

Regardless of your stance on summertime transitions, Mom-mentum strives to support you through every stage. As warmer weather approaches, in our eNews' June edition we've looked for articles to inspire action, build community and support all the work you do-at home or in the office. Enjoy!


Sincerely,

Alison LaFerlita,

Executive Director

WORST END OF SCHOOL YEAR MOM EVER

 

Love it or hate it, the end of school year definitely is an action-packed season for families of school-aged children. Jen Hatmaker's experience made us laugh-out-loud: 

 

"You know the Beginning of School Enthusiasm?When the pencils are fresh and the notebooks are new and the kids' backpacks don't look like they lined the den of a pack of filthy hyenas? Moms, remember how you packed innovative and nutritional lunches and laid clothes out the night before and labeled shelves for each child's work and school correspondence and completed homework in a timely manner? I am exactly still like that at the end of school, except the opposite. We are limping, limping across the finish line, folks." 

  

Do you relate? Read the full article here.

 


14 TYPES OF POTENTIAL MOM FRIENDS

 

Supportive friendships are key components to motherhood and also an important part of Mom-mentum's Personal Development program through our Mothers' Center Groups. Finding a diverse team of compassionate friends to support you through the challenges of parenting is a must. Whether you have a small, tight-knit group of gal pals or a contact list in your phone a mile long, check out this blogger's fun listing of the "common types of mom friends" to help you build a strong community of support and/or remind you of the importance of friendships as a mother.

 

WHAT THE WOMAN ON MATERNITY LEAVE
WANTS EVERYONE TO KNOW  

 

Whether you're about to go on, currently in midst of, or just have fleeting memories of maternity leave, we think this entertaining, yet truth-telling article is worth sharing! Lori Mihalich-Levin, founder of the Mindful Return community and creator of the Mindful Return e-course, gives us a glimpse into the reality of what a mothers' sleep-deprived thoughts and needs are during this transitional point in her life -- a perfect article to pass onto friends and colleagues!

 


ESCALATING DEMANDS AT WORK HURTS EMPLOYEES AND COMPANIES

 

We are often asked how we can help women succeed in today's world with so many demands, on both their personal and professional lives. These requests inspired Mom-mentum to create a strong Professional Development service for all women in all phases of their careers. With that in mind, this New York Times article resonated with us and provides a great conversation starter on the need to create better work-life environments for all.

 

MOM-MENTUM'S PUBLIC POLICY ANALYST FEATURED IN MOVIE TRAILER

Samantha Rife's Documentary Mom is a Dirty Word

 

Valerie Young, the voice behind Mom-mentum's Public Policy
blog, is now also the voice (and face!) of a future movie. The documentary titled Mom is a Dirty Word aims to explore how media, pop-culture and lack of family-friendly public policies make being a
mom in the United States extremely difficult. 
"When we're children, we're all care-receivers." says Valerie in the movie trailer. "As we get older we become parents and caregivers and then--if we're lucky--we live long enough to need care from our younger family members. If we could construct policies that acknowledge the reality that workers have other things to do, everybody would have less stress, better care and a greater chance of achieving their potential."
Watch Valerie's screen debut in the full trailer here.
 

ChildCare BlocksCHILD CARE IS AN INVESTMENT,
NOT AN EXPENSE

"As a country, we have an obligation to rethink care." shares Katharine Zaleski in her recent New York Times article. It can be hard to think of childcare as an investment when it's an overwhelming expense for most families and entirely out of reach for many. Do you agree with the author's conclusion: "Rather than as an expense, [child care] should be viewed as an investment in women's future careers and, indeed, in society itself." Read the full article here then continue the conversation with Your (Wo)Man in Washington on Facebook or Twitter.

 


Mom-mentum
Engages mothers personally, 
enriches them professionally, and empowers
them through Public Policy

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