More Misunderstood

June 30, 2011 By texasmommy

Today in the car the boys were discussing their future professions.

Dash (5): “I want to be a  butterfly farmer.”

Jack-Jack (4): “I want to be a chef.”

Incredibaby (2): “I want to be a doctor. But the kind that doesn’t give shots and gives lots of lollipops.”

The baby paused and added, “And Mommy will clean.”

I asked in a rather higher than usual voice while suppressing all sorts of snarky comments in my head, “Mommy will clean?!”

To which he replied, “No, Mommy, you’re the QUEEN!”

Exactly. I love that kid!

Filed Under: Children

Mom’s Salary?

June 29, 2011 By Katrina

I’ve always been slightly annoyed by those websites that calculate a projected income for the stay-at-home mom. You enter the time that you spend on certain jobs around the house and caring for your family each week, type in your zip code, and voila, out comes your projected yearly income. Don’t get me wrong, I think that the idea is clever and the point is well-taken: as mothers who stay at home we work very hard and are, essentially, the managers of our family’s life. I guess what bothers me is that putting a dollar value on the stay-at-home mom’s job perpetuates the myth that work is only valuable if it is paid work, or that the higher someone’s salary, the more worthwhile her work is to society.  We live in a culture that all too often equates value with money, and many women have a very hard time making the transition from work to staying at home because of this.

If we got paid for our work at home, perhaps some government agency (!?!), would we feel better about our job as stay-at-home moms? Would having a salary make us feel that we were using our education more wisely, and would we take more pride in our work? I know someone who asks me, every time I see him, when I am going to “start using my Princeton education and get a job.” The underlying message is that my education will not be put to good use until I am paid for the work that I do. All of the time that I spend raising my children, caring for our home, and volunteering for the church and the PTA does not count in his equation of valuable work, and I fear that his opinion is shared by many in our country today.

What do you think? I know that the “Mom’s Salary” websites are meant to be fun and light-hearted, but I still get frustrated every time I come across them. Do I just need to loosen up, or do you think that I’m onto something?

Filed Under: Miscellaneous

Summer Reading with a Greater Purpose

June 25, 2011 By Katrina

Many of us are encouraging our children to continue reading throughout the summer months, and this task is made easier by the myriad of summer reading programs sponsored by local libraries and bookstores. These programs usually offer incentives for children who read a certain number of books or pages, such as a free slice of pizza or a special book. My son’s elementary school is asking each student to read at least 20 minutes a day for a minimum of 20 days; all students who participate in the “Sea of Summer Reading” will be named “Deep Sea Divers” and will be treated to an ice cream social once school resumes. Sounds like a great idea to my son!

Our elementary school also provided the links to a number of local and national summer reading programs. One such program is Clubhouse Magazine’s (Focus on the Family) “Read to Raise the Roof” summer challenge, which my son is eagerly participating in. From the program’s website:

“Clubhouse is joining with Widow’s Might to build a ministry outreach center in Rwanda. This building will include:

• a kitchen to provide meals to needy children.

• workrooms to give older orphans jobs—including making school uniforms, so poor children can go to school. (In Rwanda, you must have a uniform to attend school. Many families can’t afford a uniform, but children will be given one through this program.)

• classrooms to teach kids English and the Good News of Jesus Christ. Groups in Rwanda encourage kids to memorize the Bible.

• dorm rooms, so orphans have a place to sleep.”

You can find sponsor forms here and a suggested reading list here. You may also want to refer to Mary Alice’s super reading lists (also here and here) for suggestions of great books for your children to read. Also, don’t forget that younger children can also participate in summer reading challenges by having a parent read to them. And please continue to read to your older children – independent reading is great, but so is reading together out-loud with your kids!

Happy Summer Reading!

Filed Under: Education & Homeschool

In praise of mother’s helpers

June 24, 2011 By Juris Mater

And I don’t mean the TV.

Over the past year, and now with four children, we have seen our family expenses ballooning but are more in need now than ever of an extra set of hands. We don’t have the income now to cover the amount of daytime help that I need for sane summer months… unless the help costs only $3-4/hour.

So, at the Feast of the Ascension Mass a few weeks ago, I started recruiting 12 year olds in our parish. They’re out of school for the summer, and idle;  too young to have jobs or to have friends who drive, but old enough to enjoy a small income; and fresh enough to think babysitting is exciting. Our mother’s helper Natalie lives close enough to walk. I suggest activities for her to do with the kids and get out the supplies, I handle discipline, and I don’t expect her to keep the kids away from me. Instead, she is an extra set of hands and a great source of ideas and energy to help with my older three. I’m able to get a surprising amount done when she’s around, and I also have the space to enjoy my new baby. And the kids love a break from their worn-out mom. It makes a world of difference to have her two afternoons a week.

So, if you’re like me, finding your hands full and your head spinning but your piggy bank empty, may I recommend a mother’s helper this summer?

Happy summer days to you all!

Filed Under: Uncategorized
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