Apologies for the unintentional hiatus! Long story short, I had a stressful deadline to meet at work, compounded by another pregnancy and miscarriage (you can read more about that at my personal blog). Unfortunately I had to put writing low on my priority list. I hope to get back in the swing of things this week. Read more
Have you read this news story about the advertisement that has had many working mothers in an uproar? If not, here’s the ad in question. It was sent out by a real estate firm, Costello & Costell0, in Issaquah, WA. Offensive, isn’t it? The back is even worse: But frankly, I was even more offended when I read the “apology” that the Costellos issued. It said, There are thousands of professional agents working in our area who are also dedicated mothers, including several... Read more
Daycare is a frequent topic of discussion in the Catholic Working Mothers Facebook group. How to find a good daycare, what is a fair price to pay for daycare, what questions should you ask when interviewing daycare providers, how to resolve various daycare issues, lack of availability of good and affordable daycare in certain areas, and so on. The frequent questions made me wonder if there was a specific saint for Catholics to invoke when dealing with daycare issues. I took... Read more
If you’re listed as a winner, please check your e-mail for a message from me (and e-mail me if you are listed as a winner but have not received an e-mail). Prize #1: Shades of Orange Knitted Infinity Scarf Donor: Lisa Adkins, ARose4Lisa Winner: Mandy Prize #2: Royal Blue Bracelet with Silver Cross Donor: Megan Caire Winner: Beth Prize #3: Teal Bracelet with Gold Cross Donor: Megan Caire Winner: Jessica B. Prize #4: Coral Necklace with Gold Cut-Out Cross Donor: Megan Caire Winner:... Read more
As I mentioned on Saturday, I’m running a giveaway in honor of the first anniversary of the Catholic Working Mothers Facebook group! We have some great prizes donated by some of our group members. Use the Rafflecopter app at the bottom of the post to enter. The giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. MST on Saturday, August 15. Winners will be announced Sunday, August 16. Please note that entrants MUST leave a valid e-mail address in the combox so I can contact... Read more
One year ago today, I was sitting in a small conference room at my workplace, pumping breastmilk for my then-10-month-old son, Peter, and thinking about a recent Facebook PM I’d received from a new Facebook friend. A mutual friend had directed her to my blog, and she was glad to find another Catholic mom of many who also worked full-time outside the home. I was happy that she’d contacted me, because it was rare to find someone else who could understand the joys and... Read more
Years ago I was firmly encamped on the “why should anyone have to pay for my choices?” side of the equation. It seemed pretty straight forward to me. An employer pays you to work and while on maternity leave you are *not* working so why should a paycheck come along with your leave? It wasn’t fair to the other employees and gave mothers a benefit that other workers didn’t get. I was all about the equality. Then a funny thing... Read more
“How can Catholic moms balance work and family?” asks Lea Singh in her article on culturewitness.com. Ironically, the author says she chose to stay home, a choice I completely respect, but it does make me wonder how she is qualified to write about something she’s never attempted herself. Ms. Singh’s thoughts on Catholic working mothers are misguided and hurtful to women whose vocation includes both motherhood and work outside the home. As a mother who has chosen to work, I would... Read more
Exciting news! Pope Francis has approved the canonization of Blessed Zélie and Louis Martin, the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Blessed Zélie Martin is one of the patronesses of working mothers. She trained as a lacemaker and ran a successful business before and after marrying and having children: Eight more children followed in the next thirteen years. Louis and Zélie rejoiced at each birth and grieved when three of them died as small babies, but the greatest sorrow, especially for... Read more
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Three Tips for Dealing with Rude Remarks at Work
A reader asks: I’m pregnant with my third, and I’ve earned the reputation at work as the woman who’s “always pregnant.” All of my pregnancies have been 18 months apart, so I’m sure it seems this way. How do you respond when people raise their eyebrows because you dared to bring more than two children into the world? I still can’t figure out why family planning choices seem to be a topic that’s considered open for discussion in any context, let... Read more