Eighteen years ago I went into my boss’s office, armed with the advice of several articles on how-to-leave-your-job-for-motherhood, and I told him that I would not be coming back to work after I had my baby. Then I did what every article strongly advised me not to do, I broke down and cried. I couldn’t help myself. The tears just streamed down my face despite my best … [Read more...]
The One Market the Wall Street Journal Doesn’t Cover: The Guilt Market
Each day the news is filled with stories about the volatility in the financial markets. But there is one market CNBC and the Wall Street Journal don’t cover: the Guilt Market. Mothers are extremely familiar with this one. It starts the minute the line turns pink on your pregnancy test. Suddenly you feel guilty for the coffee you drank that morning, or the calcium you didn’t … [Read more...]
Dear Children, it’s Negotiation Time
Lately I have started to sound like a drill sergeant in the morning. I bark out commands: “Brush your teeth.” “Pack your lunch.” “For the love of God, haven’t you put your clothes on yet?” “Don’t forget to put deodorant on. You don’t want to be smelly.” I use a loud voice meant to carry over the sounds of music, kids and the TV news. That I use this voice in between trying … [Read more...]
A Mom and Her Minivan, a Love Story
They say confession is good for the soul. So here is mine… I adore my minivan OK. I said it. I realize this confirms what my sisters always said about me: I’m just not that cool. That’s fine with me. My minivan and I can take it. It’s my badge of honor that announces to the world each and every day, I am a mom and I am proud. Now driving a minivan may not seem like … [Read more...]
When Our Kids Ask Us Questions We Can’t Answer
In my seventeen years of being a mom, I’ve had my share of tough questions. The ones that induce the reddest blushes have to do with sex. What is sex? Do you and daddy have sex? When do you have sex? These queries are the tip of the iceberg in a long line of questions from my three kids that I’ve fielded over the years. They’re usually asked while we are all … [Read more...]
