Childcare / Family / Home Life / Maternity Leave / Wellness / Work Life

Reflecting on Advice I Gave to a Friend after My First Child

When my son was less than three months old, my best friend’s mother asked me to provide advice as part of a baby-shower gift for my friend.  She was compiling a cute book with advice from friends and family.  My feelings and emotions at that time were raw.  My son had colic. and reflux. and … Continue reading

Home Life / News / Wellness / Work Life

Newsflash! Mothers’ Health and Happiness Can Trump Breastfeeding.

Finally an article that captures my opinion on the matter. What I’ve said time and again is that much of the research available and associated evidence don’t capture the value of a mother’s sanity and mental health. It’s not easy to quantify, but it is valuable and important. A happy mama is a better mama … Continue reading

Family / Food / Home Life

An Assessment of Family Meal Planning Options

Ah, meal planning and associated grocery shopping.  My favorite exercise in insanity and the constant refrain of homes with both parents working.  Just mentioning weekend grocery shopping to my husband and he cringes.  It’s like telling a child he has to practice piano and violin before he can go outside and play.  The image below from … Continue reading

Childcare / Maternity Leave / News / Work Life

Examining Paid Family Leave: The Peril of Heuristic Approaches to Complex Problems

When I saw the headline, San Francisco approves fully paid leave for new parents, I scrolled through the comments section.  Bad idea.  So much vitriol with divisive lines drawn between parents (or “breeders” as we’re termed) vs. non-parents.  Can people not see that paid family leave is not a zero-sum game where parents win and non-parents … Continue reading