I just had a seriously sobering thought. The Internet is all about real estate and risk. Just like Monopoly only with real money. Babylune, really, is not the content I write but a URL I don’t own. The address could be sold at any moment and, while I own the content, no one would know where to find it should it have to be moved. That’s a pretty insecure place to live, especially since, in order for me to recover the money I’ve invested in this blog over the past six weeks, I need to convince you (and the other people who read this blog) to read almost a quarter of a million extra pages…that might take some time.

I don’t regret anything I’ve recently done on this blog. I didn’t do it to build traffic or to earn money, but recent conversations have me worried that I have created a false impression about how much bloggers, even moderately successful bloggers, can afford to invest in promotion and traffic-building.

I think I’m a good writer and often a good blogger. I think I am often a smart person, even with money. But, I haven’t managed the financial risk of investing on this blog properly. If you’re one of the many, many mothers who hopes blogging will help her earn enough money to stay home with her children (I am not a WAHM), please do not follow my example.

Post from: Babylune

• Futuristic Motherhood: Alternative Visions of Mothering is
  an anthology of speculative fiction stories about the future
  of motherhood.
  
  “Publication date: November 2007
  Mama Specific Productions is seeking submissions of
  speculative fiction stories. For the purposes of this book
  speculative fiction includes science fiction, fantasy,
  mystery and any sub-genres. The theme is motherhood in the
  future. Some things to prompt or give you ideas to start
  with: What do you imagine the function of motherhood to be?
  How do you think the image of motherhood will change? How do
  you think the image of motherhood will stay the same? What
  possible customs, norms or laws will be in place in the
  future that would have an impact on changing or affecting
  mothers? How will science and technology affect pregnancy,
  birth, and child rearing? How might full social equality
  affect childcare in the home and workplace? How does a lack
  of social equality in a highly technological society affect
  pregnancy, birth, and childcare? How about in a future
  culture with a highly evolved social order but low
  technology?
  
  "Maximum story length is 7,500 words. You may submit more
  than one story but only one story will be selected per
  writer. Please include a bio up to 500 words.
  
  “Reprints: If you're sending us a reprint please include the
  last place your story was published. Also let us know if
  your story is currently available in any other online venues
  or publications. We are paying you for the right to print
  your story in this book. You retain full rights to your
  story even if it is new and can reprint it elsewhere.”
  
  PRIZE: On publication, writers will receive $100 plus 2
  copies of the book.
  ENTRY FEE: None
  DEADLINE: September 15, 2007
  URL: http://mspmedia.net/futuristic_motherhood_book.html

Post from: Babylune

Really, so much relies on how women describe themselves as SAHM, WAHM, or WOHM that the entire alphabet seems reduced to about 4 letters.

And, as is the problem with other four-letter words, these acronyms are dirty. Imagine the shame of committed SAHM who finds that she has to take in a few neighbourhood kids as an after-school daycare provider in order to pay emergency dental fees? Imagine the WOHM who, after years of double-duty, is handed a pink slip and sent home to the ever-present piles of laundry and bills unable to afford the daycare costs to enable her job search? Is she now in SAHM-land?

No, these acronyms are just not good enough.

So, I have developed a new one.

Mine is not only more accurate, although it really does describe the lives of all mothers, but mine also avoids the swear-word connotations by having five letters instead of four. Finally, when pronounced aloud, mine sounds like a comic book kiss: SMWAT!

Yes, that’s SMWAT for Some Mothers Work All the Time.

So say it often,

say it loud.

I’m a SMWAT

and I’m proud.

Post from: Babylune

Acronyms aside, according to an article in the Irish Independent, this need not be the case. In How to Be a Stay at Home Mom… and Keep Fit, writer Sue Leonard interviewed a doctors, a stay at home mother, and a Weight Watchers’ leader. The quotes reinforce that people use staying at home, working, living alone and a number of other excuses factors to explain their weight-gain or falling fitness levels.

From the article, I gleaned the following tips to help all new mothers lose the baby weight:

1. Don’t eat the kids’ leftovers. I hate to see food wasted, but I really don’t need the cold pasta my little boy licked and then rejected.

2. Set a schedule for the whole family to eat by. Adjust snack times and meal times so that everyone eats together. If something between those times is really necessary, limit it to fresh, raw fruits and veg.

3. See your doctor regularly for preventative health care. Catch a little problem before it becomes a big problem.

Post from: Babylune

I often think the only thing mothers have in common is that we’re all women with children. That’s probably why it doesn’t take long to embroil a new mother in a passionate argument. The opportunity to stake out a side and defend it ferociously governs discussions about routine male circumcision, breastfeeding, sleep training, working in or outside the home, types of childcare and potty training methods, among other parenting topics.

There are as many definitions of motherhood as there are mothers. What is missing is respect for other women’s definitions of what motherhood means. A lot of energy is being wasted by arguing about what, exactly, is the “best” for children. Energy that, if re-directed, could actually be spent making a society that is friendly to mothers and children. Claiming and defending the moral highground is an exhausting and eternal struggle.
Re-directing wasted energy is the goal of Mothers Ought to Have Equal Rights. The American organization is dedicated to fighting the media-hyped divisions between women with children. The group hopes to foster inclusion and cooperation on issues that affect our children everywhere. Visit the site to find out how to support their campaign for a “ceasefire in the mommy wars.”

Post from: Babylune