I figure we could solve a multitude of problems for American families by doing these two things.

* Reduce the in-office workday by 1.5 hrs (assume 3:30).

* Increase the school day by 1.5 hrs (assume 4:00).

This way parents can swing by and pick up their kids on their way home from work.

It’s insane that our school day and our work day aren’t aligned. Its like we’re pretending that our nation’s workers and our nation’s parents are two separate people. They’re not.

In reality, what we’re doing is pretending that our nation’s mothers are still houswives. They’re not.

This leaves the kids home alone for hours – studies show they’re doing drugs and getting knocked up during these hours.

It leaves parents feeling neglectful and guilty though they’re doing the best they can.

Our students would do better on standardized tests and they could get back recess, art, music and PE back in the every curriculum with the extra time.

Most of our nation’s workers can check their email, write reports, and complete busy work at home. This would also reduce the number of hours employees are just dinking around watching the clock and surfing the web for lack of anything better to do.

All in favor say Aye.

Can I get some Dads in the house to say Aye?

A family friendly workday is never going to happen without the men getting on board. Convince your husband to talk to HIS HR department. That’s how change we’ll see real change.

Post from: Blisstree

Change America in an Hour and a Half

Both Thea and Amanda are the protagonists, except aren’t we supposed to like a protagonist? I don’t think I liked either one of these women particularly.

This book is an accurate look at the judgement and condescension felt by women on both sides of the working or staying home issue. It’s also an accurate portrayal of the fact that neither woman is thrilled about her choices. In fact, in many ways, both women are miserable about their choices.

At 6 – 12 weeks women in America face the two bad choices of abandon career or abandon baby. In this story one woman, Thea, chooses to abandon her career and the other woman, Amanda, chooses to abandon her baby. Because it’s such an emotional choice both women resent the other for her choice. That’s what I mean by accurate. It’s an accurate depiction of what happens when women have children and an accurate depiction of how they feel about the mother who makes a different choice.  Neither woman really finds a way out. Both just learn to accept and live with their respective choice.

To sum it up, neither woman likes her choice. The different women just hate one choice more than they hate the other. Then they get emotionally attached to the choice they hate the least. Then they react to the other woman out of a defensive place.

There are a few really good plot twists in The Other Mother: A Novel as well, but I will let you have those surprises. The Other Mother is a book worth reading, regardless of which mother you are. It will provide insight into what the other mothers in your life are thinking about you.

(Truthfully, it left kind of a bitter taste in my mouth about who we, as women, are being.)

Post from: Blisstree

The Other Mother