Management Friday: Conflict to Compromise

“Pick your battles” is an old adage of office politics, but good management is more nuanced than just knowing when to fight; it’s about finding creative compromise.  Conflict wastes time and demotivates.  Effective managers are able to bring partners together to find solutions that meet multiple organizational needs.
Office politics has its own prisoner’s dilemma scenario. [...]

Dinner Thursday: Healthy Potato Salad and Yogurt-Strawberry Cake

Every Thursday I post recipes and cooking advice for working parents.
Over the weekend we had our first barbecue of the season.  Papa Bee is a master with grilled meat, having worked for many years for The Barbecue Bible’s Steven Raichlen.  I handle the sides.
However, this Memorial Day I was running after Baby Bee, who wouldn’t [...]

Is Your Nanny “Like Family?”

The New York Times had an interesting piece about Tasha Blaine’s new book Just Like Family: Inside the Life of Nannies, the Parents They Work for, and the Children They Love, which chronicles the personal and work lives of three sitters.
I always think it’s interesting when other parents describe their sitters as “like family,” because [...]

On Being a “Mommy Blogger”

I was recent at a blogging conference where attendees were encouraged to attend affinity sessions such as politics, home renovation, photography, etc.  I opted into “parenting,” since that seemed like the best fit, even though my blog isn’t really about kids — it’s more about the politics of motherhood.  I found myself in a group [...]

Is the Internet Good for Feminism?

In case you haven’t heard about it, there’s a cyber-feminist feud raging between Double X, the new women’s issues site from Slate, and Jezebel, the self-defined “celebrity, sex & fashion” blog from Gawker media.  I won’t bore with too many details — you can read a summary from The Guardian here — but following the debate [...]

Contributing to the Family’s Financial Security

I just got around to reading Ed Andrews piece in last weekend’s New York Times Magazine about his experience with the mortgage crisis, and how his family spiraled into over $800,000 worth of debt.  It is a fascinating read.
There were a number of delusional moments in the story, but one that struck me keenly was [...]

Dinner Thursday: Spices

Every Thursday I post recipes and cooking advice for working parents.
I’ve talked before about building a pantry so that you have the tools for nightly dinner preparation.  For me, having a pantry along with getting a produce delivery each week, have been absolutely critical to cooking each night.  I don’t have the time to grocery shop [...]

Your Facebook Photo, Your Choice

I’ve really been enjoying Slate’s new women-centric site, DoubleX.  While I frequently don’t agree with the posters, the site is part of a trend of good writing on women’s issues that I’m seeing on the web.  What’s more, these perspectives are no longer just from the ivory tower; the internet has democratized the women’s movement [...]

Get Rid of the Frazzled Working Mom

Over the weekend I came across this post from Morra Aarons-Mele at Moms Rising about the archetype of the frazzled, stressed out working mother.  Aarons-Mele makes two important points:

First, the “second shift mentality” that has mothers working a full day, then tending to the home with little help from their partners, has become an expectation [...]

Management Friday: Do Mothers Make Better Managers?

I recently came across this post on Today’s Workplace that includes a lot of interesting stats from a new study on working mothers.  It also has some tips for reducing workplace stress, the first of which is:
Focus on how parenting makes you a better professional:  Being a parent sharpens a wide range of soft skills [...]