Good Newsweek article

"Irene" wrote in message
ups.com...

toto wrote:
On 16 Feb 2005 12:01:09 -0800, "Irene" wrote:

I actually saw that one this morning, before you posted it.

One thing in the article that jumped out at me that no one else has
mentioned, is the lack of good part-time daycare. That's actually
one
of the biggest things that I'd like to see - more availability of
flexible part-time daycare. Of course, there are a lot of reasons
why
it doesn't exist - day care providers have maximum numbers of kids
they
can watch, and are trying to fill up each space so they don't have
to
charge a small fortune. So that if you do get part-time daycare,
you
need to have a fixed schedule so some other kid can fill the other
spot. I'm not sure how to legislate around that...

Irene

This is one I agree with also.

One thing that we have to do also, is to figure out ways to work
part time and still make things work for us. Daycare is expensive
whether part time or full time too. This one is a difficult issue,
but we need to tackle it as a society, we cannot really do it
individually.

Employers need to be educated about job sharing and flexible
part time work and how that actually can give them a better
employee who is more productive.


This is a tough one. I'll point out that the reason I know why it's so
hard to get part-time daycare is because I work part-time. ;-) Part
of the reason I've stuck with the same place for so long is because she
lets me be flexible - I've ranged from 2 days to 5 days and everywhere
in-between in the past 3.5 years. And that was the *only* place where
I was able to do that, of all the places I interviewed, other than
paying for a full-time spot and then not using all the days.

That being said, it is *very* challenging to be a professional
(architect in my case) and be part-time. Clients expect me to be
available, etc. We have other part-timers in our office - but it can
be quite challenging.

Irene


I concur.

Stephanie Stowe wrote:


My
kids will be miserable if they are forever resentful or jealous
of those who have more money than we do. They must learn to
be grateful for what we have and to accept that some others
have more and some others have less. What is tricky is
teaching them that it is our job to help those less fortunate
without feeding the notion that those who have more money
than us should be "helping" *us* ;-)

I think that at some point, I don't know what that point is, kids definitely
get the difference between necessities and luxuries. And it is important to
help them make that distinction. You are helping the less fortunate with
their necessities. Others are not going to help you with your luxuries.
Anyway, that is how I would be thinking about it.

That's the tact I take, but it gets a bit squirrelly
when their friends (who are more well off) want to give them
things. It's hard getting them to understand that sometimes
there are just things you don't accept, even if they're
offered.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Circe wrote:
"Ericka Kammerer" wrote in message
...

Banty wrote:

In article , Chotii says...

Mmmmmyes. Now ask those people who live in those European societies,

what

percentage of their income is taken proprietarily by the government to

be

redistributed, and tell me how many Americans want to do things that

way?

::raising hand:::

I've done the math. I'll take the health benefits, too.

Oooh, ooooh, me too! I have some preferences about
exactly how they go around implementing things, as you can botch
any system, but in general I'll go for it.


I'm with you two. What say the three of us run for President in 2008 as a
triumvirate (or triumgynate, as the case may be g)?

Oy! Aren't you mixing Latin and Greek there?

--Helen

Rivka W wrote:



Part of what bothers me about that article is that it describes
parenting in a specific region and income bracket - she interviewed
only mothers in New York and Washington DC for her book, and you'd
better believe the things she's talking about don't apply to my
clients who are struggling to get by on minimum-wage jobs.

From where I sit, they don't even apply to upper-middle-class moms in
Seattle. Bellevue, maybe :-)

--Helen

Stephanie Stowe wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

Stephanie Stowe wrote:

I think that at some point, I don't know what that point is, kids
definitely
get the difference between necessities and luxuries.

I think that point's different for every child. I can tell you
with
certainty that my husband is 28, and he still has not achieved this
milestone...

"But I *need* a new car!" when his old one is perfectly fine... And
he
doesn't mean a "car" - he means a Cadillac. *sigh*

Ugh. That's no fun.

Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.... Our house is like the House of
Tomorrow at Epcot Center (he's an engineer, he can't help it), and
that's pretty fun.

He takes good care of me, so if he has an affinity for toys, I can live
with it. I probably should've looked a little more closely at his dad,
though, before I married him - the apple didn't fall far from that tree
at all!! Not that that's bad - but they're both hopeless gadget
addicts...

Amy

I can afford it and it is beautiful. I just am usually very, very cheap
about E's clothes. We figure she'll get at least three wearings out of this
dress (the bris/baby naming, her birthday party and Passover) and her cousin
with also wear it a few times. Although MIL doesn't pay my rent, it's
actually the opposite challenge. MIL doesn't have much money and would love
to buy this type of thing for E. We do well and can afford things like this,
but I'd rather spend my money elsewhere usually. I don't really like MIL
much, but she isn't a bad grandmother and making her happy once in a while
is worth it since I don't capitulate to her demands often, and this is one
of those things where she'll be pleased that I did something in the 'right'
way without being told to by her.

--
Melissa (in Los Angeles)
Mum to Elizabeth 4/13/03
and one due early 3/05

"Stephanie Stowe" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
ups.com...

Beach Mum wrote:

Yes. But when MIL says, "I'm sure you're going to..." I do take
offense
because it's usually exactly the opposite of what I intend to do. (I
say
this as I just spent waaaaaay too much money on a pretty dress for E
for the
baby naming/bris so that MIL's expectations are met.)

Does MIL pay your rent? If not, you might know what my dad would
say...

Seriously, if the dress makes you happy, keep it. If not, take it back
THIS MINUTE and get a more reasonable dress. If you start capitulating
to MIL's expectations now, you will never, ever, ever be able to stop
(ok, I'm exaggerating, but the sooner the better).

Besides, *I* will be very disappointed in you if you don't...
Hahaha...

Ok, that wasn't nice, but if that money would be better spent on
something else, MIL can stuff it. Get what makes you happy and what
you can comfortably afford. If she has the audacity to actually say
something, come back with, "I'm so sorry you feel that way. I think
the dress we chose is lovely." Eventually she'll realize that she's
being extraordinarily rude. Hopefully. Or you'll run her over with
your car. Either way, it works out...

Amy



Yeah, what she said. That is easy for me to say though since I have the
polar opposite of a buttinsky MIL.

"Helen" wrote in message
...
Circe wrote:
I'm with you two. What say the three of us run for President in 2008 as
a
triumvirate (or triumgynate, as the case may be g)?

Oy! Aren't you mixing Latin and Greek there?

Definitely. You would prefer trifeminate, perhaps? (I don't think
trimulierate works at all. Sounds like three donkeys, not three women!)
--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to Mr. Congeniality (7), the Diva (5) and the Race Car Fanatic (almost
3)

I have PMS and ESP...I'm the bitch who knows everything! (T-shirt slogan)

Circe wrote:

"Helen" wrote in message
...

Circe wrote:

I'm with you two. What say the three of us run for President in 2008 as

a

triumvirate (or triumgynate, as the case may be g)?

Oy! Aren't you mixing Latin and Greek there?


Definitely. You would prefer trifeminate, perhaps? (I don't think
trimulierate works at all. Sounds like three donkeys, not three women!)

I dunno...I can be pretty stubborn ;-)

Best wishes,
Ericka

Joybelle wrote:

My mom, I guess, has been praying for twins for one of us. I think my
sister and I did an okay job. She'll have her baby about 3 weeks before I
have mine. Close enough, right?!

That's a good approximation -- with plenty of parents to go
around. Won't work for us, though

Emily

Stephanie Stowe wrote:
I volunteered to write it for our agency in this area. They turned me down!
Go figure.

Just now, or at some time in the past?

Emily