Our goal is to provide information, ideas and support for working women who are also full-time mothers.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Local Restaurant offers "Working Mom" special

I drive by a local bbq place that advertises a "working mom's special" for dinner. I think it is a great marketing angle and I'm amazed that more companies don't tap into this market. As a working mom, I like to buy things that make my life a little easier. The working mom demographic should be a focus for all companies...not just a little barbecue place in Alabama.

If you are ever in Bessemer, Alabama be sure to stop by Bob Syke's Barbecue on the Bessemer Super Highway and support a business that understands working moms! They have great onion rings and southern bbq! Be sure to get some sweet tea too!!!

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Community Support for Working Moms

Ok, maybe it's just me but I have NO local support. I am the only one of our circle of friends that is a working mom. The rest all stay home, even after their kids have went off to school. Just not in my cards to ever be a stay at home mom.

I have found my support online through website like RealWorkingMom and on ParentCenter which I found when I was pregnant with my first. I've been so fortunate to make some incredible friends that have kept me sane when I thought I was going crazy or my child was going crazy ;) They understood when I cried the first day my son went to daycare or I was returning from maternity leave because they had been there. The experiences we have shared both joys and sorrows have joined us together like no friends I have known for decades or see in person regularly. Our virtual playdates have been the community I wish I'd had for many more years. I hope you join our virtual community at http://realworkingmom.proboards106.com/ and share your experiences with us too. We are here to support and encourage each other as working moms.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Saying No to Travel

When I joined my company 7 years ago I made it clear to my boss that my plans included having a family so putting me in a position of heavy travel would be a waste of time, so the various positions I've held over the years are always the ones that don't involve travel. I'm sure that were I willing to travel I could have grown much more in my job, could have contributed more to the company and been making more money. But I knew before they were even conceived that I wouldn't want to leave my kids on a regular basis for work. With my husband in the construction business he is at work before daycare is ever open, which means if I travel I have to find someone to take the kids, out of their home and enviroment, for however long I have to be gone. That's not fair to them. I've traveled once for business since having children, and while I will do it if necessary, I have chosen not to take a position within my company where it is a frequent requirement. And I'm at peace with that decision.