So you’re a new mom, and of course you want to share every adorable baby photo and every precious anecdote about your little bundle of joy with all of your friends. But wait! Before you hit Facebook, there are a few simple rules that every parent should follow. Seriously, it will make the virtual world a much better place for the rest of us. Here are five common new mom Facebook fails: 1. Creating an account for your baby Not only does it violate Facebook’s terms of service – it’s super weird to see first person posts from a tiny human who is not yet old enough to talk, let alone type. 2. Graphic photos and status updates Please, please, spare us the gory details. We do not want to know what you did with your placenta and we are not interested in reading about your child’s bowel movements. Also, let’s talk about delivery room photos. By all means, show us an adorably swaddled photo of your newborn in your arms. But do not, DO NOT, show us a photo of you in the process of giving birth. Remember, keep your private parts private. 3. Paging Dr. Facebook It’s one thing to ask if anyone in your friend circle has experience dealing with croup, or to survey some opinions on how to handle teething. It’s quite another to treat your friend list like it’s the American Academy of Pediatrics. (Unless, of course, your friend list actually is The American Academy of Pediatrics.) Let’s repeat: Facebook doesn’t wear a white lab coat. Quite simply, if your baby has symptoms you’re concerned about, refer to a physician, not a wall post. 4. Too many posts Baby photos are almost always a hit, but no one wants their feed cluttered up with a thousand pictures of little Cameron sitting in her car seat. Think quality over quantity and save the extras to your “Baby’s First Year” external hard drive. 5. Privacy settings This last one is actually pretty serious – don’t forget to check your privacy settings. So many people are unaware of how much information they are sharing with the world. It’s one thing to let co-workers or strangers or strange co-workers creep on your life. But when your kids are involved, it becomes a safety issue. It’s not just you anymore– and what’s more important than keeping your little one safe? What are some of your pet peeves when it comes to Facebook? Source: http://www.modernmom.com/2b420888-3b4b-11e3-b6a4-bc764e04a41e.html
Overall, more women than men stay at home to raise children (at least for a short while). But why? By: Andrea Mara WHY IS IT that more women than men stay at home with children? In 98% of families with one parent at home, it’s a woman who takes that role. Assuming there isn’t a secret world where stay-at-home mothers get to loll about all day in spas sipping Pinot Grigio, there must be something behind it. Here are some theories (discussed here many times already, so you’re excused if you skip them):
Women are hardwired as caregivers and have a strong desire to be at home, therefore are more inclined than fathers to take the opportunity to do so if it’s financially possible
Some women seek flexibility in the workplace and have little option but to resign when they are told “no”
Some women are put on the mommy-track by employers, so are less motivated to stay in the workplace, if opportunities such as voluntary redundancy or obstacles such as childcare costs arise
Some women earn less than men, so if childcare becomes an unaffordable, it’s more likely that the mother in this scenario will give up work
Women grow up with in a society that sees more mothers than fathers at home with children, and therefore consciously or sub-consciously see it as the norm
Women experience guilt more than men do, and worry more about the effect on their children of having two working parents
Societal or familial expectations can put pressure on women to stay at home
Men feel pressure to be the breadwinner, to have a job, and are therefore less likely to stay at home.
Of course none of these is true for everyone but I think there’s an element of truth in all of them, and each one accounts for a proportion of the women who are at home. I wonder too if the fact that women take maternity leave and men don’t is a factor? Is maternity leave a taster of stay-at-home life, and does it ease women into the idea that we could potentially do it full-time? When everything changed In my early thirties, I went to the office every day, just like my husband. We worked similar hours in similar jobs, and travelled home together, talking about work stuff and what we’d do that weekend and who was thinking of buying an apartment in Bulgaria (it was the early noughties). I earned about the same as my husband did, and spent it on clothes and makeup and shoes and dinners and cocktails and holidays (again, it was the noughties). The arrival of a baby-bump didn’t change much in terms of work and money and day-to-day living, so – except for the cocktails – life went on pretty much as it always had done. Then my waters broke – in my office – and nothing was ever the same again. Well, of course it wasn’t the same – we had a beautiful little daughter, who completely took over our world from the moment she entered it. But day to day life changed utterly for me. And it did for my husband too, but not to the same extent. He still went to work every day – he just had nobody to chat to on the commute. I on the other hand swapped heels for flats, and coffee for decaf tea (at least until I saw sense). Work colleagues were replaced by a tiny girl who was my boss, my co-worker and my team all rolled into one. Instead of conference calls, I had fleeting attempts to reply to text messages while she sat in her chair for oh, at least five or six minutes before wanting to be up in my arms. Lunch from the deli was replaced by a thrown together sandwich at the kitchen counter, with a baby on the hip. The afternoon team meeting became coffee with friends or a less exciting trip to the supermarket. And home-time was not about my commute anymore but all about my husband’s – how soon could he get home to help me with our daughter, so I could start dinner and take a deep breath. Adjusting to the new role Our relationship changed too – the family dynamic changed. I remember my husband used to come home and tell me about something that happened at work – I’d reply with a story about something that had happened at home that day – something really interesting like how long the baby had slept or something funny the postman had said (who was after all, the only other adult I’d spoken to that day). My husband never once asked how I hadn’t found time to cook something or why the laundry was taking on Everest-like proportions on the dining room table, but I’m sure it must have crossed his mind to wonder what on earth I was doing all day. Actually, I still don’t know what I was doing, I just know it took all day. Two months in, I had figured out the baby stuff to some extent, I’d found a routine, and I’d even cooked dinners on two particularly great days. The realisation dawned: I was a housewife. The me who had lived a life similar in every way to that of my husband, could never have imagined being a housewife; working on dishes and laundry instead of spreadsheets and e-mails. And it wasn’t an overnight transformation – it was gradual, with the significant distraction of a delicious, all-consuming baby girl. But yes, I was a housewife. And six months later, I went back to work, and again there was a shift in the balance. I was working full-time like my husband, and we shared all childcare and housework evenly. No longer a housewife – a new title: working mother. It gets easier Two more maternity leaves meant two more stints at home, and I really started to find my way. Being at home was certainly hard work, but I loved it. Not so much the first time round, but the subsequent two maternity leaves were easier, more fun, less lonely. And now, if I imagine a situation where I’m at home again for any reason, for any duration, I know I can do it – it’s not a mystery, it’s something I’ve done before. For my husband, on the other hand, it would be a much bigger adjustment. One that he would embrace, one at which he would excel, but the psychological leap to house-parent would be far greater for him than for me. Which is why, all other things being equal, if one of us had to give up work for a period, I think it would be me, and I think it’s partly because I’ve been there for a test run and I know I can do it. It’s one common factor for most mothers – we have maternity leave, and our partners don’t. So maybe that’s part of the reason more mothers stay at home. Or maybe it’s all the other stuff – society and salary and employer inflexibility and guilt. Or maybe it’s just the innate desire to be there when they’re small – something that stems from carefully carrying them inside us for nine months before they see the world. Either way, I’ve had a taster, and if it came to it, I think I’d be just fine with second helpings. Source: http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/why-do-more-women-than-men-stay-at-home-with-children-1608613-Aug2014/
Ever since I started working from home my family live has changed dramatically, in a positive way. There are so many small and less important things that can be done while working from home which is just to much to mention. I will keep it simple and share the 5 benefits that had the most impact on my work-life balance. 1. Drop off & Pick up kids from school myself The smile my kids gave me when they realized mommy was going to do the school routine on a daily basis is priceless! Other then that it's nice that teachers know how mommy actually looks like. Not to mention the amount of activities I don't miss anymore, because the relevant letter was lost somewhere. 2. Not stressing out because one kid is sick Either hearing the phone ring to pick one up at school or just keep him/her at home all day isn't a problem. It's even quite nice to have some cuddle time with just one of them. Being sick also means a lot of sleep, so after a great cuddle and some mommy-time it's bedtime. I can still do my work and know my sick kid is well taken care of.
3. The cost of Childcare isn't a burden We as a family are Dutch and only live in the UK for about 2 years. This means we don't have grannies nearby who we can count on to take the kids of our hands for a day per week or so. To have 3 kids in breakfast club and after school club for 5 days a week has a financial impact. Not to mention these costs in the holidays and the list of inset days. We definitely noticed the difference at the end of the month! 4. When daddy comes home we instantly have family time The kids love to help mommy cook and as soon as dad walks in, it's dinner and really family time to chat or play all together. 5. Mommy just isn't stressed anymore While working away from home, in an office, I needed to behave like it. Behaving like an employee is exhausting! I can't say, dress or do what's really me. This isn't even the real problem, but by the time I got home I was so tired that I would get stressed out by each and everything my kids or partner would say or do. That wasn't fun for them either. Now I can really listen to school stories, my partner's work issues and be comfortable telling mine....without getting stessed! I understand I am in a privileged situation, but you can also have a great work life balance. For more information Please share your comments or questions I love to hear them!
This article is written for people who work too hard, too much or for too long, whether it's at home or in the workplace. These 10 tried and tested personal development suggestions are relevant to both work and home situations. If you're tired and overloaded with things to do, these tips can help you! When I started designing training programmes in the early 80s, Britain was coming out of the 70s slump, and all efforts were bent towards productivity and growth. Consequently, the aim of time management training was to help individuals to improve each shining hour - stuffing activity into every corner and pocket of their lives. There were skill-development tapes to listen to while travelling and even tapes to play during the night, so as to absorb the content subliminally while sleeping. Work was the focus. Efficiency was the watchword. The dried-out husks of burnout victims are testimony to this fevered approach. 20 or so years on, we've learned that balance and sustainability is important, although the trend will probably move in the direction of short-term productivity again in the wake of the recent downturn. Most of us are aware of the need to get the balance right, but find that doing so isn't always that easy. Forward-looking organisations and academic institutions are also aware of that need to have a work-life policy in place. Despite this, a British Labour Force Survey (LFS) conducted in 07/08 indicated that 13.5 million working days were lost because of work-related stress, depression or anxiety in that year. That makes it the most common reason for lost working time. According to new research conducted by American Express Insurance Services, 82% of working people neglect important things in their home lives every week. Do you? 1.Find your own balance There are no rules. Balance is an individual thing and everyone has to find their own equilibrium. It's up to you to prioritise, make adjustments and decide what you are and are not prepared to do. Don't tell yourself ‘I should be able to...' or ‘She/he can do it, so I ought to be able to.' And, most importantly, don't listen to anyone else telling you what you should or should not be able to do! Pay attention to your own needs and wellbeing. Stay in touch with how you are, physically and emotionally, and listen to your intuition. If you feel you're out of balance day in, day out, then you are! It's time to look at what's going on and re-evaluate. 2.Beware of - adrenaline addiction Adrenaline will keep you going, but it also keeps you in a state of readiness for danger, fight or flight. It's exciting and it's productive and it feels like energy, but it isn't. You can only run on it for a short time without experiencing its downside. Too much adrenaline for too long makes you stressed and tetchy - and wanting another high. If you continue to be in that state for long periods, it will eventually run out, leaving you with no energy, anxious, depressed or even ill. If adrenaline is your addiction, you may need some of it to get going. That's how it starts. Then it's too easy to keep pushing yourself, never giving yourself time to come down. Sooner or later you're running on empty, unable to relax, sleeping badly and on a short fuse. These are the warning signs. Cooling down time is as important after an adrenaline high as it is when you exercise. So do something soothing or undemanding in between the highs. Schedule some methodical, routine tasks after a big burst of work, a successful presentation or a period of strain or activity at home. Give yourself time to come down and feel tired. Don't worry if you feel depleted, low and twitchy for a while - it's the adrenaline draining away. Given time, it will pass. 3.Beware of - martyrdom addiction ‘I've got so much to do'. ‘I've got to do everything round here'. Do these sentences ring a bell? Do you feel put upon and resentful while at the same time hogging all the work? If so, martyrdom could become an addiction for you, pushing you to take on more, draining you physically and emotionally and raising your stress levels. And here's the hard word - it's ego inside out. The motivation for martyrdom, and the big payoff, is that it makes you feel important - a hero. And you think it makes you look busy and important. It doesn't. It's annoying and infuriating for people around you and it makes you look like... a martyr! Be alert to this if it's your weakness and let other people take the weight off your shoulders. 4.Ask for help Asking for help is so often the best way out of stressful situations and dilemmas. Sometimes all it needs is for you to stop hugging the problem to yourself and get it out in the open - talk to someone. It's not so hard to do, and on the whole, people like to be asked. That's what managers and colleagues are for! Common reasons for not asking for help are: •pride in your work and/or not wanting to look as if you can't manage on your own •not wanting to bother anyone, be a nuisance or make a fuss •perfectionism and lack of confidence: you're afraid to show something that isn't complete. The answer is firstly to recognise when you need help, and secondly, to understand why you don't ask for help. Don't leave it too long - the sooner you ask, the better 5.Choose ‘good enough' over ‘perfect When something needs to be done, ask yourself the question: is it important that the job is simply done, or that it's done perfectly? 9 times out of 10, the answer is that it needs to be done rather than done perfectly. A twist on this - which is about delegation - is to question whether the job has to be done and finished or done your way, by you. For example, Martha has always done the family laundry, and she's developed a system that works. However, now she's working full-time, she just can't handle that task in addition to everything else. She ignored her husband's offers of help because she didn't trust him to do it properly. Finally, after it had become a huge issue, she let it go. Her husband Ben shares it with her now. He doesn't do it her way, and she can still get irritated by the way he flings mangled baby t-shirts with their sleeves still inside out on the radiators, but she can turn a blind eye. Better that it's done each day than to have a mountain of laundry that takes all weekend. 6.Say NO This is not about saying no all the time or saying no to work within your job description! This is about the extra responsibilities you're asked to take on both at home and work. If you are someone who tends to say ‘yes' and thereby takes on too much and gets overloaded, here are a couple of techniques. First up: if someone asks you to do something extra, STALL. Say you'll get back to him or her in five minutes or when you're near your diary, then use that time to think clearly about whether to say yes or no. Second: If your answer is going to be NO, the Transactional Analysis technique of ‘broken record' is really useful. •Keep your eye on the goal - that of saying ‘no' •Actually say the word NO and keep saying it at every opportunity, every time another appeal is made to your good nature, your impeccable skills, etc. This is important. Don't justify your actions or give excuses. There's no need to be nasty or rude. Simply saying ‘No, I'm sorry. I don't have time', or variations on that idea, is enough. 7.Project in - project out If you want to say yes to taking on an extra responsibility or project and have no time for it (see the last suggestion), review your commitments and get rid of another project or task. If you're already overloaded, then in no time at all, even the most wonderful-looking project will become another chore. 8.Keep a weekend free Keep one weekend every 4-6 weeks free from any commitments, plans, work, activities etc. Spend it with your partner, your family or just dossing at home by yourself. This doesn't necessarily mean that you do nothing, but rather that you don't structure the time in advance and fill it with plans and ‘to do' lists. 9.Do something for yourself one evening a week This must be something you enjoy and look forward to. It doesn't apply to things you think will be good for you or things that your children or partner would enjoy. This is for you. Whatever it is - having a meal with someone, reading a novel in the bath or lolling on the sofa with a glass of wine, watching TV - make it non-negotiable. Turn off your mobile, don't check your emails, screen incoming calls and only ring back if it's an emergency. Stick to it and don't put it off. 10.Draw a line between home and work If you're rushed and overloaded, what can happen - and it's very common - is that while you're at work, you worry about things at home and when you're at home, you're preoccupied with work. Crazy, isn't it? Download the things on your mind before you leave work (or home). Write a note in your diary, on your PC, on your Blackberry or on a piece of paper and list the things you need to do when you come back. Keep your mind focused on the fact that this is the end of that activity, workday or tasks at home. Shut the diary, turn off your PC, save your message and LEAVE IT! Source: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/careers-advice/1339/top-10-tips-getting-a-work-life-balance
A couple years back, an article that claimed “precisely zero” women work in the affiliate marketing industry hit the internet, upsetting many female powerhouses who play a large role in the space to this day. Although the article was unfounded and written off of very little research, it brought to light that some people perceive affiliate marketing as an exclusively-male profession. Why? The reasons vary. Some believe that women stray due to the nature of industry-related events, such as a network luncheons taking place at a gentlemen’s club. Others speculate that women avoid technology-related occupations and, therefore, don’t take interest in the tech-oriented environment of performance marketing. Fortunately, cold hard facts debunk the perceptions people have about women in this space. For starters, women dominate the US labor force, holding more than 51% of all professional occupations and filling roughly 49% of marketing-related occupations. In the affiliate marketing realm, they hold over a third of the positions open to advertising professionals. Furthermore, women make up almost a third of tech-related occupations in the US. When comparing these statistics to numbers over the past decade and placing them up against their male counterparts, it reveals that not only is the number of female employees in the workplace growing steadily, but the female presence has increased proportionately across male-dominated fields as women are slowing taking over jobs traditionally held by men. Considering the numbers, people who speculate that women avoid affiliate marketing positions simply don’t know the facts. Beyond statistics, however, they also overlook something women bring to the space that their male peers may disregard. Biologically speaking, men focus on facts, numbers and the hierarchical structure of business. Women, however, are more likely to concentrate on experiences, relationships and the broader picture of a business opportunity. This quality is exceptionally useful in performance marketing, where sales are largely driven by consumer appeal. If an advertiser can perceive and fill the underlying needs of their consumer, the numbers will follow. That’s not to say men are incapable of having the same effect or of contributing in the same ways a woman can; it merely points out that women are just as capable of being successful in the affiliate world as men, even if their initial approach is entirely different. Fortunately, women working in affiliate marketing have received more recognition since the ill-advised article went live. Bloggers took to the internet in favor of female affiliate managers making big moves. The largest tradeshow in the industry hosted a speaking panel event during which four knowledgeable and credible women spoke about their satisfaction with their careers, their ability to move ahead despite their gender and the obvious reality that women have a place on all sides of an affiliate company, tech-related or not. Not surprisingly, the female presence continues to grow and mold the future of performance-based marketing. The best advice to women trying to break into affiliate marketing so far? Don’t make business partnerships and opportunities relevant to being male or female and gender roles won’t play a part in your success. Source: http://blog.madrivo.com/women-in-affiliate-marketing/
