www.MomsRising.org

I wanted to blog about this last month and got sidetracked. Can you believe it?

The top link takes you to a new organization that has been formed to tackle the inequalities that most moms experience in the workplace.

The second link takes you to a New York Times article that discusses the organization in more depth and some of the political waves they are already making with their documentary.

If you go to the www.MomsRising.org website you can view a trailer of the movie or sign up to host a showing. You can also join their e-mail list to stay informed of their progress.

After being "let go" because I asked for two years unpaid leave from my teaching job at Brockport (it was previously 2 years, but they had just changed the policy after I was hired), and my request to work part-time falling on deaf ears, I can sympathize with single moms who don't have the choice some of us do to stay home with the kids.

Even Andrew would love to have more family time, but no one seems interested in a part-time teacher, so he has to shoulder our financial burden alone. Luckily, Andrew has more flexibility as a nurse practitioner, but I wish I could help out more so he didn't have to work two jobs.

That's why I get so excited when I sell an e-book! It gives me a sense of pride that my writing can help other people AND help me take care of my family's needs.

Enough about me. Go check out MomsRising.org and see what you think!

Rebecca
http://ThrivingBabies.com

Nap Time

Arianna is getting to be a big girl, very independent and mature. This has mostly been a positive experience, with the exception of recent nap time power struggles. Sometimes she just isn't sleepy in the afternoon, so we skip nap time -- no big deal -- she goes to bed a little earlier.

But sometimes she's exhausted and miserable, acting naughty and crying constantly, and she still refuses to take a nap. We weren't sure quite how to handle this. (And we left Elizabeth Pantley's "The No Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers" at the other house!) What do you do when your kid refuses something they very clearly need?

The article link gave us a nice understanding about why Arianna is struggling with naps, and some good strategies to help. We decided to use some "quiet rest time" each day. It seems to help her unwind and prepare for a nap, if needed. It also gives us a break so we don't get too snappy with her.

The long-term consequences don't seem to work well with her. She lives too much in the moment to care about what might happen after dinner!

We hope that you find the article useful if you ever encounter a similar situation!

Andrew and Rebecca