MOTHERS Book Bag

An excerpt from The Real Wealth of Nations

I invite you to join me in exploring this new perspective on economics.
I ask that you leave behind assumptions that have constricted
our view, because what we will look at goes beyond what is usually
considered the domain of economics. I also ask that, as you read on,
you keep in mind what you most value and want in your own life.

In the pages that follow, we will look at economics through a wider
lens that reveals the exciting possibilities of what I call caring economics. I realize that even putting economics and caring in the same sentence is alien to conventional thought. But this is no time for conventional thought. As expressed in popular clichés such as “thinking outside the box,” it is a time that urgently calls for unconventional thought.

Practical Steps to Caring Economics

From Riane Eisler's website.

1. Buy only from companies that have caring policies, let those that don’t know why you are no longer patronizing them, and encourage your organization to incorporate caring practices and policies by
showing them how support for caring is good for families, business, and the economy. For example:

• In Northern European nations that have more caring policies there is less personal stress and crime, higher educational performance, and a better general quality of life
• The return on investment for U.S. companies on childcare and paid parental leave is huge in terms of employee retention and productivity
  

2. Ask your elected representatives to allocate funding for caring:

• Programs that give tangible support to new parents, such as the Ontario “Healthy Babies, Healthy Children” program, has resulted in accelerated child development, services for parents, and less family violence.
• Studies show that investing in high quality childcare results in enormous economic savings (for example, in the costs of crime and prisons) and is essential not only in human terms but for the “high quality human capital” essential for the postindustrial economy.

Excerpt from The Daring Book for Girls

Courtesy of NBC's The Today Show

The Daring Girls Guide to Danger

Facing your fears can be a rewarding experience, and pushing yourself to new heights will inspire you to face challenges throughout life. Here in no particular order is a checklist of danger and daring. Some you should be able to do right away, but a few you might need to work up to:

Ride a roller coaster. The biggest roller-coaster drops in America include the Kingdom Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey at 418 feet; the Top Thrill Dragster in Ohio at 400 feet; and Superman: The Escape in California at 328 feet. But the scariest coaster ride in America is still the Cyclone in Coney Island. Built in the 1920s, this comparably small metal and wooden ride packs an unbelievable punch with sudden drops and hairpin turns.

Ride a zip line across the canopy of a rain forest. A trip to Costa Rica offers incredible adventures, including “flying” across the roof of the world 200 feet off the ground with distances between trees of up to 1,200 feet. Many outdoor centers around the country also offer zip line courses.

Downloads and Audio files

Downloads and Audio Clips

• Download The Working Mother's Manifesto: This is how we do it at ChangeThis.com. This is a PDF document, so you will need Adobe Reader to download and view it.
• Listen to Carol Evan's audio-video clips at AOL Coaches

Creating Parallel Resumes

The following is excerpted from Ann Crittenden's new book,If You'Ve Raised Kids, You Can Manage Anything: Leadership Begins at Home (Gotham Books; August 2004)

How would an individual who has spent some time out of the job market raising children present that experience in the most favorable light? Exactly how could she or he put it on a resume?

One way to begin might be to do a skills inventory on yourself, listing all of the transferable skills you have picked up informally, including all of the volunteering at schools, churches, and other nonprofit groups. It will obviously help if you have been active in community, school, religious, or civic organizations, and can claim familiarity with fund raising, recruiting and directing volunteers, publishing newsletters, publicity, Web page creation and maintenance, and the like. But a parent's skills alone could easily include financial management, organizational skills, mediating, negotiating, motivational speaking, tutoring, child psychologist, event planning, catering, household procurement. The point is, don't be shy. In almost everyone's case the raw material is there. Many women who have been at home for a few years do lose confidence and need a reminder of all that they have accomplished.

One mother who wasn't shy about drawing up a list of her "transferable skills" was Helen Chongris of Plano, Texas. Here is a slightly edited version of a unique separate resume that helped her win a job as a copy editor at The Dallas Morning News, after 20 years out of journalism.

Mothers' management tips

From If You'Ve Raised Kids, You Can Manage Anything: Leadership Begins at Home

• Set priorities.
• Don't sweat the small stuff.
• Remember the Four Ds: Don't do it (unless it's absolutely necessary) Dovetail it (do it at the same time as something else) Delegate it (i.e. to the kids) Delay it (until you don't have to do it).
• Let them think it was their idea.
• Never bring up a problem without offering a solution.
• Pick your fights. Remember, calm is always the high ground.
• Give out gold stars. No one is ever too old or too accomplished to appreciate a little praise.
• In negotiating, always seek a win-win solution, but remember the bargaining power of the irrational "NO!"
• Listen carefully and respectfully to others. No one should leave the table without feeling they've been heard.
• Don't rush to "fix" everything. Sit with a problem until the right solution emerges.
• Encourage the talents that are there, rather than try to make people someone they're not. Remember, everyone is good at something.
• Use positive reinforcement, a self-fulfilling prophecy. Remember The Little Engine That Could: "I Think I Can, I Think I Can…"
• Let people go. Let them make their own mistakes, within reasonable boundaries -- it's the only way they grow and learn.
• Loosen up and lighten up. Remember, creativity and playfulness go hand in hand.
• "Being There" for your people is as important as being there for your kids. Unconditional love is a wonderful management tool.
• Never play favorites. Children, employees, and constituents are all hard-wired to want fairness. (The fairness rule: if there's only one cookie, have one child divide it and the other pick the first piece).
• No whining; no excuses. Always do your homework.
• Always say "Please" and "Thank you".
• Take the long view. Rome wasn't built in a day, and children don't grow up overnight. Everything important takes time.