Men, Divorce and Happiness

Some bits of news to slip in before the long holiday weekend , when you’ll surrender to the seductive aroma of the grill and a tall glass of your favorite iced beverage with sunscreen at the ready. Ahhh. Social scientists have documented men moving into traditionally “pink collar” jobs like nursing and teaching. The pace has accelerated since the recession started, and it is not clear if men will flee primarily female job sectors when employment improves and more jobs become available. Some men report that family obligations played a role in their decision, and the trend is seen across all...

What's a Mother's Worth?

By Riane Eisler and Shireen Mitchell Should Mother’s Day just be about nice cards and pretty flowers? Or should it be about giving the people who care for us, and the essential work they do, real worth? How did we do this Mother’s Day? Mother’s Day Tea in the East Room of the White House, May 10, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert) In our wealthy nation, millions of mothers – largely women who devoted all or part of their lives to taking care of others – face an old age of poverty. U.S. Census data show that they are twice as likely to be poor than older men. We would all...

For Mother's Day: A Present That Values Families

Mother's Day unifies the nation as we all scurry to find the right Hallmark card, fancy flowers or some proverbial chocolates to honor she who labored us into this world. The treats, however, can't sweeten a bitter fact: our country, while touting that it values families, gives scant evidence of doing so, particularly when it comes to infants and their care. Our public policies in these arenas could, but don't, give mothers (and fathers) who work outside the home what they need to nurture our next generation. To create healthy, thriving families and communities, we should start when children...

TIME: Ask the RIGHT questions!

TIME Magazine just became another self-appointed arbiter of “Mommy Judgment” by trying to inflame the Mommy Wars with their exploitative cover of a young mother standing like a mudflap girl and breastfeeding her 3, maybe 4 year old. The byline: “Are you Mom enough?” The answer is, as soon as you have a baby, YOU ARE MOM ENOUGH! TIME is sadly out of touch with what Moms really want. It’s time to ask, “Are we Mom-friendly enough?” In my circle of “Mom” friends, we largely think that the “Mommy Wars” are over. Until, of course, some stupid news outlet uses the Mommy War to try and sell magazines...