The response to the campaign, by babywearers in particular, has demonstrated, once again, the many ways in which mothers are harnessing the power of the Internet to affect change. Motrin has issued an apology and removed the ad from their website

As a babywearing mother of two, I have to say that I,too, found the tone of the commercial to be in poor taste.  The ad seemed to raise questions about the benefits of babywearing, while making light of a practice that mothers around the world have carried out for centuries. We in the West have repackaged the wisdom of African, Asian and Latin American moms by putting a ‘new twist’ on an old practice. 

In many developing countries health workers promote skin to skin contact between mother and newborn.  ‘Kangaroo mother care,’ as it is called, involves the wrapping or wearing of one’s baby on one’s chest.  Organizations like UNICEF and Save the Children support these efforts, citing the role that kangaroo mother care has played in reducing infant mortality rates. 

In most developed countries, mothers have a wide assortment of baby carriers to choose from– designer fabrics–with rings–without rings.  In many parts of the world, however, wearing one’s baby would never be considered a ‘fashion statement.’ 

To me, the Motrin ad was distasteful not only because it made light of a practice that is saving babies lives, but because it insinuated that babywearing was a ‘trend’ solely owned by achy Western wannabee ‘official moms’….whoever they are.

Her time at home has been supplemented by outside classes, three days a week.  Music and gymnastics have provided her with older friends–friends that she looks forward seeing on a regular basis. 

One thing that we have been committed to from the start is following our daughter’s lead and interests.  As a result, we have tried to expose her to a wide variety of people, activities and environments–always keeping an open mind about the type of environment that would be best.

There were some environments that we loved simply because they were beautiful and inspiring, offering children a place to be creative and play.  Other environments seemed to offer a great opportunity for the inquisitive child to learn about a wide range of subjects….at their own pace. We were informed by developmental research and a desire to keep in mind the ‘age-appropriateness’ of the activities on offer.

At some point in this process, however, I began to experience a tension–a tension which seemed all too familiar, given my own educational experience.   Our daughter, now age 2 years 10 months, started asking lots of questions about ‘academic’ subjects.  She wanted to know about letters–what sounds they made and how to write them.  She asked about words and how to spell them. She got frustrated when I would not let her ‘write’ with my pen.

We knew about early academics, Piaget’s operational stage of development and the need for children to ‘just play,’ but….. the task of following our daughter’s lead (in this case) challenged us to respect her uniqueness and not shield her from the early learning that she wanted to do.

So……I purchased the Montessori sandpaper letters, moveable alphabet and a tracing pad.  Our daughter loved tracing the letters with her fingers and saying aloud the sounds that they made.
(Click here to see Abigail demonstrate sandpaper letters)

Within a few short weeks, it was clear that she had learned most of the short sounds.  Everywhere we went, she would point out letters and tell me what sounds they made. She would find letters in her books, letters on her clothes, letters on street signs. Letters were everywhere.

Still committed to following her lead, I decided to introduce her to the moveable alphabet, a classic teaching tool found in Montessori preschools.  With wooden letters, (red for consonants and blue for vowels) children develop an awareness of the relationship between individual letters, sounds and words.

I decided to start ‘building words’ with the movable alphabet and to my suprise, my daughter decoded them by sounding out each of the letters. 
(Click here to see Abigail ‘decoding’ words.)
At 2 years 9 months, she told us that she could sound out three and four letter words.  Now, one month later, she wants to try to read everything.

I completely agree that children these days are bombarded at an early age with academics. I agree that we should fight for our children’s right to be children.  When I put on my ‘development hat,’ I am reminded of the pitfalls of ‘teaching’ a child to read before the age of 6 or 7. 

From personal experience, however, I know that sometimes following our child’s lead (I mean REALLY following our child’s lead) means taking off the ‘development hat’ and respecting the uniqueness of the early learner.

 

Ever feel overwhelmed by all the papers, notices, artwork, and other items your kids bring home from school?  Don’t be a pack rat!!  We’ll show you how to “Trap the R-A-T” (RETAIN, ACT, THROW)

School flyers:  Nearly every day, your child brings home flyers announcing some school activity, bake sale, field trip, or other such notices.  Unfortunately, these notices tend to pile up quickly unless acted upon.  As soon as practicable, read the flyers and perform the following R-A-T exercise.  RETAIN: All school flyers that contain information you are certain you need to keep (class lists with phone numbers, emergency procedures, etc.)  ACT:  Make sure you have your calendar while reviewing the notices, and mark any important dates.  Once you mark the date, you should be able to “throw.”  THROW:  Anything you suspect you won’t need in the future, or have already acted upon.  Don’t be afraid to THROW, as you can almost always go back to the school or your child’s teacher and ask about the content of the flyer, if necessary.  The most important questions to ask yourself in deciding whether to RETAIN or THROW are: (1)  What ’s the worst thing that could happen if I threw this away?  In almost every case, you will find that, at most, a minor inconvenience may occur.  (2)  If I THROW it and discovered I needed it later, could I replace it?  Again, it is a very rare occurrence where a notice or its contents cannot be replaced, and (3)  By the time I might need it, will it be obsolete?  While it’s always hard to predict the future, most notices have a “shelf life” of a few weeks at most, after which the information they contain goes stale.  As a rule of thumb, there should be approximately a 4 to 1 ratio of “THROW” to “RETAIN.”

Artwork:  While it would be great to be able to keep all of your child’s artwork in perpetuity, most of us don’t have enough room in the house!!  I recommend that you follow the 3 “F” rule.  FRAME:  Some outstanding pieces of artwork deserve framing.  Buy several acrylic frame boxes at The Container Store and hang the framed artwork around your house, in your basement, or in your child’s room.  Your kids will appreciate the recognition they get when you go the extra mile to frame their art.  FLUSH:  No need to keep random scribble, or works that don’t meet your standards.  FILE:  Not all art is frameworthy.  But it may not be “flushworthy” either!  Keep those items which demonstrate talent, and those you may someday decide to frame.  Make a file box for each child, and let them decorate the box.  When they bring something home they want to keep, ask them to file it in their very own keepsake box.  And don’t forget, much of the “filed” art can be used as gifts to relatives.  You may also consider taking digital photos of your child’s art, and storing it on disk.  Although it’s not the same as the original, this is a good way to reduce the clutter of the overwhelming amount of art that comes through the door.

Art Supplies:  To create a masterpiece, your child needs the proper tools.  Everything from markers, crayons, paints, and brushes need to be organized or they will quickly overtake your home.  Keep everything in a portable box that they can bring from room to room, and separate the crayons, markers and other stuff into baggies.  Make it clear that they are responsible for maintaining order for their art supplies.  You may also consider purchasing a small “art desk” and a bookshelf so they can have their own area in the house to do artwork.  Put the supplies in separate lined baskets in the bookshelf for them to use.

Birthday invitations:  To keep track of all the birthday parties, it’s best to follow the “GO or NO-GO” rule.  Once you get invited, check your calendar and try to make a decision quickly.  Mark it in your calendar and make a birthday invitation file so you can keep the ones you need (e.g.  if there’s directions you’ll need the day of the party).  If it’s a “NO-GO,” respond within a day or two and “flush” the invitation.

Organizing jackets, backpacks and shoes:  It is not at all unusual to see kids walk through the door, tear off their jacket and backpack, throw them on a chair or on the floor, and leave their shoes lying around for you to clean up.  With most kids averaging several pairs of shoes apiece, you can soon find yourself facing a “clutter emergency.”  The best way to reduce clutter is to follow the 4 “P’s.”  PATTERN:  You will need to establish a pattern with your kids, whereby they follow a set routine when they come in the door.   Don’t give up if, at first, your kids seem reluctant to follow or adhere to the pattern.  Before they can follow the pattern, there needs to be an established PLACE for everything.   You can start with a row of sturdy PEGS hung low, which can hold jackets and backpacks.  Put the row of pegs close to the door where the kids enter.  Next, you should consider a PLASTIC BIN or set of stacked bins, where the kids can throw assorted items such as shoes, hats, gloves, scarves, etc.  You can purchase these items at any home or container store.

Getting children ready for school:  If you find yourself always rushing and fighting in the morning, one way to ease the crunch is to lay-out their clothes the night before.  The trick is to prepare not one but TWO outfits, to allow them to make their own choice in the morning.  Giving them the power to choose almost always eliminates the cry of “I don’t WANNA wear that!!” (even though they picked it out the night before). You may also consider buying a five-compartment hanging shelf for their closet (some places sell these with the days of the weeks already on them), and pick out the outfits for the whole week—including socks and underwear. 

Organizing your child’s clothes: For infants and toddlers   (1) Hang everything that is hangable.  That includes shirts, pants, sweaters and nighties.  That way, everything is visible when you go to the closet to make your choices.  (2)  Buy a double rod.  To state the obvious, this doubles your hanging room.  These are easy to install and available at any children’s store or at Target.  (3) Keep a bin near or in the closet, so if something doesn’t fit anymore, you can immediately toss it. (4) Go through the closet at least every quarter and make sure everything fits or is the right season.                                                                                                              

For toddlers and above:  Teach proper clothing management to your children.  It’s never too early to teach how to fold and put away clothes.  Most kids enjoy helping mom or dad do the folding.  Don’t worry if the folding job isn’t “perfect.”  It’s the thought that counts!  If your child is very young, you might want to label their drawers with cut-out pictures of the items contained in that particular drawer.

These are just a few of the ideas to help kill the clutter.  To go the extra mile and help ensure a more permanent, clutter-free environment, a professional organizer can be an ideal “sanity-saving” investment.

Betsy Fein is the President of Clutterbusters!!, a professional organizing firm based in Rockville, Maryland.  For more info, go to www.clutterbusters.com,  301-309-9614,  betsy@clutterbusters.com, Copyright 2003

My preschool-aged daughter has already started asking questions about children in need.  The simple process of cleaning out our closets, bagging up the items and leaving them for the Salvation Army sparked a long and interesting conversation.  When I told her that there were children who did not have clothes she got excited about giving them hers.  She flung open the drawers and began pulling things out–some that still fit–some things that we had just bought.  She didn’t seem to care about that.  

Instead she wanted to know who the little girl was. Why did she not have clothes? How old was she?  What was her name?  While running errands one day, my husband blurted out the name ‘Magnolia.’

When a local church came to pick up our old used car, my daughter wanted to know if Magnolia’s mom would now be able to drive her to school.  When the neighborhood children came around to take orders for a fundraiser, she wanted to know if the money would help Magnolia buy a new toy.  She wants to meet Magnolia one day and play together.

I will admit that I am deeply moved by my almost three-year-old daughter’s burgeoning sense of concern.  The seeds of compassion have been sown and I pray that over time they will continue to grow. I am happy that she wants to give her things to Magnolia.  As she grows and matures, however, I want to make sure that she learns about all of the things that Magnolia can give her. 

I am, therefore, challenged as a mom.  On the one hand, I want to make sure that my children are committed to helping those in need….but at the same time….paternalism can be problematic.

As the Director of Global Exchange, a human rights organization, I am

As a mother, I believe in traveling annually with my sons.  I also believe that I should use my expertise and passion for travel to enhance their learning. Family vacations are invaluable….and they can be approached as a real educational experience.

Why not visit the East Coast to study the history of the United States? Begin with the monuments and museums around Washington DC, then travel to Boston to learn more about the ‘Tea Party.’ You can hike the Trail of Tears or travel through the South to learn more about the Civil Rights Movement. Understand the roots of slavery by traveling to West Africa and visiting one of the ports. A safari is a great way to learn about the importance of biodiversity.

This summer I took my sons to Honduras and Nicaragua. I chose these destinations for a number of reasons. Firstly, they were cost effective for me as a single mom. The flights were reasonably priced and I knew that my dollar would stretch (yes even despite the devaluation of the USD abroad) in terms of food and accommodations.

Secondly, I wanted to travel to places that would be welcoming to families and where I would not be afraid to travel by bus. I love listening to my sons practice their Español with everyone we encounter.  Parents and grandparents approach us to speak and give recommendations of places to eat and things for the boys to see! I find Latin America and the Caribe consistently hospitable and Honduras and Nicaragua were the 6^th and 7^th Latin countries my sons had traveled to. 

Thirdly, I wanted them to see and experience modern Central American cultures and understand a bit about pre-colonial history and the Maya. I want them to learn about the complexity of history where they can given their stage of development. “Discovery” did happen, but it is also true that there were thriving civilizations here in the Americas prior to ‘discovery.’ This fact is important to me not just because of my personal background, but because it is also something I believe needs to supplement my sons’ school books.

They have just recently been exposed to Christopher Columbus, George Washington and the founding history of the USA. I wanted them to learn for themselves that there were (and still are) indigenous peoples all over the Americas when the United States was founded. My sons have seen and met with the Hopi and Lakota by visiting reservations. They have been amazed by how Amazonian communities fish and grow yucca.  They have marveled and played on the slopes of magical Machu Pichu and learnt about the Inca’s expansive history. 

This summer they ran around the ruins of Copan, played soccer with campesino children on a fair trade coffee cooperative and collected jellyfish with Garifuna boys on the beaches in Tela.  With a little planning, you can transform your family vacations into a real learning experience……..

Start by making a plan and budget for your destination. Save a little every month. Research the locally-owned posada or bed and breakfast and ask them about their amenities for children. Be sure to ask for a family rate. In Cusco, for example, I found a place with a huge enclosed yard with trees to climb and a swing set.  I booked a double for the three of us which saved money. When booking a boating excursion in Tela this summer I told them I was a single mom with two sons and asked if they had a children’s rate or a two for one. Bingo, they did!

When you ask for a discount, most of the time people will try to help you out.   When deciding where to go, look at your children’s curriculum, or bring them to a place that will encourage their innate passion or curiosity. For example, you can bring your budding naturalist to a Mexican forest to see first-hand the Monarch migration.

Name your place and bring history alive in a meaningful way. The possibilities are endless!

Malia Everette is a mother of two sons and the Director of Reality Tours at Global Exchange.

Joyce Kushner is the Founder and owner of Coco-Zen, a small chocolate company in the  San Francisco Bay Area, specializing in Fair Trade Certified chocolate truffles.  We caught up with Joyce earlier this week to find out more about how she MOMbos.

How many children do you have?

I have a two-year-old son, Max. I’m hoping to get started on a 2nd child in the near future! 

How many products does Coco-Zen offer?

We currently have 8 different flavors of chocolate which are available in bite-size and 1oz-plus size. Our truffles come in a variety of packages…some for gift giving….some to be stashed away ( for yourself)….

What type of work did you do prior to becoming a mom?

Just prior to having our son Max, I was the Marketing/Visual Director for a retail jewelry chain. Before that, I worked mostly in the retail fashion industry - Gap, BCBG Max Azria and Express. What many don’t know, is that I was also a dancer with a small company up until my late 20’s - when I reluctantly decided to “get serious about a career” and put my business/economic degree to some use.

What inspired you to launch your business?

I knew that someday I would have my own business, although, I always thought it would be in fashion or involve dance somehow. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit.

At the time I was going to go out on maternity leave, the jewelry company I was working for got bought out by another company and decided to merge their corporate headquarters in Dallas. I was offered an opportunity to join them there, but being a true Californian, I decided to stay put.  I realized that maybe this was the perfect opportunity to finally start my own thing.

How did you decide to get into chocolate?

When Max was an infant and I was nursing, there was very little I could do with the small intervals of time I would get to myself with our son’s feed, play, sleep cycle (as most moms of infants know). During those 30-45 minute naps of his, I would play around in the kitchen.  I’m an absolute chocoholic, so I was always playing with chocolate and experimenting with chocolate truffles and flavor combinations. I ended up with so much chocolate in the house that I had to start giving them away to friends. They were a hit and I thought…well, why not sell them? Thus, Coco-Zen was born.

How did Coco-Zen come to embrace a Planet & People friendly philosophy?

Being a new mom, I was overwhelmed with anxiety about what kind of parent I would be, what kind of person I would raise and what kind of world he would be raised in - things I’m sure all new parents go through. This crept into everything I did, including my business. As I started to set-up Coco-Zen, I learned about Fair Trade chocolate and what I like to call the “dirty little secret” of the cocoa industry.  The majority of the world’s consumed cocoa comes from The Ivory Coast where cocoa plantations are rampant with child labor (often slavery) and the plantations are destroying the natural environment. Overcome with guilt about all the chocolate I had consumed in my life, I committed to only using Fair Trade Certified and organic chocolate all of our products. I then started to really look at packaging, marketing materials, and everything else involved in the business. I realized that I needed to also think about their impact on our environment. After all, being a Californian, I grew up loving the mountains and beaches.  I wanted our son to be able to enjoy what I did.

I guess you could say…our little guy was the inspiration behind everything.

In terms of your new business, was there a learning curve?

Absolutely. Having always been in fashion, I knew plenty about clothing & jewelry, but nothing about the food business. The biggest setback was when I found out that I could not sell food to the public that was made in my own kitchen - hence, I had to find a commercial kitchen. Trying to find environmentally friendly packaging that was suitable for food also proved to be a huge challenge. Traditionally, chocolates are packaged in paper or plastic. I wanted to avoid plastics as much as possible and paper cannot be recycled if soiled with food - not many people know that. As a result, I ended up with tins….but I am constantly on the lookout for new and planet friendlier ways to package.

Fortunately, we live in the age of the internet. I have been able to gather so much information from the web, social networking sites (like yours!!), green business networks, etc. Truly, I don’t think I would have been able to do this were it not for my computer and the internet!

What has been the hardest part of mompreneurship?

Time management. First of all…I’m a type A personality - so, I’m always trying to do everything at once. Really the hardest thing has been to make sure I have dedicated time to share with my son and husband. It turns out I have 3 full-time jobs - business owner, mom, and housewife. As a result, business usually ends up happening late at night - after everyone’s been fed, house chores completed, and Max is asleep. Luckily, I also get 3 days a week to work when our little guy is in daycare.

What part do you love best?

I love being my own boss and knowing that all my hard work (like I said - I’m type A!) is going towards something I own and believe in. I love all the people that I’ve started to meet via the online networking. And, of course, what chocoholic doesn’t love the idea of working with chocolate for a living?  

What is your ‘typical day’ like?

VERY BUSY!!

I wake up with Max around 6:45 am….get him some warm milk and quickly check my emails.

On Daycare Days…

I get the little guy dressed, pack his lunch, and get him to daycare by 9am. I spend most of the day in my home office (or kitchen if trying new recipes) working on Coco-Zen. Around 4:30pm, I start prepping for dinner. I pick up Max from daycare at around 5pm…. make dinner for and feed him. Then there is play time, bath time and waiting for my husband to come home so he can see Max before he goes to bed. While daddy puts Max to bed, I get dinner ready for “the grown-ups”. Spend a little time with my hubby over dinner. Then, it’s back to work - usually till around midnight.

On All Other Days…

After breakfast with Max, the day is usually spent either doing chores together (laundry, grocery shopping, etc.), going to the park, and basically hanging out. I try to squeeze in as much work as possible during his midday nap. Then, in the evening, it’s the usual. A little time over dinner with the hubby and then back to work.

How do you manage work/life balance?

It’s definitely hard. Some of the house stuff has to go…can’t say I’m as good about the cleaning and tidiness as I used to be. I’ve gotten good at batching errands together in single trips and doing house stuff while I have Max with me - he likes to go to the store, “help” with laundry and cleaning, and pretend to cook. I’m also very fortunate to have a husband that believes in me supports my endeavors!

To learn more about Joyce Kushner and Coco-Zen, visit www.coco-zen.com

The Consistent Life Ethic is an ethical, religious, and political ideology based on the premise that all life is sacred.^[1] The ethic’s adherents are opposed to abortion, capital punishment, assisted suicide, economic injustice, and euthanasia. Adherents are opposed, at the very least, to unjust war, while some adherents also profess pacifism, or opposition to all war. Some also extend the concept of a “consistent ethic of life” to encompass animal rights and vegetarianism.

At the center of the Bonobo Kids project is Lucy, a young ape who lives with her matriarchal family at the zoo in Jacksonville Florida.  Written by Mathea Levine and inspired by Marian Brickner’s photography,  I’m Lucy: A Day In the Life of a Young Bonobo is an anthropomorphic tale aimed at highlighting some of the common traits that young children and young apes share.  This ‘day in the life’ with Lucy offers children a glimpse of the bonobo’s silly side. The afterword (written by Jane Goodall) is by contrast less amusing. It tells the story of bonobo life in the Democratic Republic of Congo….a story of human cruelty and predicted extinction. 

At Bonobo Kids. org, children can learn about some of the ways that they can participate in ’saving’ Lucy’s family. When you purchase a copy of I’m Lucy from the Bonobo Kids website,  all of the profits go toward protecting bonobos and the environment.

The MOMbo team is comprised of stay at home moms, work at home moms and career moms.  We are married moms and single moms.  We are raising young children. We have raised adult children.  From our respective locations around the world, we bring our contributions to the MOMbo community. We come with an eye toward understanding and appreciation–and the desire to effectively model these values for our children.

We are a global community and as such extend to you the invitation to participate. Motherhood is a dance, and we look forward to learning more about how you MOMbo.

With a little creativity, however, teatime can be turned into a real learning opportunity.

Culture is so often expressed in the taking of tea.  While teatime in England might include crustless cucumber sandwiches, scones and cream, tea in Japan would involve the serving of matcha or green tea in small bowls.   

Try pairing a small cup of Jasmine or oolong tea with an almond cookie and doing a bit of study on the ancient cultivation of tea in China.  Want to learn a little about North Africa? Grab some fresh mint and brew up some sweet Morrocan mint tea?  A spicy cup of chai can be a great introduction to Indian culture.   Add a jade bracelet or some Indian sari fabric to the dress-up box.  There are so many possibilities.

Whatever you choose, teatime ‘with a twist’ is one way to turn playtime into a cultural learning experience.