The streets of my Washington, DC neighborhood were eerily silent Thursday night during the countdown to Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Biden’s historic vice presidential debate. Like my neighbors, I was huddled excitedly in front of my television set. more

Two years ago, I sat on a panel of women with MBA degrees ranging in age from 25 to 60. It’s pretty rare to have significant age differences among women MBAs, since most business schools didn’t admit women until the 1950s. more

Three timely truths: On average, highly educated wives play a crucial role in their husband’s career success, women who let their husbands take the lead in breadwinning enjoy happier marriages, and couples who focus on common goals enjoy happier and more stable marriages. more

Working moms around the country, myself included, have rejoiced in the spotlight on Sarah Palin: finally, a working mom like us who juggles the messy chaos of “having it all.” What a relief after decades of a two-party system (and I’m talking about the wives here, not the candidates). Women in politics seemingly had only two choices: more

First day back to school.  Three new grades: first, fourth and sixth.  My kids and I celebrated by munching tortillas at our favorite Mexican café in the bright September sunshine. We dissected who had grown. Who had braces.  Which teacher was most strict. Then my cell phone rang. more

Reduced to its headlines, my inner mommy war flashes like one of those endless neon tickertapes in Times Square: Motherhood is bliss… Motherhood is torture… Motherhood is bliss… Motherhood is torture… more

When I was collecting essays for Mommy Wars one of the questions I asked each contributor was the following question I ask you to ponder now: Did you know, before you had kids, whether you wanted to work or stay home once you became a mother? Everyone reported that they had known exactly what they were going to do once they had kids. Everyone was wrong. more

Six years ago, as I was getting ready for my third maternity leave, one of my bosses in the Washington Post advertising department asked if my team could take on an intern. The girl was a senior at a prestigious all-girls private school. At The Washington Post, it’s a colossal pain to hire interns because of newspaper guild rules. But we did it as a favor to my boss, the girl and her family. Our intern showed up for her first day of “work” wearing shorts and flip flops. more

When my first child was born, I was 32, married twice, divorced once, with an MBA from Wharton and a senior marketing job at Johnson & Johnson. My primary work/family observation following my child’s arrival: I still had time, brain cells and energy to work fulltime. But if I wanted to actually see my baby, I needed flexibility. more

How often do white women consider ways that motherhood differs for black women in the United States? Watching Soledad O’Brien and CNN’s “The Black Woman and Family” made me consider this provocative question – and it’s one reason why you should watch it. more