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Want to commiserate about the Monday back to work blues or get tips on scheduling playdates from your desk? This is the place to quench your thirst for all things work/life related. Watercooler's editorial host is Jennifer Sey, the VP of global marketing for Dockers. She is joined by Vicki Larson, a journalist and single mom who writes at The OMG Chronicles; Denise Berger, the global leader of the Women’s International Network (WIN) at Aon Corporation; and Kerry Rivera, a real mom from the "O.C." who is the Marketing and Advertising Manager for Toyota. |
Does Stress Discriminate?
“AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!! I am sooooo stressed!” How many times have you been screaming those words - - in your head - - while externally you look calm, cool and collected? You may have just come from a business meeting and now rush frantically to your child’s school… or you may be sitting in a pediatric appointment, the doctor is running late, and now you fear that you will miss a scheduled meeting back in the office. more
Summer Camp Crisis.
It's Summer. Do You Know Where Your Kid Is? I stuck a large post-it on the fridge this week. It shows the last day of school in May and the first day in August. In between is a list of various start and end dates and which camp our son will be attending during each block of time. And each camp's drop off and pick up times. And the bus schedule, if there is a bus. If he's lucky, his parent's will actually keep track of where he is and remember who is supposed to pick him up each day. And where. more
To Work or Not to Work is Not the Question.
In her new book Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself,
Amy Richards explores the tricky landscape of motherhood in the 21st
Century. Richards, age 38, who is the mother of two young boys, is a
well-known feminist and a leader in the Third Wave movement. She is
also is the cofounder of Soapbox, a progressive speakers bureau. I
recently caught up with Richards to talk about her new book, focusing
on the issues affecting working parents. Here are edited excerpts of
our conversation:
Got Women?
When I was a girl, I wanted to play like the boys: their childhood experience seemed to be emotionally unencumbered, with their primary focus being on strength in sports, skill at games, and hanging out with their buddies. Being a girl seemed more complicated: we would impose inconsistent standards on each other that shifted like the wind and often influenced by what our friends thought of us; some of us were taught relentless pursuit of aspirations at an early age, while others were raised in a traditional care-giving model. more
Never Let Them See You Sweat.
Remember that cheesy deodorant tagline from the 80s: “Never let ‘em see you sweat”? For the past few months, as part of my New Year’s get-fit resolution, I’ve been breaking that rule of female empowerment at the office. more
Daycare Kids & Myers-Briggs.
We put our 15-month old son in the nursery at church Sunday. When we picked him up the nursery workers were gushing about how sweet he was and how well he had done being with them for the first time. more
Green Guilt.
Going “green” is the social mandate of the times. Everywhere you look, there’s advice about how to reduce your carbon footprint, reuse items and save energy. All worthy pursuits.
How Does The Recession Factor In All This?
Despite the title of this column, my office doesn’t actually have a watercooler. (Much to my dismay, I might add.) Instead, we have three water fountains strategically situated around the office. Therefore, the watering hole is actually a Flavia single-serve coffee machine in the break room, which serves up more than 10 different kinds of coffee and tea combinations.
The Second Guess.
I got a letter in the mail this week from my OB/GYN. She’s been my doctor for 10 years and she delivered my two sons. As a matter of fact, we have both been having babies for the last five years. We were pregnant in 2006 (she had twins!) and had preschool age sons at home. more
Working Mom Face Time.
Am I investing enough in "social capital" at the office? I'm a social person by nature. From a very young age, I've enjoyed chatting, yukking it up, and dishing dirt with my fellow human beings. Especially with the folks at my office—an ad agency where smart, creative, and, most importantly, funny people seem to flock in droves.