A Chance for Moms to Talk
Last Wednesday I had the opportunity to pull together 13 friends to meet with journalist Debra Lynn Hook of www.momseasychair.com. She asked us about how we classify ourselves (I called myself "Octopus Mom" because I feel like I constantly have at least eight different tasks to handle, from parenting to all my writing responsibilities). And she asked if there were ever a time we felt we had lost our identities. The answers were quite moving. You can read all about it at the Web site. We're the group listed as "LI--New York" and supposedly I'm to be Mom of the Day soon. It was fun to be interviewed by a reporter when I'm usually the one on the other side of the pen and notebook. Hopefully Debra Lynn felt the same way. I don't know; maybe it's a little like doctors visiting doctors?
But the main thought I walked away with, and emphasized to her, is what has made parenting easier for me is that I've always reached out to other moms for support: to complain to, check in with, reveal my worst moments to, and to get advice from. And I've done the same as a writer. I have several different outlets through which I can reach out to other writers to complain to, check in with, reveal my worst moments, and to get advice from.
If you don't already have a group of like-minded writers to talk to, join a group at your local library; join a local writer's organization; or join any one of the national organizations. You can check on my site at www.lizaburby.com for some of the organizations I belong to so you can get an idea of the variety out there. But I have also made friends with numerous local writers, many of whom freelance for me. It helps because they know the local market as I do, so we can help each other. Sometimes that help means referring work. So, what are you waiting for? Parent or writer or both? Reach out to others. We all need the extra arms--even if you don't call yourself "Octopus Mom."
But the main thought I walked away with, and emphasized to her, is what has made parenting easier for me is that I've always reached out to other moms for support: to complain to, check in with, reveal my worst moments to, and to get advice from. And I've done the same as a writer. I have several different outlets through which I can reach out to other writers to complain to, check in with, reveal my worst moments, and to get advice from.
If you don't already have a group of like-minded writers to talk to, join a group at your local library; join a local writer's organization; or join any one of the national organizations. You can check on my site at www.lizaburby.com for some of the organizations I belong to so you can get an idea of the variety out there. But I have also made friends with numerous local writers, many of whom freelance for me. It helps because they know the local market as I do, so we can help each other. Sometimes that help means referring work. So, what are you waiting for? Parent or writer or both? Reach out to others. We all need the extra arms--even if you don't call yourself "Octopus Mom."
Thanks for remembering us in your blog, Liza. As I said when I was leaving your house, your group left significant impressions on me, personally. What amazed me most is that so many of us mothers, no matter our accomplishments, come down to the same thing: juggling our children "against" everything else in our lives -- even today, in 2007. After I met with you all, I found myself interviewing Dr. Suniya Luthar at Columbia University, who is doing cutting-edge research on the state of motherhood today. She has collected 3,000 surveys and wants to collect 2,000 more before she writes what I think will be a popular book. Her hope is to reach women, so as to empower a movement, not a movement of women to speak in D.C., but a movement of women to begin speaking in homes and coffee shops, to each other. Her initial findings is that we are all questioning ourselves as we attempt to be perfect, as we raise our children in isolation, against an ever-confusing society. The picture is not all grim. What she is finding, and what we have found through Momseasychair are true pioneers, women who are eking out out on their own, not waiting for policy-makers or workplace changes. The time is now. We are on the cusp, and I have heard this from more than one pundit. This is the time for women to keep standing up, and I don't mean in the workplace. I mean in the home, I mean in the coffee shops. We need to claim for ourselves what is rightfully ours, that is wellbeing and freedom from perfection. If you would like to fill out the survey, go to momsaspeople.com. It is a long survey. But we can thus empower the sisterhood, and learn something about ourselves along the way; I was surprised to recognize certain things about myself through the survey. OK. Over and out. Liza, I was so glad to meet you, and yes, it was a treat talking to other journalists. We're such smart, interesting people, n'est-ce pas?
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Dear Liza and Debra-Lynn,
Thank you both so much for inviting moms to join our survey; I'm most grateful. Again, the site address is www.MomsAsPeople.com -- with warm regards,
Suniya
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I like your style, the fact that your site is a little bit different makes it so interesting, I get fed up of seeing same-old-same-old all of the time. I've just stumbled this page for you
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Why thank you very much. I must be better about blogging though. I'm a magazine publisher now and it takes most of my time. But I'm still reading children's books and keeping up on the industry. I'll add more info as soon as I can.
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