National Hug Your Kids Day coming – July 20

Sorry, I’ve been too busy working on the holiday to blog about working on the holiday.

1. Please mark your calendars for Monday, July 20, 2009 – National Hug Your Kids Day. If you have children within a hug’s reach, hug them! If they’re too far away, give them a call, text, email, snail mail, a Cookie-gram… whatever it takes to make sure on that day, they feel hugged.

Remember, hugs are fast, free – and non-fattening. Perfect for these times when we’re fighting a time crunch, a money shortage and our waistlines. No excuses!

2. We’re working to get the word out via digital billboards across the US (thanks, Clear Channel Outdoors!,) announcements during Major League Baseball games and in contests in Gannett newspapers from coast to coast.

3. Call-ins, I love ‘em! My whole day is brightened when I get a call from a university in Ohio, or a junior hockey team in Ottawa, Canada (and the CAPITAL of all of Canada!)  that they’d like to announce and promote Hug Your Kids Day. Come on folks, jump on the bandwagon! Jump in the pool! The more voices, the merrier – and the more hugs.

4. My vision is to change the world’s families – one million hugs at a time. Once we reach a few million hugs, momentum will kick in and the rest will be easy. Please help me reach those first few million hugs. Start with hugging your kids and telling a few friends.

5. Updates? check here or http://www.hugyourkidstoday.com/2009.asp

Or call me – (775) 303-8201

“Hug Your Kids” says Cincinnati Reds Baseball Manager Dusty Baker about Adenhart

The Cincinnati Reds showed Nick Adenhart’s photo on the video board and asked fans to stand and remove their hats for a moment of silence in his memory before the seventh-inning stretch during their game against the New York Mets. “It makes you want to hug your kids. It just goes to show you, tomorrow’s not promised to anybody, so enjoy today,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

Adenhart was the 22-year-old rookie was among three people who died early Thursday after their car was struck by a motorist who ran a red light. He made his season debut a few hours earlier in a loss to Oakland. It was just the fourth start and appearance of his major league career.

Work-Life Balance a Diversity Issue Says IBM

Ron Glover, Vice President of Diversity and Workforce Programs, at IBM says, “Work/Life difficulty is no longer a women’s issue – it’s a people issue.

Unemployment Can Be a Gift to Mothers

Businesspeople often talk about “unintended consequences,” but here’s one I didn’t think of. NPR just published a story about how executive women who lost their jobs recently are spending more time with their kids and learning more about them. They’re spending time with their children at their schools, daycares and doctor’s offices, apparently places the nannies went in their stead when the moms worked full time. http://tinyurl.com/cspcds

What do you think? I think it’s an opportunity for the kids have quality time. I know it’s hard to see unemployment as a gift to mothers , but from a kid’s view, it just might be. 

Parents Should NOT Balance Work and Family

For working parents these days, it’s like we’re fighting in a smoke-filled room. It’s  critical to discern what is important, and what is not so important, which comes from prioritizing.

I believe that work-life balance is the wrong goal. When you’re trying to hold onto your job AND keep your family relationships going, then “balance” is an illogical, impossible – and downright dangerous plan. It’s illogical because work and family are not of equal value, impossible because there is no conversion rate for work and family so they can’t be balanced, and dangerous because work is ultimately replaceable and family is irreplaceable so your health can be put at risk if they are made equal.

Instead, I recommend people prioritize. It’s not 50% work and 50% family; it’s family first and work a close second! That means, hug your kids, spouse/partner/loved ones – and then get to work. By taking care of the most important thing first, it lets people focus on their work and get more done! For more info, http://www.hugyourkidstoday.com

Mom Buys New Basketball Hoop for Better Parent-Child Communications

My son recently had his 12th birthday and my hubby and I bought him a basketball hoop. I’m not trying to raise the next NBA star (OK, I’ve started too late for this goal anyway,) but I was also thinking that maybe my son and I could spend some time together shooting baskets while we talk about his day, his dreams and of course, girls.

Sure there’s a depression, recession, or whatever, but he’ll only be 12 once – and I’ll only be this age once too. Parenthood is a gift and it’s fleeting. For more info: www.hugyourkidstoday.com

Daniel Levine, a trend spotter at the Avant-Guide Institute who analyzes social trends recently said “People are being more value conscious, but just as important, they’re being more conscious of their values, and what that means is that they’re looking for experiences that speak to their heart.”

Anyone for a game of Horse?

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt: Travel vs. Have Another Baby?

‘Just saw this query from an author:  ”Looking for women who have built careers or businesses that allow them to travel long-term — and have balanced that with family. Interested in sources who have taken their families with them while traveling, as well as chosen to limit family in the interest of travel. “

My thought: I guess it takes all kinds, but it never crossed my mind that some folks would rather travel than have another baby.  Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt can do both. People of regular means do it all the time, too. Check out www.hugyourkidstoday.com

Is travel that great? Will your slideshow of the Taj Mahal or the Acropolis keep you company when you are old?  What do you think? Comment away!

Harvard Business on Work, Family and Email

According the the Harvard Business Blog:

U.S. workers’ leisure time shrank 20% last year, down from an average of 20 hours a week in 2007 to an average of 16 hours in 2008. During the same period, their average work week increased by 1 hour. Why the 3-hour discrepancy? Researchers at Harris Interactive speculate that stressed-out employees are spending more time at home checking their email and thinking about work – that’s not exactly work, but it certainly isn’t leisure, either.

SOURCE: Harris Interactive

Fortune Mag: Beat Recession Strategy and Your Family

Geoff Colvin wrote a great article in the Jan. 19, 2009 issue of Fortune mag, “How to Manage Your Business in a Recession” with 10 strategies.  One that jumped out to me: Keep investing in the core.  He writes, ” Recessions end…When this lousy stretch is over, will your business be more competitive or less?”

That’s a good point, no matter whether you own the company or you work for one. This too will pass. Whatcha’ doing to come out of this time stronger, not weaker?

Colvin ends the article with: Marathoners and Tour de France racers will tell you that a race’s hardest parts, the uphill stages, are where the lead changes hands.”

My point? You can start to beat this recession now. You don’t need to wait for things to change.  In fact, you shouldn’t. Now is the time to make sure you’re giving your family members some loving every day.  When the pressure is on at work, make sure you don’t forget to do the most important thing for your family every day – show them your love.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger Unrealistic for Many Moms and Dads

I submitted my book for Dr. Laura Schlessinger to review recently and Teresa Arriaza, her Programming Assistant, told me that they had rejected it because Dr. Laura doesn’t believe mothers should work.

So I asked, how about single moms and single dads?  Are they all supposed to go on welfare?

Here is Ms. Arriaza’s reply: Dr. Laura’s position has always been to do what’s best for the children.  If a parent has to work, she recommends that they work during hours when the children are asleep or when the other parent is at home.

My thoughts? This all sounds great on paper but it’s unrealistic for many moms and dads. If a single parent works when a child is asleep, then the parent must sleep when the child is awake, and that is a safety issue. Ask any parent who has been up with a fussy baby for several nights in a row and they will admit it’s downright dangerous. Over the long term, that is NOT “what’s best for the children.”

 

And for families where the parents share the childcare, the parents often don’t see each other enough to maintain their marriage and end up divorced. That is NOT “what’s best for the children” either. 

 Even some married parents have to contend with this issue. Maybe their spouse is serving in the military overseas, is disabled, or is on a non-military assignment out of the area.

 Or maybe one spouse chooses a profession that doesn’t pay enough to support a family, like being a teacher or a nurse. There are many instances where both parents have to work, just to pay base-level bills.

 

Few single mothers WANT to put their kids in childcare, but it’s really a safer solution to have the children play while their mom’s at work, so they can all sleep at the same time.

 

‘Hope this doesn’t sound like sour grapes. I admire all she’s accomplished, and putting children first is absolutely the right thing. But there are lots of parents who have to work. Granted, there are many who don’t, who work anyway. But to lump them all together doesn’t serve anyone.

 

I wish Dr. Laura would broaden her view to help more working parents. My message, “Hug your kids, then get to work,” at least makes sure the most important thing you’ll do all day, gets done first.