Mommy Has to Work

Great Tips for Moms Returning to Work

March 1, 2017 By Anne

Business young people in the job interview, signed an employment contract with boss in the office

Making the decision to return to work once you’ve had children can be exceptionally difficult. Women do it for all different reasons. For some, it’s as simple as needing the money. For others, it’s about having something for them, providing, and being a great role model. Then, for others, it’s because they love their job and don’t want to give it up. Whatever your reasons, returning to work can be a wonderful thing, but it will be difficult. Here are some great tips to help becoming a working mom easier.

Find a Job You Love

You may already have a career you love, which is fantastic. But, many of us don’t. Before having children, if you hated your job, this is the perfect time to make a change and find a new career, maybe something you’ve never considered. Look for work in growing industries that offers you a challenging and exciting role. A career in law could be a great option. If you are interested in following this rewarding career path, consider an online paralegal degree. Studying an online para program gives you great options to study flexibly, around your family commitments.

Consider Flexible Working Options

Working part-time, or arranging to work some of your hours from home, can be a great way to get the best of both worlds. Many businesses offer women flexible working options, so speak to your manager or HR department to find out what they could offer you.

Find Great Childcare

Having fantastic childcare that your children love, and you trust, will make the whole process a lot easier. If you need professional childcare, the main options are a childminder, nursery or nanny. It can be difficult decision, so meet with a few, and view different settings to make sure you find the right person or place for your family.

Stick to a Routine

When it comes to being a working parent, routine is incredibly important, both for you and the children. While you may need to be flexible at times, children really benefit from a structured routine, so try to work the same shifts, collect them at the same times, and have the same routine together at home. This will help them feel secure and settled, and make your life a lot easier.

Set Aside Quality Time

Make sure you make time for your family. When we’re busy, it can be difficult, but remember what is important. Children change so fast, you will spend your life regretting it if you miss too much. Set aside whole days together, but also little bits of every day. This could just be half an hour at the end of every day to read a story together. Make it a time that you all look forward to.

Remember to look after yourself. Take a break when you need it. Eat well, and get lots of sleep. If you don’t, you will be tired, stressed out, and unhealthy, which won’t help you at work or at home. Being a working parent can be hard, but don’t feel guilty for doing it. As long as your children are healthy and happy, and you are doing the right thing for your family, it’s ok. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Sea World Orlando’s Orphaned Manatee Calf Starts Her New Life in the Wild

March 1, 2017 By Marijean

Orphaned Manatee Calf Starts Her New Life in the Wild

SeaWorld’s Rescue, Rehabilitation and Return Program Comes Full Circle for Blanche the Manatee

Almost three years after she was rescued, a female manatee has returned to the Florida’s natural waters. Amidst cheers and bittersweet tears, SeaWorld Orlando’s Rescue Team returned Blanche to Port St. John, Florida and watched her swim away, ready to begin her life in the wild.

On July 21, 2014, Blanche was an orphan calf, estimated to be only two weeks old, when she was found swimming alone in the Indian River. She was rescued by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and brought to SeaWorld Orlando. Weighing in at only 48 pounds and measuring 48 inches in length, Blanche required around-the-clock care, including regular bottle feedings. She responded well to the immediate care she received and continued to thrive at SeaWorld’s Manatee Rehabilitation Center. Each day marked another day closer to the ultimate goal of being returned to her natural environment.

One of the most critical components to manatee rehabilitation is weight gain. Rescued orphaned manatees must weigh at least 600 pounds before they can be considered strong candidates for return by the Florida Fish and Wildlife. Today, Blanche weighs an amazing and healthy 775 pounds.

SeaWorld Orlando’s Rescue Team and FWC recorded Blanche’s final measurements moments before release and fitted her with a belt that will allow the Sea to Shore Alliance to monitor her success and track her path in the wild. Blanche is the sixth rehabilitated manatee SeaWorld has released to the natural environment this year.

In collaboration with the government and other members of accredited stranding networks, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment operates one of the world’s most respected programs to rescue ill and injured marine animals, with the goal to rehabilitate and return to the ocean. SeaWorld animal experts have helped more than 29,000 animals in need – ill, injured, orphaned and abandoned – for more than 50 years.

Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership

As part of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP), SeaWorld Orlando is an acute care rehabilitation facility that provides life-saving medical care to rescued manatees.

The MRP is a cooperative group of non-profit, private, state, and federal entities who work together to monitor the health and survival of rehabilitated and released manatees. Information about manatees currently being tracked is available atwww.wildtracks.org. The Florida manatee is at risk from both natural and man-made causes of injury and mortality. Exposure to red tide, cold stress, and disease are all natural problems that can affect manatees. Human-caused threats include boat strikes, crushing by flood gates or locks, and entanglement in or ingestion of fishing gear.

All manatee rescue footage is produced by SeaWorld under the FWS Permit Number MA7701911.

Marijean

My name is MJ. I have two wonderful children and work part time as well as volunteer at my children's school.

How to Balance Motherhood with Full Time Study

February 28, 2017 By Anne

Photo credit

Being a mother will be one of the most challenging things in your life. Whether you are a single mother or have a great family filled with children, getting back to school is not an easy task. If you decide that it is time to get back to school, earn a degree and find yourself a job, attending an online college might be the best option for you. Online colleges offer you the chance to earn a degree while working at your own pace and in many cases not having to visit the campus during that time. Here are some tips to help balance college workload and being a mom.

Find Online Courses

If the decision you made was to attend school, get a degree and go back to working as a mother, there is one place you should look first. In many cases, online courses will allow you to earn the same degree you can study for while attending a physical campus. Online courses that will allow you to earn a degree on your own time include Norwich University and the online military history degree program they offer.

Ask For Help

Even though you will be able to work at your own pace, getting the work done is still going to be a task. Of course, you can do your studying at the end of the day when the children are asleep, but that is not always going to be the ideal situation. On top of that, being able to get to a quiet, clean study area is going to benefit the studying that you want to do. Ask your family for help so you can get away for a few hours and really dig into the studying for your military history degree.

Get to the Library if You Can

Even though the internet is a great resource for a ton of information regarding just about any topic in the world, being able to get to the library when you can is going to be helpful. The library is typically quiet and will give you plenty of room to spread out so you are not hindered by outside distractions when trying to study. Depending on the ages of your children, they might even come with you to get some reading in on their own, while you study. It can be a nice place to add value to your family time.

Balancing studying and motherhood can be a task and not many people are going to be up for it, but with these tips you can get your online courses figured out and get the degree you are hoping for. Once you have your degree, it will be easier for you to get back into the working world in a capacity that is right for you. There are so many resources available, but planning the right path to your new degree is going to be a very important.

Anne

Celebrate Mardi Gras on February 28th!

February 27, 2017 By Heather Little

Laissez les bon temps rouler…let the good times roll! Mardi Gras is just around the corner, so it’s time to get your king cake, gumbo, a fancy mask, and some beads and hit the parade route!

Beads ready to be thrown…

So much fun!

For nearly 10 years, my husband and I lived just outside of New Orleans. Celebrating Mardi Gras became a Louisiana tradition for our family. While the city and the French Quarter has a reputation for partying and debauchery, Mardi Gras is actually a fun, family event that includes weeks of parades, balls, and celebrations. Krewes, or social clubs, host parades with elaborate floats, marching bands, performers, and of course, beads! If you’re lucky, you might also be able to snag a coveted doubloon, Moonpie, a stuffed animal, or a cup. People line up hours in advance of the parade to make sure they get the perfect spot to score the best throws. Custom built ladder seats give kids a great view of the fantastic themed floats. Each year, parades take place all along the Gulf Coast including not only New Orleans, but Mobile and in some Mississippi cities as well.

One of the amazing parade floats

A young parade-goer perched on her ladder seat ready to catch some throws.

Although it changes from year to year, Mardi Gras Day, or Fat Tuesday, is on February 28 this year. Unfortunately here in Florida, celebrating Mardi Gras isn’t too common, but if you ever have an opportunity to take in a parade, I’d highly recommend it! They really are fun, unique events like no other.

On a side note, Universal Orlando does hold a Mardi Gras celebration each year complete with floats, street performers, and beads. So while it might not be the “real deal”, if you’re at Universal, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Mardi Gras FAQ:

http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/faq.html

Universal Orlando Mardi Gras:

https://www.universalorlando.com/Events/Mardi-Gras/Overview.aspx

Heather Little

My name is Heather Little and my husband and I have two sweet girls and one crazy dog. We moved to Florida 6 years ago and have loved every minute of it! I enjoy crafting, good food, shopping, and of course travel!

How You Can Be a Stay-at-Home Mom and Earn Your Degree

February 27, 2017 By Anne

If you are a mom then you’ve already signed up for the most challenging “job” in life. While it is extremely rewarding to be a mom, it doesn’t mean you need to push aside your career goals and aspirations. In fact, you can work on achieving those goals while you are also a stay-at-home mom.

Nowadays, online learning has become more and more common as people realize just how many benefits it offers. Think about it, you can be working on getting your online master of science in finance, all while being at home with the kids. Once you’ve obtained that online finance masters degree, you’ve gone ahead and opened all kinds of exciting doors. With your degree there is no need to start at the bottom of the ladder, as you’ll be able to go ahead and look for those executive positions you deserve.

Making it Work

So how can you make it work? How can you be a stay-at-home mom while obtaining your degree? Well the big bonus in these online learning programs is the fact the schedules tend to be quite flexible. This means you can learn on your own schedule. You aren’t a slave to the schedule of the classroom, having to commute back and forth, show up on time, and be there all day, every day.

Your ideal schedule may end up being that you can work on your schooling in the evenings when the kids are in bed and study and read during the day while the kids nap. You may find it’s beneficial to have the kids attend day care or nursery school on a part-time basis, or have a babysitter come in a few times a week, giving you even more time to study.

A Money Saving Option

If you do happen to be a stay-at-home mom and your family is trying to make it on one income, money can be tight to say the least. This is another reason online learning makes sense. It tends to be much cheaper than a traditional degree program you attend on-campus.

Get the Whole Family on Board

Of course, in order to make things work and allow you the time and focus you need to earn your degree, the whole family needs to be on board. They need to support you in all ways necessary, which means giving you the time and space you need to do your work.

There is no doubt that it will get hard at times, such as when the family is all under the weather and you need to be “super mom” and look after everyone, including yourself, and still get your work done. The key is to keep your end goal in mind. Think about what a degree will mean. It means you will qualify for those higher paying positions that are more challenging and put to use the many skills you have learned through schooling.

Create the Future You Want

Getting your degree essentially allows you to create the future you want to have when it comes to your career. It’s giving you all the power and control, which will set you up for success.